# ARK: Survival Ascended Community Crunch 518: Long Live the King! - Product: ARK: Survival Ascended (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/ark-survival-ascended) - Vendor: Studio Wildcard - Date: 2026-08-08 - Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2399830/view/698772352667746970 - Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/ark-survival-ascended/releases/2026-08-08-community-crunch-518-long-live-the-king What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog. Reuse: the summaries, labels and curation here are © What's New. Quote freely with attribution and a link back; wholesale republication of the corpus is not permitted — terms: https://whatsnew.fyi/terms. The vendors' own release notes remain their publishers'. --- - **changed** — Giganotosaurus TLC underway to restore its commanding presence and power as an apex predator - **changed** — Giganotosaurus behavior adjusted so that the closer it is pushed to the brink, the more dangerous it becomes - **added** — Giganotosaurus can now confer a contagious fury to creatures gathered around it and has a crushing melee response - **changed** — Transfers on Genesis Ascended Part 1 Official servers enabled starting September 4th - **changed** — Genesis Part 1 Expires servers will close on September 18th - **added** — Conquest Season 8 launched with 18 Genesis Part 1 maps across two clusters - **changed** — Conquest servers feature 5x harvest, taming, and experience rates - **changed** — Tek disabled on Conquest servers except for Body Armor, Helmet, Leggings, Gloves, Boots, Boots, Pants, Shirt, Chest, Sleeping Pod, Transmitter, Turret, Forcefield, Sensor, Ceiling, Door, and Doorframe - **added** — Transfers between Conquest Cluster A and Cluster B open on July 17th at 10 AM PT - **added** — Official Network bonus rates active until Monday, August 10 with 2x rates for PvP/PvE and increased rates for Small Tribes and ARKpocalypse - **added** — ASA Mod Jam 2026 finalist mods now available in-game mod browser with 13 community-created mods - **added** — Bridges Ascended mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — Corruption Unbound mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — Engram Fragmentation mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — Extinction Overgrowth mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — Extraction Protocol mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — Fera's TLCs: Megalania mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — The Obolus Project mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended - **added** — Reforged Arsenal mod available for ARK: Survival Ascended The ground is beginning to shake again. Once upon a time, the Giganotosaurus was the undisputed king of the ARKs. Few creatures could stand against it, and hearing its roar in the distance was enough to send even seasoned Survivors scrambling for safety, and taming one was a milestone few ever forgot. As the years went by and new apex predators emerged, the Giga gradually found itself sharing the spotlight. With this TLC, our goal is to restore the presence, power, and identity that made it the terror of the wilderness in the first place. We're excited to share an early look at that journey with the first concept art for the Giganotosaurus TLC. Our focus is on restoring the Giga's commanding presence and ensuring it once again stands shoulder to shoulder with the mightiest predators roaming the ARKs. [Download in full resolution](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17jxrv5kVtyqizPtBrSRKPBJ0uOu_sN6h?usp=drive_link) As part of that journey, we’re exploring new ways to remind Survivors why a wounded Giganotosaurus has always been one of the most terrifying sights on the ARKs. The closer it is pushed to the brink, the more dangerous it becomes... and that kind of fury can be contagious. Creatures brave enough to crowd around its feet may soon discover it has a crushing answer of its own, but when its temper finally boils over, friend and foe alike would be wise to give it room. The king of the food chain is preparing for its return. Transfers on Genesis Ascended Part 1 Official servers will open on **September 4th**, allowing players to move items, creatures, and characters onto the map without restriction! We've also aligned the timing with the Genesis Part 1 Expires servers, giving players a couple of weeks to move everything over before those servers close on September 18th. And as always, don't forget to pack your Dodos in bubble wrap, Survivors! Conquest, introduced to ARK: Survival Ascended by Snail Games, focuses on large-scale PvP, with increased rates, and other changes listed below. The increased rates will allow tribes to set up and establish themselves quickly and enable them to rebuild after potential losses instead of being wiped completely. The official Conquest servers are **open for PC, Xbox and PlayStation**. If you need any support during the Conquest season, join the [Conquest Enforcement's Discord](https://discord.gg/4SyXmfyxT6). - **Conquest Season 8 details:** - Total of 18 maps, all Genesis Part 1 - Cluster A: 12 servers that had transfers enabled with Classic before they shut down. - Cluster B: 6 servers with transfers only enabled between those 6 servers for 2 weeks. _Transfers between Cluster A and Cluster B will open on **July 17th at 10 AM PT**._ - 5x Rates - Tek is enabled with the exception of: - Tek Grenade - Tapejara Tek Saddle - Megalodon Tek Saddle - Rock Drake Tek Saddle - Mosasur Tek Saddle - Tek Railgun - Map: all 18 maps will become Genesis Part 1 This weekend, the Official Network will be receiving bonus rates! It will be active until **Monday, August 10**. - **PVP/PVE: **2x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience, and Breeding - **Small Tribes: **4.5x Harvesting, Taming, and Experience + 4x Breeding - **ARKpocalypse:** 5x Harvesting, Taming and Experience, and Breeding [Fan Art Gallery](https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/gallery/album/3617-featured-fan-art/) | [Screenshot Gallery](https://survivetheark.com/index.php?/gallery/album/3623-featured-screenshots/) | [Artist Feedback Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftQUqoYHb2QhG-rqeRMmL2r4-GVtW56tCdclH5sD-YQ_5HKw/viewform) ##### ASA Mod Jam 2026 – Finalist Mods Are Live! We’re constantly blown away by the creativity of the ARK modding community, especially when players create new opportunities for fellow creators. That spirit is behind the independently run ASA Mod Jam 2026: Build the Future. Organized by Sandi Studios and CurseForge, this eight-week gauntlet kicks off on May 15th. It challenges s _[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2399830/view/698772352667746970]_