Continuing the tradition of holiday updates, Ark: Survival Evolved has become a veritable winter wonderland; snow covers the ground and the treetops, presents filled with candy cane weapons and more fall from the sky and “Raptor Claus” flies through the sky in his sleigh. It’s a very Ark Christmas this year.
Much like the previous Halloween and Thanksgiving updates, there are plenty of new items and secrets to find in this new snowy landscape. Candy cane weapons have been added to allow players to add a festive flair to their beatings. Dinosaurs and other island denizens sport Santa hats to get into the spirit of Christmas. If you’re lucky enough, you may even receive a special reindeer costume gift from Raptor Claus.
Festive home decor is now available in the form of holiday lights, Christmas trees, wreaths and snowmen; show that special survivor you care by gifting them a loot-containing present. According to Wildcard, Ark’s developing studio, Raptor Claus will occasionally appear to drop gifts to survivors below; be warned though, “naughty survivors” may receive a lump of coal. Here is a list of what Raptor Claus might drop:
- Candy cane clubs
- Reindeer costumes
- Santa hats
- Ark: Survival Evolved gift codes
- Coal (fear not naughty survivors; receive enough coal and you may be able to summon Dodorex to do your bidding temporarily)
True to the season of giving, the Winter Wonderland update arrives at the beginning of the Steam Holiday Sale. Ark: Survival Evolved is currently on sale for 40% off at $18 until the sale ends on January 4.
Survivors of a more competitive nature will be happy to learn of Wildcard’s “Survival of the Fittest” charity event, beginning on December 29. The event will host two teams of 100 players each in an all war between the “Naughty or Nice” tribes. The winners will receive $10,000 to go to the charity of their choosing. The event will be broadcasted live on Ark’s Twitch stream.
As of now, the holiday update exists only for the PC version of the game. Wildcard has recently released the game on Xbox One with a commitment to improving server performance for the console version.