The Ark 2 launch might still be some way off, and Ark Survival Ascended has certainly faced plenty of issues since the UE5 remaster launched in October 2023. Yet, for all its performance problems and player criticisms around the price of upgrading from Survival Evolved, it’s unmistakably a visual showcase among the best survival games on PC. If you fancy a change of scenery, however, one of the most prolific Ark modders has just unveiled a breathtaking location that’s arriving for free in October with full crossplay support.
Modder ‘Nekatus’ is a name many Ark Survival Ascended players will already be familiar with. Their dwarven-themed Ark map Svartalfheim has been downloaded more than 1.3 million times on the new version of the survival game alone. That puts it comfortably among the best Ark Survival Ascended mods, ranking as the number one map ahead even of creations from the official Studio Wildcard mod team, and its designer boasts even more successes to their name with the likes of the Fjordur and Valguero maps for the original Ark Survival Evolved.
Now, Nekatus has teamed up with Studio Wildcard for a first glimpse at their next project – Astraeos. This stunning project draws heavily from Greek history to create a spectacular realm spanning 264 square kilometers. It rises up to high mountain ridges and drops down to beautiful white-sand beaches and even a sakura biome filled with cherry blossoms. Were it not for the presence of dinosaurs in the trailer, you’d quite easily believe you were watching a different game altogether.
Of course, along with the setting you can expect to uncover all manner of ancient ruins and temples inspired by Ancient Greece. You can even take to the water on custom-built ships designed after Greek Triremes. This is still an Ark map, however, so you’ll also have to tackle “powerful new bosses, alpha dino variants with enhanced loot, and a fearsome miniboss lurking in mysterious caves.” Venture into the shadowy regions and perhaps you’ll even encounter some more mythological foes.
A free version of the Astraeos map will launch for Ark Survival Ascended on Thursday October 10, with crossplay support enabled from day one. A premium version of the map is planned to arrive later in 2024.
If you’re looking for a new place to play, jump into one of the best Ark servers in 2024 to get started. Alternatively, explore ancient history further with more of the best dinosaur games on PC.
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