ARK: Valguero Ascended - Complete List of Changes & Improvements

1) Endgame and Boss Fights

• New Final Boss - Grendel: The old triple-boss fight (Dragon, Manticore, and Megapithecus) has been replaced with Grendel, a single, multi-phase encounter. It’s slower, heavier, and far more cinematic, requiring movement, spacing, and timing rather than brute force.
• Arena and Mechanics: The new Forsaken Arena features fog, fire beacons, and horror style visuals. Survivors must light beacons to draw Grendel out from the mist. During battle, it summons waves of Deinonychus minions that inflict bleed, forcing players to stay mobile.
• Rewards: Beating Grendel grants a new trophy and flag, with Alpha difficulty giving 520 Element and all standard Tek unlocks for Valguero completion.

2) New and Returning Creatures

• Megaraptor (New) - A stealthy apex predator tamed through a fire based altar event. Instead of tranquilizers, players must light fires and defend the altar until the Megaraptor yields. Check the taming guide here
  • Can double jump, strafe while sprinting, and perform a finisher attack that inflicts bleed.
  • Has Hunt Mode, highlighting targets and applying a fear aura to nearby creatures.
  • Gains passive defense buffs, can ground flyers, and has a camouflage mode that makes it harder for wild creatures to detect.

• Elderclaw (New, Fantastic Tame) - A powerful forest guardian raised from a seed rather than knocked out. Plant the seed in a Large Crop Plot, wait for it to bud, claim the cub, and raise it to adulthood. Check the taming guide here
  • Uses Root Burst, a ranged attack that immobilizes enemies in an area.
  • Can summon a Bark Shield, reducing incoming damage at the cost of food.
  • Places a totem that increases attack power for allies nearby. When fully charged, the totem can mutate the Elderclaw temporarily, boosting its size and strength.

• Deinonychus (Returning) - Classic nest-and-egg taming returns, with a few improvements.
  • A green crosshair now shows where it can jump or latch.
  • The latch icon helps players see when a target is valid.
  • Climbing animations and movement feel smoother thanks to UE5 updates.

• Ice Golem and Chalk Golem (Now Tameable) - Both regional Rock Elemental variants can now be tamed directly on Valguero Ascended.

• Rock Drakes (New to Valguero) - Fully spawnable and tameable on official servers for the first time. Their nests can be found in the Aberration Trench, making Valguero a proper home for them at last.
• Nameless and Reaper Queens (New to Valguero) - Both now spawn in the Aberration red zone, allowing players to gather Nameless Venom and hunt for Reaper pregnancies.
• Basilisks - Also added to the lower Aberration zone as part of the natural ecosystem.
• Woolly Rhino (New to Valguero) - Spawns in the eastern swamp, adding a strong herbivore option to this map for the first time.
• Bison (New Spawn) - Previously limited to Ragnarok, now found roaming Valguero’s swamps and plains.
• Wild Flyer Babies (New Global Feature) - For the first time in ARK history, flyer species like Argentavis, Griffin, Quetzal, and Dimorphodon can spawn with wild babies that fly alongside their parents.

3) Map, Biomes, and Environment Updates

• Terrain and Lighting Remaster - Every biome has been rebuilt with higher-quality terrain meshes, new foliage, and reworked lighting. Forests are denser yet easier to navigate, while open plains have improved visibility.

• Chalk Cliffs and Redwoods - Both regions feature new vegetation and color grading for a more natural look. Cherry blossom trees and red-leafed trees have been added in several biomes, including the Ice Wyvern trench, bringing more color variety.

• Aberration Trench Update - The entire trench has been overhauled with crystal lighting and expanded geometry. It now includes Rock Drake nests, Nameless, Reaper Queens, and Basilisks, making it one of the most dangerous but rewarding regions on the map. The floor is now covered in Black Pearl clams, and high-tier loot crates spawn here more often with near-instant respawns.

• Resource Rebalance - Metal, obsidian, crystal, and polymer nodes have been redistributed to match the new terrain flow.
• New Decorative Features - Giant beaver dams redesigned with new visuals, and hobbit style ruins now appear in the tundra region as small round-door shelters.

4) Caves, Structures, and Landmarks

• New Skylord Cave (White Cliffs) - The Artifact of the Skylord has moved from the Wyvern Cave to a massive new cave in the White Cliffs. It’s full of loot crates, underwater tunnels, statues, and even light pets like Bulbdogs guarding the inner chambers.

• New Small Caves - Dozens of smaller caves have been added around the map, such as new ones in the Tundra, Snow, and White Cliffs biomes. These add new exploration spots and base-building options.

• Snow Temple Cave - A new ice-themed temple in the Snow biome offers loot and a cozy exploration challenge.
• White Cliffs Base Cave - A previously sealed section of the cliffs is now a large water-filled cave, deep enough for aquatic creatures, perfect for hybrid land-and-water bases.
• Oil Cave Layout Changes - The Oil Cave entrance is now larger, reducing its old PvP choke point advantage. The interior has been redesigned with better lighting and more open space.

• Renovated Forts and Ruins
  • Tundra Fort has been rebuilt into a fortified stone lodge with walls and inner courtyards.
  • Redwoods Castle Ruins, Plateau Fort, and Green Obelisk Lake Fort have been fully renovated, with stairs, corridors, and interiors now explorable.
  • White Cliffs Castle has been redesigned into a two-story mansion-style ruin.
  • Small Island Compound near the map’s center has been turned into a castle-like base location with new walls and a courtyard.
  • Stonehenge Site now has an altar featuring a fallen Surfactus, serving as a lore-themed Easter egg.

• Hobbit Ruins (New Easter Egg) - Small, round-door dwellings hidden across the tundra, clearly inspired by Lord of the Rings’ Shire-style houses.

• Redwoods Upgrades
  • Large tree stump points of interest now contain organic polymer plants.
  • Organic polymer sources from carcasses return to the swamp, letting players gather the material more easily.

• Valguero Memorial (New Feature)
  An interactable monument honoring ascended survivors. Server owners can customize its displayed names using a configuration line. It’s both decorative and a community feature.

5) Quality of Life and Balance Tweaks

• Building System Improvements - Clipboard and Hammer placement accuracy has been improved, with templates now matching the intended height and rotation.
  • Structure skin range increased by roughly 70%, allowing for easier decoration from a distance.
• Combat and UI Updates
  • A Bola timer now appears to show how long you’re restrained.
  • Shoulder-pet throws are quicker and more consistent across mounts.
  • Target indicators added for creatures like Deinonychus, showing latch and jump points.
• Creature Balance
  • Deinosuchus bleed no longer affects bosses, making fights more balanced.
  • Flyer babies now inherit behavior from their parents, flying in formation instead of idling.
  • Chalk and Ice Golems are fully Cryopod compatible, fixing a long-standing limitation.
• Loot and Resources
  • Aberration loot crates now spawn faster and at higher quality (purple to red).
  • Black Pearl clams in the Aberration trench make farming far easier.
  • Beaver dams redesigned and added to new water zones, with improved visuals and loot distribution.