ARK: Survival Ascended Expands With Tides of Fortune, Genesis Ascended Part I, and Surprise Dragontopia Launch
- Genesis Ascended Part I is available now as a free update for ARK: Survival Ascended.
- The premium Tides of Fortune expansion introduces naval combat, ships, and new creatures.
- Studio Wildcard also surprise-launched ARK: Dragontopia, a new dragon-focused expansion that will continue to grow through December.
Studio Wildcard has rolled out one of the largest content updates yet for ARK: Survival Ascended, introducing a trio of major additions that expand the survival game across both the ocean and the skies. Available now are the free Genesis Ascended Part I update, the premium Tides of Fortune expansion, and the surprise launch of ARK: Dragontopia.
Together, the three releases introduce new regions, creatures, progression systems, and gameplay mechanics. While Genesis Ascended Part I revisits one of ARK’s existing story expansions, Tides of Fortune shifts the focus to large-scale naval exploration and combat, while Dragontopia opens the door to an entirely new dragon-themed adventure that will continue receiving content updates throughout 2026.
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Genesis Ascended and Tides of Fortune Transform ARK’s Oceans
The free Genesis Ascended Part I update remasters the original expansion while introducing one of ARK: Survival Ascended’s biggest technical additions: its first physics-based water system. The new ocean biome features dynamic waves, realistic buoyancy, and large-scale naval encounters as players explore islands, hidden fortresses, and story missions alongside returning AI companion HLN-A.
The update also introduces the Palaeoctopus, a new aquatic creature capable of climbing cliffs, capturing multiple targets with its tentacles, and producing coloured ink for players to collect. The creature joins the growing roster of prehistoric wildlife available across ARK: Survival Ascended.
Launching alongside the free update is Tides of Fortune, a premium expansion centred on naval gameplay. Players can build and customise ships ranging from agile sloops to larger brigantines before taking them into large-scale ship battles using manually controlled broadside cannons and specialist ammunition. Ships can also be upgraded through dedicated Piracy, Merchant, and Luxury skill trees, allowing captains to tailor their fleets to different playstyles.
The expansion also introduces two new companion creatures. The Tidepup provides healing and defensive support before eventually becoming a rideable mount, while the Parrot helps players locate hidden treasure, valuable loot, and enemy vessels. New story sequences featuring Karl Urban and Auli’i Cravalho also continue the narrative introduced in previous ARK expansions.
ARK: Dragontopia Begins a New Sky-Based Adventure
Alongside the ocean-focused content, Studio Wildcard unexpectedly launched ARK: Dragontopia, a new premium expansion pass that shifts the action into an aerial world dominated by dragons. Rather than arriving as a complete expansion on day one, Dragontopia will receive several major content updates throughout late July, October, and December, culminating in the release of a large interconnected sky map.
The first release introduces Eclipsar Umbra, a dragon capable of aerial combat, plasma attacks, and short-range teleportation abilities. Players can also begin progressing through the new Dragon Skill Tree, which strengthens the bond between Survivors and their dragons while unlocking new offensive, defensive, and traversal abilities.
Additional features include the Drake Claw Grappler for high-altitude movement, cosmetic Draconic Armor, and new dragon-themed crafting equipment. Studio Wildcard said more dragons, progression systems, and gameplay features will be added throughout the remainder of the year as Dragontopia continues to expand.
Genesis Ascended Part I, Tides of Fortune, and the first chapter of ARK: Dragontopia are all available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Existing ARK: Survival Ascended players can access Genesis Ascended Part I as a free update, while Tides of Fortune and Dragontopia are available as premium expansions.
