Studio Wildcard has confirmed the next big Ark: Survival Ascended update, in more ways than one. The dinosaur survival game has had more than its fair share of gargantuan beasties over the years, but few are as impressive, or as intimidating, as the Giganotosaurus. Marking eleven years to the day since the apex predator first appeared in Survival Evolved, its TLC update will now be arriving on Thursday November 5. It’s also set to be the date when Ark finally makes the jump to Unreal Engine 5.8.
The Giganotosaurus TLC is the third of five planned ‘Tender Loving Care’ updates voted for by the Ark: Survival Ascended community during Extra Life 2025. After giving fresh attention to the Araneo and Therizinosaurus, Studio Wildcard is turning its attention to one of the biggest and best of the bunch, promising it “a fearsome new look and renewed ferocity” that will reassert the Giga’s place at the very top of the food chain.
“Even seasoned Survivors may want to reconsider their route when they see this beast turning in their direction.” Gigas have always been one of the aspirational dinosaurs to tame, with a simple but extremely effective moveset of bits, stomps, and tail slams that can devastate anything in your path. Studio Wildcard promises that the new-look incarnation will remain a similarly “formidable ally” for those brave enough to earn its loyalty – but getting to that point requires “giving the returning king the respect it deserves.”
The Giganotosaurus TLC arrives in Ark: Survival Ascended on Thursday November 5, 2026. It’s bringing a couple of other additions with it as well. The first is the long-teased transition to Unreal Engine 5.8, which was originally scheduled for the end of September but got pushed back a couple of times to ensure it was fully polished. Studio Wildcard says it has now attained 99.9% mod compatibility for the new update, and is ironing out the last edge cases.
The other addition in very close proximity is the Enigmasaur, which will wrap up Ark: Fantastic Tames Season 1 on Friday November 6. This insect-loving lizard is a sort of super-chameleon, capable of shapeshifting to mimic entire other creatures, with different abilities based on the form it takes.
“Even after slipping into an entirely different form, some familiar tricks may still be lurking beneath the surface,” the developer teases. “A Rex with a scorpion’s sting? That’s just one of the surprises this shapeshifter might have in store.”
If you want to add this “living Swiss Army knife” to your crew, you’ll need to first tame several of the other creatures it loves to turn into. You’ll also need to buy the Fantastic Tames Season 1 DLC, which is currently on a 20% sale until Sunday November 8, so expect to pay $7.99 / £5.99 to get your hands on the trio of the Burrowbuck, Cerberax, and Enigmasaur.
