The new Ark Survival Ascended Megaraptor will make you fear Valguero nights

Ark Survival Ascended continues to split opinion, with the UE5 remaster delivering an unquestionably pretty overhaul to one of Steam's most famed survival games, but leaving many players who paid for the upgrade running into performance issues and bugs. Developer Studio Wildcard is continuing apace, nevertheless, and its new Valguero Ascended map is just coming over the horizon. A similarly revamped take on the original's official but non-canonical free DLC, it'll additionally feature a new threat that's already haunting my nightmares; the Megaraptor.

In its newest Ark Survival Ascended Community Crunch, Studio Wildcard lifts the lid on its rendition of the Megaraptor, which won the ninth creature vote from a range of player submissions, earning it a spot among the Valguero roster. Based on our first glimpse below, it's far bigger than most of its raptor counterparts, yet its ability to blend into the shadows could restore a true sense of terror to one of our best survival games.

"Something stalks the shadows…" Studio Wildcard teases. "You'll hear it… too late. The rustle in the brush. The Breath behind you. The sudden stillness in the dark." Set to arrive alongside the new incarnation of Valguero, "Megaraptor is not a monster of brute strength. It doesn't need to be. It waits, isolates. And when you're alone, it strikes with unnerving precision, especially when no one is around to help you. Its presence clouds vision and reason alike, disorienting its victims just long enough to finish the job."

While the developer doesn't give too much more information here, what it says lines up with the original, winning submission from 'RobertoTurati.' They describe it as a "horror-themed dinosaur" that blends into the shadows during the day. "To make things even worse, Megaraptor seems to change its behavior at night, preferring to stalk and haunt its prey before killing them, roaring from the shadows to terrify both creatures and players."

Presuming that Studio Wildcard has stuck closely to that design document elsewhere, then your best defense against the Megaraptor is likely to be fire, which it fears greatly. If you're capable of taming one, meanwhile, RobertorTurati proposes that you can use its stealthy ambush mode, long-range pounce, and claw swipes capable of inflicting wounds. Kill enough, and it'll reach a temporary state of uncontrollable rage where it will relentlessly pursue the nearest target.

If that has you quaking in your boots, take your mind off things for now with the Ark Summer Bash 2025, which has just kicked off and runs through Thursday July 17. With big boosts and seasonal event cosmetics galore, it'll be a fun time for all. Looking further ahead, the Valguero launch will be followed at the end of 2025 by the launch of the Lost Colony expansion, and we sat down with Studio Wildcard to talk about its bold new features such as NPC thralls.

The free Valguero Ascended map is set to launch for Ark Survival Ascended in August 2025. Take a look through Studio Wildcard's latest Community Crunch for further updates on the ongoing Summer Bash.

Need more prehistoric action in your life right now? We've chosen the best dinosaur games in 2025. If you're in the market for an upgrade to help ensure a smooth experience on Valguero, here's the best graphics card for your budget.

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