Summary
Ark: Survival Ascendedhas finally announced the release of theAberrationmap, coming out later this year. Originally released forArk: Survival Evolvedon August 06, 2025,Aberrationis an expansion map primarily featuring a damaged ARK and an expansive underground biome. It’s the third DLC map to be added toArk: Survival Ascended,followingThe Centerback in June andScorched Earthin April.
Much like other map DLCs,Aberrationincludes a variety of new creatures, items, and locations for players to tame, craft, and explore. So, without further ado, here’s everything players can expect from the new map coming toArk: Survival Ascended.
Ark: Survival Ascended DLC Roadmap - All Planned Expansions & Updates
Ark: Survival Ascended is a remastered Survival Evolved in Unreal Engine 5, and is expected to gradually include all of the original’s DLC expansions.
Ark: Survival Ascended - Aberration Release Date
When Does ASA: Aberration Come Out?
Ark: Survival Ascended’sAberrationmap is scheduled to be released on August 15, 2025. This marks a delay from its originally scheduled release date, which was initially planned for this July. That’s been a trend with recentASAexpansions, asScorched EarthandThe Centerwere also delayed. There’s been no word yet on howAberration’s late release will impact the timing ofRagnarok, the next expansion scheduled, but consideringRagnarokwas also originally planned for September, it’ll probably be pushed back too.
Amid backlash overArk’s recent paid creature controversy,Aberrationis expected to be released for free. Much like delays, that is the standard forArkmaps - players pay for the base game, but get access to map DLCs at no additional cost. However, there’s been no official announcement from Studio Wildcard on the topic just yet.
Ark: Survival Ascended - Aberration New Creature
ASA’s Yi Qi, Explained
The new creature featured inASA:Aberrationis the Yi Qi, a feathered, winged dinosaur. As always, the Yi Qi’s addition was decided via a fan poll, narrowly beating the colorful Jumper spider over nine rounds. Its common name comes from a very real, late Jurassic period creature; its official species name inArk, though, is Yi Xue. According to the original pitch byArkforums userRRG, where “yi qi” translates from Chinese to “strange wing,” “yi xue” translates to “bloody wing.” That’s a meaningful difference, asASA’s version of the Yi Qi has some deadly features never before seen in real biology.
Yi Qi’s main mode of attack is its incredibly sharp feathers, which it shoots at its enemies as projectiles. They don’t deal damage directly, but instead “mark” their targets until the Yi Qi activates them. This eviscerates their enemies; the more feathers they have on them when the Yi Qi attacks, the more damage they’ll take. If they lose more than half of their HP, they’ll be slowed and stricken with fear, and will also lose all damage resistance for a full minute.
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As for taming,Yi Qi is best suited to a high-damage, high-speed buildthat prioritizes careful positioning and strategy over tanking and steamrolling enemies. The higher its melee stat, the more quills it has available to shoot; the higher its stamina, the more quickly it’ll regrow new feathers. Players can also use various substances to coat its wings with different types of elemental damage. When wearing a TEK Saddle, its dashes are steadier and make it briefly immune to damage. Its one weakness is that, if it’s hit with any melee damage (or enough projectile damage) while gliding, it’ll immediately fall to the ground, and must remain there for ten seconds. It’s also not immune to radiation, so players will need to keep it safe in their travels across theAberrationmap.
Besides the Yi Qi,ASA’s take onAberrationis expected to feature several other creatures first introduced in the original version of the map. These include the wall-climbing, camouflaging Rock Drake, the light-up Bulbdog, and the Karkinos, affectionately called the Giant Crab. It’ll also include the Reaper, a strange creature inspired by the Xenomorphs featured in theAlienfilm series. These can’t be tamed by traditional means, but players can gain a friendly Reaper companion by allowing themselves to be impregnated by a Reaper Queen, then raising the baby. A full list of unique creatures inAberrationis provided below.
In addition to these unique creatures,Aberrationis also host to a great number of Aberrant variationson baseArkanimals. These generally have less HP than their standard versions, but deal more damage and glow in the dark. Some of them are also immune to radiation.
Ark: Survival Ascended - Aberration Gameplay Features
What’s Different About Aberration?
Aberrationis set on a damaged ARK whose atmosphere has dissipated,leading to high levels of radiation throughout the map. Players will need to contend with this hazard as they explore; protective gear is basically a must. The increased radiation has also led many creatures to mutate into Aberrant variants with unique stats, which makes them desirable for catching and taming.
Aberrant creatures cannot breed with non-Aberrant variants.
Sincemuch ofAberration’s map is underground, navigation can be difficult. Players will need to make ample use of tools like compasses or GPS to ensure they’re always headed in the right direction. Mushrooms thrive in these dark caves, and many can be a helpful resource, acting as an easy source of food. However, some mushrooms may cause hypothermia, and others cause the player to hallucinate. The setting also leads to increased earthquakes, which may cause players to fall mid-climb, but also drop random resources.
There’s alsoa new resource inAberration: Gems. They come in three colors: Red, Green and Blue. They’re mostly used as crafting materials - Red Gems can be made into the powerful Charge Lantern, while Green Gems can be used to create a handy Climbing Pick. Blue Gems aren’t terribly useful for crafting, but can bolster the durability of certain items, increasing the time it takes until they break.
AlthoughAberration’s boss doesn’t drop Element, for the first time ever,it’s possible to craft this vital material using Charge Nodes. A combination of Gems, Charge Batteries, and Element Ore can be used to create Element, which in turn can be crafted into powerful Tek Tier gear.
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Ark: Survival Ascended - Aberration Skins
What Skins & Cosmetics Are In ASA: Aberration?
Although no official list of skins has been confirmed forASA’s version ofAberrationyet,it’s possible to guess based on the skins included in the original version. The following skins were part of the release ofAberrationforArk: Survival Evolved. However, withnew cosmetics forScorched Earthand the general changes to the system throughoutASA, the final list may look somewhat different.
That’s everything to know aboutASA’s version ofAberration- at least for now. Since much of the information available is based on the originalAberration, things are subject to change in the final version. Players will only be able to learn the true extent of the differences onceAberrationcomes toArk: Survival Ascendedon September 4.
Source:RRG/SurviveTheArk
Ark: Survival Ascended
ARK: Survival Ascended is a reimagined version of the 2017 action-adventure survival MMORPG by the developers at Studio Wildcard and Grove Street Games. Built in Unreal Engine 5, players will return to ARK to build tribes, fight and tame dinosaurs, and brave the elements as they battle to survive in a unique sandbox where crafting and resource management is essential.
