ASA Mod Jam 2026

As part of the "ASA Mod Jam 2026: Build the Future", Sandi Studios, CurseForge, and Studio Wildcard called upon the modding community to create new mods from scratch in the ARK DevKit within two months. Following a pre-selection of 13 finalists, the final winners have now been determined with the release of Community Crunch 520. All mods are free, crossplay-compatible, and available in the CurseForge Mod Hub under the tag #ASAModJam2026.

Overview of the 13 Finalist Mods

Vorath: Aquadomes (by Trixt3r & Shinygati)
Adds the tameable deep-sea predator "Vorath", which provides riders with oxygen and protection against torpor attacks from jellyfish and eels. Using parasitic larvae and an underwater catalyst, players can defend against waves to construct a walkable and buildable breathing dome on the ocean floor.

Extinction Overgrowth (by Mr_Powerpoof)
A reimagining of the southern sulfur fields on Extinction, transforming the wasteland into a vibrant forest and river landscape beneath a fourth giant dome. Adds new caves, water areas with aquatic creatures, and empowered "Overgrown" dino variants.

Rustfall (by Yutay)
A post-apocalyptic mod map set in the ruins of a decayed, nature-overgrown TEK metropolis. The map features dense swamp and redwood zones as well as underground vacuum tunnels leading into hidden deep-sea caverns.

The Wall (by iivan)
A vertically oriented canyon map inspired by Aberration with an extreme focus on height. Survivors navigate narrow ledges and cave systems rich in metal yields, loot crates, and typical Aberration creatures.

Engram Fragmentation (by Shefski55555)
Allows players to extract "Engram Fragments" from tamed creatures to process them in a synthesizer. These can be used to craft targeted mutation applicators for breeding stat upgrades, buff cakes, rare creature scanners, and permanent color changes.

Feras TLCS Megalania (by Fera_spielt)
A complete TLC overhaul for the vanilla Megalania featuring a new model, animations, and saddle unlock starting at level 45. Offers toggleable venom types (stamina drain, DoT, armor debuff, rabies), camouflage cloaking, cave loot detection, and passive venom production.

Bridges Ascended (by Mobevents)
Expands the building system with dynamic, modular suspension and drawbridges featuring functional rope mechanics. Allows for flexible and visually seamless connections across deep canyons, cliffs, and between fortresses.

Reforged Arsenal (by Hacki_van_bane)
Overhauls the entire vanilla weapon system for greater realism. Replaces loose cartridges with a magazine and reloading system, adds a modular UI for weapon attachments, and simulates precise recoil, bullet drop, and environmental influences.

Hyperion (by Crane)
A dystopian sci-fi map featuring an industrial fortress, a drivable TEK train, and a massive low-gravity moon biome. Includes non-tameable elite thralls, Orbital Supply Drops, and a three-tier boss arena for high-tier loot.

Extraction Protocol (by Bruno)
Brings dynamic wave events to any map: kills on vanilla creatures offer a 20% drop chance for placeable resource nodes. Once triggered, players defend the node against waves of enemy attacks and harvest valuable resources afterward.

Corruption Unbound (by Dooms Dahling & Scorching_Kami)
Causes Element corruption to dynamically erupt in real-time on The Island. Infested nests turn the local wildlife into aggressive monstrosities, while survivors must fight the spread using vaccinations and special cleansing rifles.

The Obolus Project (by TheNokosa)
Introduces a compact tent (craftable from level 2) that serves as a dimensional portal to a personal, instanced island sanctuary. Provides a protected retreat for uninterrupted base building, resource storage, and dino breeding, complete with its own bodies of water.

Whimsical Farming (by Lordan_Lafluer & Cliffan)
A medieval farming overhaul featuring a dynamic crop quality system (0–100) depending on season and biome. Adds new farming tools, four crop plot types, beekeeping, and a cooking station for complex recipes and dishes.

The Winners of the ASA Mod Jam 2026

The jury and community have decided – the following projects have been crowned winners of the Mod Jam in the official categories:

1. Rustfall (by Yutay) – Gloomy TEK ruin landscape and atmospheric level design.
2. Whimsical Farming (by Lordan_Lafluer & Cliffan) – In-depth farming and crafting overhaul with quality tiers.
3. Engram Fragmentation (by Shefski) – Innovative recycling and breeding mutation system for tamed dinos.

Categories

• QOL / Progression: Vorath: Aquadomes (by Trixt3r & Shinygati) – Deep-sea predator combined with the construction of breathable underwater domes.
• Best Structure / Item: The Obolus Project (by Nokosa) – Instanced, portable island dimension for base building and dino husbandry.
• Wild card: Hyperion (by Crane) – Sci-Fi map with TEK train system, low gravity, and dungeon challenges.
• Best Creature: Corruption Unbound (by Dooms Dahling & Scorching_Kami) – Dynamic corruption spread and mutating hotspots.
• Community's Choice: Extraction Protocol (by Bruno) – Map-independent instanced wave defense for resources.