Megaraptor (by Wildcard)
Starting at the end of August 2025, players of ARK: Survival Ascended on the mod map Valguero will be joined by a particularly fearsome predator: the Megaraptor. As the winner of the ninth Community Creature Vote, it enters the field not as a classic muscle-bound beast, but as a deadly hunter from the shadows – with entirely new mechanics and a playstyle that centers on stealth attacks, fear, and psychological effects.
A Look into Prehistory: What Was the Megaraptor Really?
Despite its name, the Megaraptor is not a close relative of the famous "raptors" like Velociraptor or Utahraptor. The name comes from a massive, sickle-shaped claw fossil that was mistakenly thought to be a foot claw upon its discovery – in fact, it was from the hand. Megaraptors belong to a distinct group within theropod dinosaurs with unclear systematic classification, likely related to allosaurs or tyrannosaurs.
They lived primarily in the late Cretaceous period and have been found in Patagonia (present-day Argentina) as well as North Africa. Some representatives, like the questionable Bahariasaurus, reached lengths of up to 12 meters – nearly as large as a T. rex. However, instead of pure strength, Megaraptors were characterized by their agility, speed, and massive hand claws – ideal for precise attacks.
The Megaraptor in ARK: ASA – A Nightmare in Darkness
With the upcoming release on Valguero, ARK: Survival Ascended will introduce its probably most terrifying dinosaur yet. In ARK, the Megaraptor is a psychological hunter that does not seek the Apex, but you – alone, injured, in the shadows.
It moves silently through the underbrush, is barely visible in "Ambush Mode," creates hallucinations when it strikes, and can instill fear in even powerful creatures. At night, its presence becomes even more menacing: its ability to hunt you, disorient you, and attack from ambush makes it the ideal horror creature – no wonder the concept is reminiscent of Primal or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
New Gameplay Mechanics: From Shock Effects to Megaraptor Blades
The Megaraptor will likely bring a whole range of new abilities:
- Jumpscare Lunge: a surprise attack with shock status for players and creatures.
- Hallucination Effect: displays ghostly images on the screen, obscuring vision and orientation.
- Ambush Mode: semi-transparent camouflage mode with Pounce ability and invisibility to turrets.
- Taming: through a duel mechanism with specially crafted Megaraptor Blades, followed by feeding with Battle Tartare or Shadow Steak Sauté.
- Parries & Dodge Rolls: allows for extremely agile combat behavior with I-frames like the Fjordhawk.
- Fire Sensitivity: fire sources drive it away and shorten shock effects.
- Rage Mode: an overloaded blood frenzy after enough kills – with increased damage, speed, and loss of control.
These abilities not only make it the new terror in the dark but also a valuable companion in PvE and PvP – if you can tame it.
Valguero in ARK: Survival Ascended – Comeback with Style
With the Megaraptor, the popular map Valguero officially returns to ARK: Survival Ascended. The map offers a diverse landscape with grasslands, mountains, jungles, aberration zones, and a vast underground world – ideal for a hunter like the Megaraptor. Thanks to the ASA upgrade, Valguero benefits from improved lighting, pathfinding, water rendering, and performance – including mod support and QoL features. Valguero and the Megaraptor will be released in August 2025 (or Wildcard time frame December 2025).
