Ossidon – the frostborn guardian of Arat Prime

Nov

19

2025

0

By Louis Bang Bang

Wild Ossidion on Ragnarok

Something immense stirs in the frozen plains of Arat Prime. Among ancient machines, red element, and the last remnants of human hubris, a being rises that makes even titans tremble: the Ossidon.

Common Name: Ossidon
Species: Cryopithecus dominus
Era: Necrozeum
Diet: Carnivore
Temperament: Relentless

This creature, half force of nature, half artificial creation, was crafted in the laboratories of Arat Prime – as the "Apex Protector" of humanity. Its task: to defend against titans, should the day come when the protective systems of the ARKs fail. Thus, the Ossidon takes on the same role once held by the Giganotosaurus on The Island or the Wyverns in Scorched Earth – only on a much larger, frostier scale.

Since the early morning of November 19, 2025 (around 02:00 AM EU time), ASA has officially announced a new problem in the snow: the Ossidon. The creature is part of the Lost Colony Expansion Pass and is already roaming the cold biomes of Ragnarok, Valguero, and The Center as a pre-release, before it will later spawn exclusively on Lost Colony.

In the lore, the Ossidon feels like an outlier straight from Arat Prime: a colossal primate that the red element has touched one too many times. Where titans freeze and the Reseed Protocol has long raised the white flag, this beast simply continues to stomp forward. Not a refined Tek operator, but raw force of nature with frost damage.

Myths

Wildcard certainly doesn't write: "We built a Yeti on steroids." But that's exactly how it feels. The Ossidon sits somewhere between the extinct Gigantopithecus (giant ape), classic Yeti/ice giant myths, and a hefty dose of "League of Legends Nunu" – you notice it at the latest with the snowball.

Lost Colony is overall much stronger in the direction of element lore and Arat Prime experiments. The Ossidon fits perfectly into this picture: not elegant, not "noble," but a creature that shows what happens when you don't pull the fuse on evolution and element in time.

Appearance

At first glance, the Ossidon is "just" a gigantic snow giant on two legs. However, upon closer inspection, you realize how much dynamism is in the design:

Its physique is massive, with a broad chest, thick forearms, and long claws that almost plow through the snow while running. A bone and ice crest runs along its head and back, visibly growing with level and stat distribution. Depending on what you skill, the Ossidon appears bulkier and larger (more HP), shaggier with longer fur (more Oxygen), wider with a thicker neck or belly (Stamina/Food), or with absurdly long claws (Melee).

Additionally, there is a saddle that looks like a half Tek shield dome on its back: metallic frame, protective plates, frost-like structures. Visually, the thing screams: "The rider is safe" – mechanically, unfortunately, that's only half the truth.

Base Properties

On paper, the Ossidon sits somewhere between tank and bruiser: health scales quite well, making it a stable frontliner for boss fights and tougher PvE runs, stamina is sufficient for longer ball runs, weight is usable but does not replace a dedicated carrier, and melee noticeably increases and also affects its special abilities.

What is particularly interesting is its passive growth over time:
As long as your "main rider" is on the Ossidon, it builds a stack of a buff every 90 seconds. Each stack increases all stats a little bit, up to around +10% total bonus, which remains permanently on this creature. So, those who tame early and ride a lot will grow an individual monster buddy that simply becomes "bulkier" over time!

Abilities

The Ossidon brings melee combo, frost spears, and snowball – and this mix is just as chaotic as it sounds.

Melee
Its standard attack is a three-part combo: left strike, right strike, then a massive clap that deals significantly more damage. It can continue to run while doing this and lightly shove opponents away. In tight corridors, this can be annoying, but in caves, it can also help "rearrange" mobs.

Frost Spears & Frostbite
Holding the right mouse button zooms in a target circle; upon release, the Ossidon spits a volley of ice spears into that area. The spears deal area damage, leave a frost zone, and apply a debuff to hit creatures that slows them down and drains their HP over time. The damage is not absurdly high, but as control and area DOT, it is very useful – especially in caves or chokepoints.

The Snowball (aka Poop Ball)
The heart of its kit is the famous ball. When you activate the ability, the Ossidon forms a small sphere in front of it that grows larger as it rolls. Small and medium-sized creatures are "sucked in" when rolled over and dragged along in the ball. The more inside, the higher the later damage.

If the ball hits a large target or the timer runs out, it explodes – dealing damage to everything in the ball and to the hit creature. If you roll through your own icicles beforehand, the ball becomes faster, larger, and more dangerous. The downside: the turning radius is more bulldozer than sports car. In open snow fields, this is fun, but in tight PvP footing or caves, less so.

Taming: Half Knockout, Half Minigame

When taming, Wildcard relies again on the "Ride it, understand it" principle. You bring the Ossidon down to about half torpor with a tranquilizer weapon, at which point it glows blue, sways, and no longer wants to fight actively. Then you jump on its back and get a time window in which you must collect small and medium creatures in ball mode and "farm" your own icicles. The better you complete this minigame, the higher the taming effectiveness – and yes, you can do this multiple times until the bar is finally full.

What is the Ossidon really good for?

PvE
In PvE, I see it clearly stronger: as a boss brawler with high HP scaling, solid melee, and a permanently growing affection buff, and as a crowd control tool that slows down and dismantles entire packs with frost zones and snowballs. It is not the most efficient farmer, not the most mobile traveler, but a very strong all-round combat machine, especially on maps with a lot of uneven terrain and many smaller mobs.

PvP
In PvP, the picture is mixed. On paper, the snowball sounds like a dream for cave clears, base pushes, and wild plays. Currently, however, it is hampered by a limit on which dinos it can even get into the ball, a saddle that protects the rider less than it visually promises, and relatively sluggish handling. Lost Colony itself will surely refine this, especially with additional red element synergy.

Availability and Future

As of the time of this article, the Ossidon is tied to the Lost Colony Expansion Pass. Without it, you can see it but not tame it. It currently spawns in the coldest biomes of Ragnarok, Valguero, and The Center – and only temporarily. Breeding is (not yet) possible, although the Ossidon has genders, and it is currently finicky to useless when it comes to cloning. With the final Lost Colony release in December, it is expected to "move" to the new map and become a permanent part of the ecosystem – including the chance that breeding will be added later and its kit will be adjusted again.

Until then, the Ossidon is primarily one thing: a frosty taste of Lost Colony, a walking testament to Wildcard's penchant for completely over-the-top creature designs – and a perfect excuse to explore the snow biomes once more.

Release Date

Until the launch of the Lost Colony DLC in December, the Ossidon will already appear as a harbinger on the maps of Ragnarok, Valguero, and The Center – a temporary appearance, like the Tropeognathus or the Veilwyn before it. Its official entry into the world will take place on November 18, and owners of the Lost Colony Expansion Pass will receive immediate access to this icy giant.

Lost Colony

Lost Colony takes players directly to the heart of Arat Prime, the birthplace of the ARKs. In this first major canonical expansion of ARK: Survival Ascended, players encounter Michelle Yeoh as Mei Yin in animated cutscenes from the Japanese studio MAPPA. The story bridges the gap between Extinction, Genesis, and the upcoming ARK 2. New skill trees, "cursed" equipment tiers, and dynamic factions – all powered by the unpredictable red element – shape a battlefield that is as beautiful as it is deadly.

And right in the middle: the Ossidon.
A guardian, a monster, a myth of ice and wrath.
It waits in the snowstorms of Arat Prime – ready to test those who believe they can tame the darkness.