ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes confirm the 6 November 2026 update is live for servers and clients. Unreal Engine 5.8 has arrived, Enigmasaur is available on eight maps, and the Giganotosaurus now has a very different taming challenge. Large tribes also need to watch new Gacha and Tek structure limits.
Some earlier announcements pointed to 5 November, but the actual release date is 6 November. If you’re coming back to ARK after a break, the Giga’s new taming challenge and the limits on large bases deserve your attention first.
ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes: what’s live?
The ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes cover a lot more than graphics. Creature balance, taming and the limits on large tribes have all changed alongside the engine upgrade.
Unreal Engine 5.8 performance and Lumen Lite
Wildcard says Unreal Engine 5.8 reduces GPU rendering work and improves foliage and distant scenery on all platforms. That’s not a promise of a specific FPS increase on every machine. Lumen Lite is currently enabled only through select PC graphics settings, with wider support planned.
For the practical distinction between released features and plans, read our ARK Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade guide. The ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes don’t claim Lumen Lite is active on every console.
Enigmasaur is out on eight maps
Enigmasaur finishes Fantastic Tames Season 1. It can become another creature and carry learned abilities into later transformations. Wildcard’s example is a Rex still using a scorpion’s sting. The release notes don’t give exact spawn coordinates or a full, tested taming sequence.
Enigmasaur is available on The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Lost Colony and Astraeos. The Island is absent from the official map list. Our Enigmasaur guide has the map breakdown.
ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes: Giga taming
A wild Giga is no longer a straightforward tranquiliser knockout. Craft an Apex Offering with Alpha trophies and carry it close to the Giganotosaurus to begin the Apex Challenge. During the fight, the Giga’s own attacks raise its Torpidity.
Torpidity stops at 50% until you force Enrage and stay alive until it ends. Only then can you reach 100% and feed the unconscious Giga. Our Apex Offering guide walks through that order. Check the item recipe in-game for the Alpha trophy requirements.
Wounded Fury and Regain Control
Below 75% health, Wounded Fury boosts the Giga as its health falls, up to 50% increased damage and 30% damage resistance. Nearby allied non-Giga creatures receive half of its current bonuses. Heavy Stomp works when facing forward or sideways; looking backwards triggers Tail Slam.
When Rage fills, the rider gets a short Regain Control window. Landing attacks reduces Rage and can prevent the dismount; missing the chance lets Enrage take over. The Wounded Fury guide explains the difference between this and the separate health-based buff.
Gacha feeding penalty and tribe limits
The ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes introduce a penalty above 100 deployed Gachas. At 100 or fewer, they eat every 20 to 30 seconds. With more than 100, the interval increases to 60 to 90 seconds. This means less frequent feeding, not faster food drain.
Dropping the deployed count back to 100 removes the penalty immediately. Unofficial admins can change the threshold and multiplier, covered in our Gacha feeding penalty guide. Wildcard doesn’t specify an exact crystal production effect.
Tek Cloning Chamber and Replicator caps
On official servers, tribes are limited to 10 Tek Cloning Chambers within a 1,000-metre radius and 50 deployed chambers total. Platform saddles get one Tek Replicator each. Those are separate rules, and unofficial servers have configurable values. Our Tek limits guide gives the exact settings.
ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes: creature balance
Basilisk Spit damage scaling falls 30%, Gloon damage to players drops 50%, and Karkinos gains 20% less health per level. Aureliax loses 20% base and per-level health, while Dreadnoughtus takes 50% more turret damage and has a longer Cannon Ball cooldown.
The in-game Mod Browser is now available on PC. Lost Colony Thrall Outposts can provide Tek Spear and Gigadesmodus Saddle blueprints. Genesis fixes restore Lunar biome knockback and reduce both the levels of feral Ocean creatures and the chance of dangerous ones spawning.
If you’ve been away for a while, the ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes change what you do next: check the Apex Challenge before attempting a wild Giga tame, and check your Gacha count and Tek structures before extending a large base.
Official source: Studio Wildcard’s ARK Survival Ascended v97 patch notes.
