ARK Haunted Homestead contest entries close on November 3, 2026. To enter Studio Wildcard’s ARK: Survival Ascended building competition, create a spooky home or other haunted location using Fear Ascended content, then submit three to five screenshots through the official ARK Discord’s #haunted-homestead channel.
Entries are split into Official and Unofficial / Single Player, and each category has its own prizes. You can also attach a short walkthrough video, but the screenshots, category and platform are the essentials.
ARK Haunted Homestead contest: deadline and submission channel
The contest closes on November 3, 2026, with the winners due in the November 6 Community Crunch. Wildcard hasn’t given an exact closing time, so don’t leave the screenshots or Discord submission until late on the final day.
Upload your entry in the official ARK Discord’s #haunted-homestead channel. Include three to five screenshots, say which category you’re entering and name your platform so the judges know how the build was made.
How to enter the ARK Haunted Homestead contest
- Build a haunted location during the contest period using Fear Ascended content.
- Take three to five clear screenshots of the finished build.
- Open the official ARK Discord and find #haunted-homestead.
- Post the screenshots, naming your category: Official or Unofficial / Single Player.
- State your platform. You may attach a short video walkthrough as an extra, but that is optional.
The three-to-five-screenshot requirement applies even if you include a video. Use the images to show the overall design and close-up details; viewers should be able to recognise how the event decorations fit the theme.
Official versus Unofficial / Single Player
The ARK Haunted Homestead contest has two categories, each judged separately. Official entries must follow the normal building restrictions on official servers. Unofficial / Single Player entries may use mods, so you can make more elaborate scenes in private worlds.
Wildcard permits one entry per person per category. State which category you’re using when you submit. If your build depends on extra mods, enter it under Unofficial / Single Player rather than Official.
What kind of build is eligible?
Studio Wildcard suggests a haunted home, cursed castle, creepy cabin, graveyard, ritual site, abandoned outpost or monster lair. Those are ideas, not a mandatory template. Your build can look completely different as long as Fear Ascended content is clearly part of the design.
The build must have been created during the competition. Reuse of an older base without a qualifying new contest build does not meet the stated creation requirement. If you’re still choosing decorations, our 2026 decorations guide lists the official pumpkin and coffin-themed items.
Judges are looking at design, creativity, atmosphere, Fear Ascended content and how well the finished scene comes together. Think about what your screenshots show first: an establishing shot of the build, then views that pick out the lighting, decorations and atmosphere.
ARK Haunted Homestead contest: prizes in each category
The ARK Haunted Homestead contest has separate prizes for Official and Unofficial / Single Player. Studio Wildcard lists the following awards for each category:
| Placement | Prize |
|---|---|
| First | ARK: Dragontopia key, ARK Fantastic Tames Season 1 key, and US$100 Steam/Xbox/PlayStation gift card |
| Second | Both game keys |
| Third | Both game keys |
| Two runners-up | ARK: Dragontopia key each |
| Special mention | ARK Fantastic Tames Season 1 key |
The winning builds from both categories will appear in the November 6 Community Crunch. Wildcard may also feature other submissions on its official channels, giving credit to their creators.
Can single-player Survivors enter?
Yes. Single player is explicitly part of the Unofficial / Single Player category. You can install the official Fear Ascended mod to access the Halloween content while building in a private world. The mod’s ID is 877752.
Follow our single-player setup instructions if the event isn’t enabled in your world. Official servers receive the Halloween event automatically during the scheduled period; private and non-dedicated games require the event mod to be enabled.
ARK Haunted Homestead contest: final checks before November 3
Before posting, check four things: the build was created during the contest, it includes Fear Ascended content, your three to five screenshots show the finished work, and the post lists both your platform and your category. Make sure it appears in #haunted-homestead.
The ARK Haunted Homestead contest closes on November 3, although Fear Ascended continues until November 11. If you’re building specifically for the competition, the earlier contest deadline is the one that counts.
Related Guides
Official source: Studio Wildcard Community Crunch 529.
