ASA’s September 30 Update Brings UE 5.8, Cerberax, Gargantar and the Therizino TLC

By ZeroCool | August 22, 2026 | Comments Off on ASA’s September 30 Update Brings UE 5.8, Cerberax, Gargantar and the Therizino TLC
Official ARK: Survival Ascended artwork of the Therizinosaurus
Image: Studio Wildcard

Studio Wildcard has placed four major ARK: Survival Ascended additions on the same date. The Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade, the community-selected Therizinosaurus TLC, Cerberax and Gargantar are all scheduled for September 30, 2026. Community Crunch 520 also confirms a nearer Astraeos update, important Genesis Ascended transfer dates, an ARKpocalypse wipe and a limited official-network rates event.

The result is a crowded six-week calendar rather than a single creature reveal. Players have an August 26 content update to prepare for, a September 4 transfer opening, a September 18 server closure and wipe date, and then the larger September 30 release. Here is what each announcement means and which details remain unknown.

September 30 combines an engine upgrade with three creature releases

Wildcard describes the move to Unreal Engine 5.8 as one of ASA’s biggest technical milestones. The studio says its work is focused on performance improvements, platform-specific fixes and a stronger technical base for future development. Those goals are confirmed, but the announcement does not provide frame-rate targets, a platform-by-platform change list, download sizes or final patch notes. Players should treat September 30 as the release date while waiting for measurable performance details closer to launch.

The Therizinosaurus TLC is also scheduled for that update. Players selected the creature through the Extra Life vote, and Wildcard says the refresh will add personality while preserving the Therizino’s established role as a powerful harvester. That distinction matters for tribes with existing utility mounts and breeding lines: the announcement presents a TLC of a familiar workhorse, not a replacement for its core purpose. Exact balance values and the complete list of live-build changes were not included in Crunch 520.

Cerberax joins Fantastic Tames Season 1

Cerberax, the second creature in ARK Fantastic Tames Season 1 after the Burrowbuck, will arrive September 30. The three-headed mount can carry a solo survivor, but Wildcard’s preview points toward additional strength when several tribemates work together. Its heads have different temperaments and are described as combining their actions, suggesting that coordinated play will be central to the tame.

The preview stops short of documenting the taming process, individual head abilities, damage values or tribe-size requirements. Those mechanics should not be assumed from the concept art alone. What is official is the date, its place in Fantastic Tames Season 1, its use as a rideable battle creature and the emphasis on cooperation.

Gargantar gives Expansion Pass owners early access

Gargantar is the newest dragon associated with ARK Dragontopia. It is also scheduled for September 30, with Expansion Pass owners receiving early access. Wildcard characterizes it as a large, hungry behemoth, but does not yet provide a complete ability sheet or clarify the wider release timing beyond that early-access arrangement. Players considering the pass should wait for those purchase and availability details if access timing is their main concern.

Boaratos arrives with Astraeos’ final update on August 26

Before the September release, Astraeos’ final update is set for August 26. Its featured creature is Boaratos, a heat-themed hog Wildcard says is intended to contribute in combat and harvesting. The announcement confirms the creature and date, although it does not publish the complete tame method or numerical abilities. Astraeos players therefore have the first immediate deadline on the new calendar.

Genesis Ascended transfers open September 4

Official Genesis Ascended Part 1 servers will open unrestricted inbound transfers on September 4. Players will then be able to move items, creatures and characters onto the map. Anyone preparing a transfer should use the remaining time to organize upload inventories, breeding lines and characters rather than relying on a last-minute move.

The schedule is particularly important for the temporary Genesis Part 1 Expires servers. Those servers are scheduled to close on September 18, giving their players roughly two weeks after transfers open to move their belongings and survivors. This is the most consequential deadline in the Crunch for affected server players: anything that needs to be preserved should be moved well before the closure date.

ARKpocalypse resets and weekend rates are active

Wildcard also confirms that ARKpocalypse servers were wiped with this announcement. ARKpocalypse uses monthly wipes, higher rates and a changing collection of mods; the next wipe is scheduled for September 18, 2026. Players can locate these servers by searching for “Arkpocalypse” in the server browser.

A separate official-network bonus event is active through Monday, August 24. The announced multipliers are:

  • Standard PvP and PvE: 2x harvesting, taming, experience and breeding.
  • Small Tribes: 4.5x harvesting, taming and experience, with 4x breeding.
  • ARKpocalypse: 5x harvesting, taming, experience and breeding.

Because this is a short event, active tribes should prioritize time-sensitive tames, breeding cycles and resource gathering before the rates return to normal.

Conquest and the ASA Mod Jam remain in the spotlight

Community Crunch 520 reiterates that Conquest Season 8 is available on PC, Xbox and PlayStation. The large-scale PvP setup uses 18 Genesis Part 1 maps split between a 12-server Cluster A and a six-server Cluster B, with 5x rates. Tek is enabled except for the Tek Grenade, Tek Railgun, and the Tek saddles for Tapejara, Megalodon, Rock Drake and Mosasaur. This portion of the announcement is a status reminder rather than a newly dated launch.

Wildcard also highlighted the results of the independently run ASA Mod Jam 2026: Build the Future. The selected projects are Rustfall, Whimsical Farming, Engram Fragmentation, Vorath: Aquadomes, The Obolus Project, Hyperion, Corruption Unbound and Extraction Protocol. They cover environments, farming, creature progression, underwater construction, combat encounters and other new approaches to ASA’s cross-platform mod ecosystem.

The dates ASA players should save

  • August 24: The current official-network bonus rates are scheduled to end.
  • August 26: Astraeos’ final update and Boaratos arrive.
  • September 4: Unrestricted inbound transfers open for Genesis Ascended Part 1 official servers.
  • September 18: Genesis Part 1 Expires servers close, and ARKpocalypse reaches its next scheduled wipe.
  • September 30: Unreal Engine 5.8, the Therizinosaurus TLC, Cerberax and Gargantar are scheduled to launch together.

September 30 is the headline, but the transfer and closure window deserves the most immediate attention. Players on expiring Genesis servers have a firm preservation deadline, while the wider ASA community can prepare for two creature releases, a major TLC and an engine transition at the end of the month.

Sources

🔴 Live server browser: Find and filter every ARK: Survival Ascended server with real-time player counts, maps, PvP/PvE and votes — updated continuously.

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