Studio Sirens has issued a fresh update on the development progress for Ark: Survival Evolved and its latest DLC, Aquatica, as the team continues to address persistent technical challenges. The developers confirmed that while internal efforts are underway to resolve issues across both the base game and the new content, a planned game engine update will be postponed to avoid introducing new problems.
The announcement was made as part of the studio’s ongoing commitment to transparency, with developers maintaining active communication through daily updates and direct engagement on the Official Ark: Aquatica Discord channel. In line with this approach, developer Z_Swell will continue hosting live streams to showcase recent progress, preview future fixes, and respond to questions from the community. The next stream is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, at 2 PM PST.
A significant point in the update concerned the reversion of an earlier fix that had attempted to address disappearing dinosaurs and ships stored in cryopods. The fix had led to longer load times due to complications with primalgamedata, prompting the development team to roll it back while seeking a more viable solution. As a result, players may once again encounter the original issues involving lost creatures and structures, particularly in the absence of tribe logs.
Current priorities for the development team include optimizing FPS and level performance, improving mod compatibility, resolving server instability, and stabilizing core gameplay systems. Until a more complete build is ready, the ‘preaquatica’ testing branch will remain available for players.
The latest patch, version 360.7, includes several targeted fixes and content updates. These range from crash prevention and item additions to environmental improvements and balancing tweaks. Notable changes include a fix to prevent Monodon’s ranged attacks from affecting immune players and creatures, balancing adjustments for the Thalassian Rifle, and an expansion of Alpha Karkinos spawns. A list of new TEK engrams has also been revealed, including items such as the Tek Sword, Tek Rifle, and Tek Cloning Chamber, among others.
A server downtime of approximately one hour will accompany the rollout of the patch, with priority given to the most populated servers. Update deployment will begin at 9:00 PM UTC (2:00 PM PST).
Despite the studio’s continued efforts, Ark: Aquatica has received overwhelmingly negative feedback since its release on July 15, 2025, with over 1,400 reviews posted on Steam reflecting widespread dissatisfaction. The expansion, which serves as a 10-year anniversary DLC for Ark: Survival Evolved, introduced a completely underwater setting and aimed to provide a new, mythologically inspired survival experience. Key features included a family-friendly starting biome, exclusive official server support, and a fresh take on the series’ lore.
Ark: Survival Evolved originally launched in 2017 and has since become a recognizable title in the survival genre, known for its blend of prehistoric adventure and multiplayer exploration. The franchise has expanded over time to include spin-off games like Ark Park and PixArk, along with a remastered version titled Ark: Survival Ascended and a planned sequel, Ark 2, still in development.
