Ark: Survival Ascended’s April Fools’ Patch Beats the Usual Gimmicks

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On April 1st, many spread false content and fleeting humor, but Ark: Survival Evolved took a unique approach this year. Instead of joining in on the jokes, Studio Wildcard introduced a real, playable feline character to the game. Remarkably, this single cat overshadowed an entire expansion pack’s worth of updates. Indeed, it was just a cat that stole the show.

For those who might be doubting its authenticity, rest assured it’s not a prank. The virtual feline has gone live within the game and can be spotted on The Island, The Center, and Astraeos.

It’s been rumored that the cat could potentially appear in Extinction at some point in the future, as suggested by the teaser trailer which displayed the map with the cat in high-quality cinematic detail.

This trailer is noteworthy for the excellent music by Gareth Coker, its refined atmosphere, and a feel that outshines DLC announcements from most other studios (to be clear, I’m not implying any negativity, but rather comparing it to Snail Games).

Players soon discovered that this cat-like creature is not just aesthetically pleasing, but also serves a practical purpose. Once domesticated, it transforms into an excellent shoulder companion, effectively deterring minor nuisances such as Pegomastax, Ichthyornis, Meganeura, and Titanomyrma.

This charming nuisance seamlessly blends into the gaming experience, causing many players to incorporate it into their routine gameplay. However, acquiring this cute troublemaker can be quite a challenge. In the world of Ark, this creature becomes hostile upon detection, necessitating a unique strategy for approaching it.

To soothe it and make it easier to train, the cat should be gently immersed in water. Once calm, players may offer it premium food options such as raw lamb, fresh fish, or wyvern milk.

A more conventional meal isn’t satisfying, and store-bought dog food isn’t worth the effort, so consider opting for something else. If you can, disguise yourself with a ghillie suit.

Or,

Common meals aren’t up to the mark, and prepackaged pet food isn’t beneficial, so try another approach. If possible, blend in with a ghillie suit.

This latest addition to the game is not only full of unique behaviors, like hissing fits and self-cleaning litter boxes, but it’s also packed with character. Alongside the introduction of the playful feline, this update includes significant adjustments to gameplay mechanics and balancing.

The rate at which certain creatures appear has significantly decreased. For instance, Deinosuchus in The Island and The Center now emerge only about half as frequently as before, and the same is true for Yi Ling on Aberration. Additionally, the fighting tactics of Yi Ling have undergone substantial changes.

From a passionate player’s perspective, I’m thrilled about the changes in my favorite weapon! Now, each poison stack inflicts damage of 3 instead of 7, which has lowered the overall damage output. Yet, this adjustment seems strategic as it boosts the effectiveness against armored opponents. Interestingly, the razor attacks remain devastatingly potent against unarmored enemies.

The update incorporates a set of technical corrections as well. Notably, it enhances the server’s stability significantly, particularly addressing disconnections that occur during creature mounting on less powerful servers.

Turrets have become smarter, now focusing their attacks on conscious targets that can be damaged instead of striking unconscious enemies who are invulnerable.

Beauty product-related glitches, like carriages not reapplying correctly after personalization, have now been fixed.

As a dedicated player, I’m thrilled to share that they’ve addressed some aesthetic concerns in the game, such as distorted animations on PlayStation and color discrepancies in certain creature models based on regional specifications.

Instead of teasing the players with an April Fool’s prank, Studio Wildcard instead introduced an enjoyable update that genuinely enhances the gaming experience.

This update brings a greater effect compared to usual seasonal changes, continuously enhancing the ever-changing structure of Ark: Survival Evolved.

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2025-04-02 09:12