Ark: Survival Ascendedhas revealed its Halloween plans for 2024, including the horror-themed Fear Ascended event and a terrifying new tame. This is technically the first Halloween event forSurvival Ascended, which celebrated its first birthday on July 12, 2025. Although Halloween events became pretty standard fare forSurvivalEvolvedby the end of its run, these seasonal celebrations, not unlikemuch ofSurvival Evolved’s DLC,had yet to make it into the enhanced remake - until now.
Ark: Survival Ascended’s new Halloween-themed tame is the Dreadmare, a skeletal unicorn-pegasus hybrid with glowing red eyes and batlike wings. The Dreadmare sparks fire beneath its hooves, and can summon bursts of dark magic that damage enemies while healing itself. It can also create dark shrouds that shield and hide players, giving them a brief defensive advantage in combat.
The Dreadmare is available nowon all platforms whereArk: Survival Ascendedcan be played. Likethe Pyromane before it, this is a paid DLC, coming in at $4.99 USD. The Fear Ascended Event and everything it involves, however, is free to all who own the game.
What To Know About Fear Ascended
ASA’S First Halloween Event
Fear Ascended includes a variety of different special event items and bonuses for players who participate.That includes a widespread XP and rate boost, which allows players to get ahead during the event. Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding will increase at double the usual rate across PvP and PvE modes; the former three will increase at 4.5 times the normal rate for small tribes, while Breeding rate will be quadrupled. On Arkpocalypse mode, players will see the rates of all of the above boosted by five times the usual.
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Players will also face new creatures during Fear Ascended, includingthe return of the Dodowyvern and DodorexfromSurvival Evolved. Zombie Wyverns will also appear throughout the event. These creatures debuted duringSurvival Evolved’s various yearly Halloween events, called Fear Evolved, on whichAscended’s first Halloween event appears to be closely based.
Fear Ascended will last through November 13.
Besides that,Fear Ascended also introduces a variety of different event cosmetics. The first and foremost, prominently pictured above, is a werewolf suit for players to wear. Players can also craft cosmetics that make their weapons resemble blood-stained cleavers or rusty crowbars. Clothing cosmetics include the Arrow-Head Hat, Axe-Head Hat and Sword-Head Hat, each a costume item that makes it look like the player’s weapon of choice is protruding from their head. There’s also the Horror Species X cosmetic for structures, and two new emotes to match the new werewolf skin: a howl and a sniff.
Players who purchase the Dreadmare DLC can use it both during and after the event. Its powers are centered on the dark magic orbs and swirls it summons in the trailer above.These can remove enemy defenses and negate their buffs, draining their HP while healing the Dreadmare. It can also summon a shadowy mist that cloaks the player, allowing them to dodge enemy strikes in the heat of battle.
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Ark: Survival Ascended Offers An Alternative To Horror
Ark: Survival Ascendedisn’t your typical horror game, butit’s plenty appropriate for the Halloween season. For one, there arefew things scarier than real living dinosaurs, especially when they’ve been fully tamed and kitted out by hostile players. The ever-present need to survive in harsh conditions is also worthy of a horror movie of its own.
Any player looking for something different to play this Halloween need look no further thanASA. Its Halloween event is the perfect balance between nostalgic, party store Halloween camp, and real dino terror. With the XP boosts included, even new players can get a head start during Fear Ascended. Even without the Dreadmare DLC, there’s a lot to get into duringArk’s Halloween event. Plus,the base game is on sale through November 4, if that sweetens the pot.
With lots of spooky new content, Fear Ascended is the perfect way to ring in the spooky season. Interested players need only log ontoArk: Survival Ascendednow to see everything the Halloween event has to offer.
Source:Ark: Survival Ascended/YouTube
Ark: Survival Ascended
ARK: Survival Ascended is a reimagined version of the 2017 action-adventure survival MMORPG by the developers at Studio Wildcard and Grove Street Games. Built in Unreal Engine 5, players will return to ARK to build tribes, fight and tame dinosaurs, and brave the elements as they battle to survive in a unique sandbox where crafting and resource management is essential.
