Studio Wildcard is one of the many game studios that chose to participate in the Extra Life charity and they had a fun little way to entice fans to donate. Every time they hit certain goals, they launched a 30-second video showing off a new element being added in ARK: Genesis, the next expansion for their survival game ARK: Survival Evolved. Ultimately fans raised over $91,000 for Extra Life—the most Studio Wildcard has ever raised—and unlocked six of these trailers in the process. The sneak peeks included several monsters, weapons, and other new features being added to the game when the first part of ARK: Genesis launches in January 2020.
Two of the videos focused on new weapons. One is the TEK Shoulder Cannon, which looks like the kind of weapon a Predator would use. The gun, which hovers just a tiny bit above your shoulder, automatically locks on to and shoots at any nearby threats, so you don’t need to look away from your current task. The other new weapon is the Cruise Missile. You can launch one of these and pilot the missile, letting you be a little more direct in what you want to hit. You just have to hope someone or something doesn’t take advantage of the fact that you can’t move.
Another two videos focused on new monsters you’ll be seeing. The Magmasaur is a giant lava lizard, one that can naturally breathe fire and launch rocks from its side like grenades. Manage to tame one and it can be a powerful ally. On the other hand, there’s always the spider-like Bloodstalker, which can pick you up and swing through the trees like Spider-Man.
The final two videos showcase something a little different. One is a fishing net. It’s just a fishing net. It’s a little blasé when compared to the rest of the new content, but it’s a new feature all the same. The other is a look at the all-new Lunar biome, which shows off a chance to go to outer space. It even features space whales, as all good things set in space tend to do.
While you have to wait for January to play with the new content, you can get a bit of a sneak peek right now. Players who buy the season pass will get access to the HLN-A pet, which will follow them around in the base game and other expansions. Have this pet with you and you can find notes that give you an idea about Genesis‘ new content. Find all the notes, and you’ll even get access to an exclusive armor set, prepping players for the day that Genesis finally launches.
