Ark: Survival Ascended’s First Official Partner DLC Could Be Setting A Concerning Trend

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is doing something cool this year — partnering with a talented modder to release a brand new DLC known as an Official Partner DLC. This is first time partnering with a modder to create an officially supported map, and depending on how well it does, it's likely to be a trend that will continue. It has sparked interest among the community, who are eager to explore the new map and see what it has to offer.

The DLC, called was initially slated for a June 2025 release, but it was bumped to February 2025 instead, four months earlier than the original release date. Getting content earlier than expected is a nice change of pace for but unfortunately, it might not be all good news.

, a Greek-inspired map for, has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it's essentially releasing in an early access format with planned updates over time, as described in an official Survive the Ark post. The approach feels like a missed opportunity for what could have been a great addition, as dropping $15 on an unfinished product feels more like paying for a beta test than a full experience. The fact that this is how the first Official Partner DLC is being released raises suspicion that this could indicate a future trend that leaves players paying for incomplete content.

There are some dinos in Ark: Survival Ascended that you can leave alone entirely and yet do even better in the game than if you tamed them.

Apparently, the map will be supported and expanded over time, but this approach feels like players are being asked to pay for a product they're not fully receiving yet. It's not a problem that's exclusive to, but the decision to release an incomplete version highlights a growing trend in the gaming community. Many publishers have released incomplete and unpolished games while still in development, an approach that can be helpful for some games but frustrating for others.

There are plenty of free mods that also add new content and even new creatures to

, in particular, makes it difficult to