Ark: Survival Ascended’s The Center receives release date as players battle through free weekend

Ark’s Survival Ascended’s first major map addition will be The Center, but after numerous delays and setbacks, many grew worried the DLC would never see the light of day. Worry no longer, as Ark devs Studio Wildcard have revealed The Center’s release date is June 3.

The Center’s map, which is double the size of The Island will be released on June 3 according to Studio Wildcard’s latest Community Crunch post on April 5. The devs shared a few extra details about the map and the update, stating The Center is full of surprises, sports a variety of biomes, and gives off a “gorgeous Tolkien-fantasy feel.” The Center will also introduce a new creature in the Shastasaurus.

The news comes as players enjoy Ark: Survival Ascended‘s free weekend, which includes the Scorched Earth. If you own the game, you automatically have access to the map, with an extra expansion pass—Bob’s Tall Tales—available on all platforms. Bob’s Tall Tales includes content spanning three different expansions: Frontier Showdown for Scorched Earth, Steampunk Ascent for Aberration, and Wasteland War for Extinction.

Ark veteran Bob will share his experience with you, and each Tall Tale delivers unique and helpful creatures and vehicles. In Scorched Earth Ascended, you can have a monolithic Oasisaur and Trains, with the developers stating that more updates will come in Aberration and Extinction.

The Center was also set to be part of Ark: Survival Evolved as early as Feb. 24 but was unceremoniously delayed after the devs went quiet about the map’s development following the game’s launch. Because of this, fans remain dubious of the new launch date but are nonetheless excited about its release. “I hope they inform us of any further delays,” one player said in a Reddit thread discussing the announcement, noting that the roadmap Studio Wildcard shared is on track to be a month or so behind.

The Community Crunch also outlined ARKpocalypse’s next monthly wipe on April 26, and an extension for the Easter creatures until April 8. You can also download and play new custom content created by other players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser directly within the game.

Ark: Survival Ascended’s free weekend ends on Monday, April 8.