ARK: Survival Evolved‘s first expansion is now available to purchase on Xbox One and PC, developer Studio Wildcard has announced. Having been in active development for 14 months, Scorched Earth aims to provide a “completely new and different experience” to that of the base game, stripping your character of all belongings and dumping them, completely naked, in an inhospitable desert.
As you would have done when you first entered ARK‘s world, you’ll need to ensure you don’t perish in Scorched Earth by finding a reliable source of food and water and then assemble a makeshift shelter to avoid the harsh new weather conditions, including electrical and sand storms.
Wildcard says there’s seven brand new biomes to be explored in Scorched Earth. Oasis, badlands, canyons, high desert, dunes, mountains and the rather scary-sounding Dragon Trench are all begging to be scoured for new items and treasures, including new creatures to tame. Always wanted your own fire-breathing Wyvern? Here’s your chance!
For those of you that love nothing more than to chase the greatest dangers ARK‘s world has to offer, your first port of call will be the Manticore, Scorched Earth’s resident boss monster. Of course, there’s no point in putting your neck on the line for all of these lucrative new items if you can’t find somewhere safe(r) to enjoy them, which is why Wildcard has introduced The Gateway – a feature that lets you travel back to the main game with all your spoils to store them for safekeeping.
Scorched Earth is available to buy via Steam and the Xbox Store for $19.99, and requires the base ARK: Survival Evolved game to play.