The Drex Drop
January 9th 2026
Introduction
Hello everyone and welcome to our very first edition of The Drex Drop! This newsletter-esque posting will act as our very own “community crunch” with a twist! Here you can find not only a recap of Wildcard’s Community Crunch but also important server news. As this is our 5th year being open I want to try something new and give our players a new resource to find essential information. Now without further ado, let’s get into it!
Server News & Updates
Cluster Maintenance
Server Maintenance took place today, January 9th 2026, across both of our Ark Survival Evolved and Ark Survival Ascended clusters. Servers started going offline around 5pm Central Time, with servers coming back online just one hour later. Honestly, it might be the fastest time I have on record. Usually each cluster takes me an hour. But no more patting myself on the back, let’s cover what changes were made during this downtime!
Ark Survival Evolved
- Removal of Winter Wonderland Event
- Server Welcome Message Updated
- Sponsorship custom spawns removed from maps that are no longer sponsored
- Color events replaced on all maps
Ark Survival Ascended
- Removal of Winter Wonderland Mod
- Servers updated and mods updated
- Reaper Queens disabled on Lost Colony due to exploit
- Number of Players Allowed in A Single Tribe Increased
Event Corner
Past Events Highlight
Holiday Build Contest: We had two amazing entries for this Christmas themed build contest. While our cluster didn’t win the grand prize, I am so incredibly proud of those that entered. If I counted correctly, there were 13 clusters that entered and Drexonica placed 4th. Community voting for our contest is going on now so make sure to place your vote before it is too late!
Current Events
- January Build Event: Ongoing. Ends 1/28/2026
Upcoming Events
- February Build Event
- Love Evolved Photo Contest
- Love Ascended Photo Contest
- Cupid’s Conquest
- Meso Match Breeding Event
Community Highlights
Admin Announcement Recap
Be aware when doing outposts on Lost Colony. Communicate with your fellow survivors and stake your claim before starting. We are still working on the best way to stake your claim, whether that be messages or Tek Transmitters. A combination of the two may be the best option. We plan to disperse Tek Transmitters to all players tomorrow and test that system.
Survivor Tip of the Week
Never trust a “quick” resource run. That is how you end up taming three dinos and forgetting what you went out for.
Wildcard Community Crunch Recap
The team at Wildcard are back from their holiday break and ready to jump right into all things Ark, starting with what is coming over the next two years.
New Content
Survival of the Fittest is coming to ASA with a bit of a refresh. It also looks like we have two more DLCs featuring ‘ol Bob and Meeka, both themed around the Genesis releases. The first, coming in early to mid 2026, has a pirate-themed vibe with customizable pirate ships. This screams Atlas with dinos, and honestly, I am cautiously excited. Atlas had so much potential and was basically abandoned, so maybe this will give that concept some new life within ASA.
The second Bob’s DLC, coming in early to mid 2027 and fitting the Genesis Part 2 theme, is Galaxy Wars. I don’t know about you, but it absolutely screams Star Wars to me. Maybe it’s because when I read the word “galaxy,” my brain immediately went to “In a galaxy far, far away.” Either way, I am here for it.
On the non-canonical side, we have two new maps coming to ASA, one each year. Dragontopia is slated for release at the end of this year, with Atlantis following at the beginning of next year. I am especially hyped for Dragontopia. While I love dinosaurs, a dragon-focused fantasy world is a much needed addition to ARK. Don’t get me wrong, dinosaurs are great, but fantasy creatures deserve some love too.
Atlantis also looks like it will be a fun and interesting map. When it was first announced for ASE, a lot of us were excited. The concept was great, but the execution fell short. If the ASA team can at least deliver a functional map at launch, even if it ends up delayed, I will call that a win. Plus, so many people avoid the ocean like the plague, but this time it will be unavoidable and filled with new creatures.
The final expansion coming in 2027, Legacy of Santiago, seems like a stepping stone to make the transition from ASA to Ark 2 easier. It is described as a standalone experience with different gameplay mechanics, which just screams Ark 2 energy. They wrapped up by confirming that new creatures, TLCs, quality of life improvements, and more are coming over the next two years.
Unreal Engine Update
Sometime in April, they plan to roll out another Unreal Engine update to bring the servers and game up to Unreal Engine 5.7. The goal is to improve optimization with a projected 30 to 40 percent performance boost across both CPU and GPU. This kind of improvement could also open the door for ASA to expand onto more portable crossplay platforms in the future, looking at you, ROG.
Major Update Incoming
Some major balancing and bug fixes are coming to Lost Colony. The first major update is expected to roll out sometime this weekend, with a split focus on balance changes and bug fixes. While my most hated bug is not listed (Veilwyn disappearing randomly or not respawning after death), it’s clear that a lot of other issues are on their radar.
These fixes are not a one-time thing, but part of an ongoing effort to get this map as close to perfection as possible. Because of that, I would expect updates to continue rolling out weekly, or at least very regularly, over the next few months.
Closing Message
Thank you all for being part of the Drexonica community. Your creativity, support, and passion keep the cluster thriving. We look forward to another week of adventures, events, and epic builds.
Until next time, survivors.