Ark: Pyromane Sparks Concerns About Future Monetization - Tech4Gamers (2024)

On June 4, 2024, the Center map returned to Ark: Survival Ascended, a remake of Ark: Survival Evolved. The Center includes a giant floating island, the Lava Biome, and the Underground World, with unique resources and perils.

The Survival Ascended update introduces three new creatures: Ceratosaurus, Xiphactinus, and Gigantoraptor, each with unique abilities. However, The Center in Survival Ascended has faced criticism from players for high PC requirements and a possibly pay-to-win creature that could be a worrying sign for Ark’s future.

First Standalone Paid Creature

The Pyromane in Ark Survival Ascended is a versatile first standalone paid creature with several unique abilities:

• Flame Trail: Leaves a blazing path, creating obstacles for enemies and providing advantages in PvP encounters.
• Flame Leap: Allows the Pyromane to perform agile leaps while hurling fireballs, inflicting significant damage.
• Flame Boost: Enhances its attacks by consuming surrounding flames, increasing damage output, and providing tactical flexibility.
• Flame Absorb: Lets the Pyromane absorb fire from external sources, storing fiery energy for activating the Flame Boost or other maneuvers.

The Pyromane is also breedable, allowing players to cultivate and deploy multiple creatures strategically.

In Ark: Survival Ascended, Studio Wildcard has introduced a controversial monetization approach with the release of Pyromane. This move has sparked dissatisfaction among the community concerned about potential future implications for Ark 2.

The introduction of Pyromane at $5, inaccessible for taming without purchase, has raised fears that future creatures in the Fantastic Tames DLC may follow suit, departing from the traditional model where DLC packs include all content for a single purchase.

The Controversy Surrounding Standalone Paid Creature

Since The Center is accessible to all users for free, my concern arises over the unfair advantage that purchasers of the Pyromane may gain during PvP sessions. Another prevalent issue is the fragmented content release, contrasting with previous DLC packs available for a single price.

Many players argue that microtransactions in games like Ark should only be for cosmetic items or major additions that benefit everyone. Many other games favour this approach because it avoids making the game pay-to-win, where spending money gives players an unfair advantage.

Studio Wildcard claims the money from buying Pyromane supports their development efforts and allows them to focus most of their efforts and resources on developing Ark 2, the next major installment in the series.

However, I worry this could lead to higher prices for future DLCs. Whether Pyromane becomes a problem in PvP games is uncertain, but its introduction could signal a shift to a new business model that might push away players who don’t want to spend more on minor updates.

Concerns And Criticisms Surrounding Microtransaction Creatures

PvP (Player vs Player) servers are a big draw for many players in Ark. Introducing microtransactions that strengthen someone in these PvP scenarios can quickly turn players away from the game. I also wonder why these new creatures couldn’t just be part of a larger DLC that players could buy simultaneously.

Another issue is game balance. I think Pyromane isn’t strong enough to cause problems, but not all future creatures may be like that. Further, it could make the game feel unfair if you have to buy stronger creatures to keep getting added. It might feel like we can’t compete if we don’t buy these creatures.

There’s also a concern about private servers in Ark 2. If they start disabling or banning these new creatures, it could split the player community. This could make it harder for people to find servers to play on.

My Thoughts

Whether real or made up, new creatures in Ark can be good if done right. But how they’re added into the game matters. Even if the cost isn’t too high, this approach of selling creatures separately is causing a lot of debate and criticism.

It’s unclear if this outcry will lead to any changes, but one idea is to turn off these new creatures on PvP servers. We’ll have to wait and see how this practice in Ark: Survival Ascended continues and how it might affect the future of Ark 2.