Ark: Survival Evolved has been among Steam's top-selling games ever since it released earlier this year, and there's a good reason for that success: dinosaurs. Sure, Ark: Survival Evolved is one of the better crafting/survival games available, but it's really the dinosaurs that put it over the top.
Developer Studio Wildcard knows this. That's why for the game's "Winter Wonderland" update, the studio has replaced Santa Claus with his long-extinct dinosaur equivalent, Raptor Claus. The world of Ark is now blanketed in snow, as Raptor Claus flies overhead in his sleigh, dropping presents for survivors. Those presents can include new crafting blueprints or coal, if you're a not-so-nice survivor. Collect enough coal and you'll be able to convert it into other holiday items, like Candy Cane clubs, Reindeer costumes and Santa hats, so perhaps being naughty isn't so bad after all.
Players can customize their homes with new holiday decorations as well, ranging from trees, wreaths, lights, snowmen and even lootable presents. However, the holiday event is just part of the reason for the season. The game itself is steeply discounted at 40 percent from now until Jan. 4 as part of Steam's massive holiday sale. That puts the game at $17.99, a great deal for all the players who have been waiting for the sale to dive into Ark's dangerous, dinosaur-filled world.
Studio Wildcard is also a 100 vs. 100 tribe charity tournament, where players will battle it out for the opportunity to divvy up $10,000 to a charity of their choice. The battle will be streamed live via Twitch on Dec. 29.
You can check out a trailer for the holiday update below. Ark: Survival Evolved is currently available on PC and Xbox One via Microsoft's new early access program, with the game slated to get a full release in the summer of 2016 on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
