ARK Update 2.26 Patch Notes
MEKs
Fixed a bug where MEK pistol could damage players mounted on a dinoReduced MEK pistol damage to players by 85%Reduced MEK Pistol range by 25%Prevented MEKs from being able to be stacked inside each otherPrevented MEKs from being deployed in the VR Mission
Snow Owl
Players recover 50% faster from the frozen state left by the Snow Owl diveRemoved the Snow Owl heal effect on enemy players and enemy-tamed creatures (wild creatures are still affected)Snow Owl dive slow has been reduced to 2. 5 seconds
Balance and QoL
Reduced the amount of element received by Red Crystals on Genesis by 33%Increased the amount of materials harvested by the mining drill by 33%TEK Shield now has a limited number of crafts (like other TEK blueprints)Argents can no longer pick up smaller wild aggressive creatures in PvEFerox can no longer be trapped with a bolaReduced cloning cost for the Giant TurtleReduced the number of insect swarms in Bog biome by about 25%Added a cool down between green rain insect swarm spawns. Significantly reduced the frequency and slightly increased the duration of green rain in the bog biomeReduced the bat spawns in the main volcano within the volcano biomeReduced the Giant Turtle’s bubble-blowing attack when above groundAdjusted (reduced) the Thyla cost for cloningParasaurs no longer detect bodies that are not visible or renderedImproved hover skiff movement and operation on steep terrainIncreased the placement radius check for ocean platforms to prevent them from being placed next to enemy foundations/platforms
Levels, Terrain and Environment
Fixed 100+ holes, terrain and level design issues across various mapsMade several collision improvements for meshes on AberrationFixed an issue with collision on several meshesFixed several mesh holes in various biomesMade adjustments in areas near the volcano to fix rare instances where eruptions would instantly kill players/dinosAdded additional kill volumes to unintended playable areasModified the no-build zone in the main volcano caveAdjusted the trajectory of lunar comets to prevent edge cases of players and dinos dying
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with TEK durability that prevented stat cappingMagamasaur no longer takes damage from lava on The CenterFixed a mounting exploit with MagamasaurFixed an issue with dedicated storage locking behavior on PvE (Players could withdraw items when it was “locked”)Fixed a bug that allowed building within the boss arena on ValgueroFixed several missing notifications on gather, retrieve, basketball, hunt, and escort missionsFixed an exploit that allowed Ferox to clip inside enemy structuresFixed a bug where Ferox Stats were being rerolled after first time transformingPrevented itchy from stealing cryopodsFixed a turret exploit with the Space WhaleFixed multiple cases where the Bloodstalker couldn’t swing around ExtinctionFixed a damage exploit with FeroxFerox should now keep its imprint buff when in large formInsect swarms now give chitin instead of hideFixed a rare case where the mining drill could damage the tek sensorActivation/deactivation settings will now save on the tek alarmActivation/deactivation settings will now save on the pressure plateThe lava on The Island in caves and the lava in the Wyvern trench on S. E. will no longer damage MagmasaurCryopods can be accessed in the HLNA Shop againFixed an exploit with cruise missiles that allowed them to bypass turretsFixed an edge case that caused the player to be destroyed when mounting an Equus and equipping its saddleFixed an issue that prevented players from receiving the mission buff in specific biomes (Bog/Ocean/Arctic)Fixed the increased damage multiplier in various biomesFixed an issue that would prevent players connecting to OC serversRe-enabled configuration to prevent Reapers from being transferred to Genesis. Fixed a bug which prevented the Moeder boss fight from initiating correctlyFixed a bug which prevent players from seeing Primitive+ serversFixed a bug with Cruise Missiles which caused them to detonate on the player firingFixed a bug which prevented MEKs from attacking structuresFixed an exploit with the Rock DrakeFixed multiple server crashes and server stallsFixed a bug with certain creatures attacking through structure wallsReduced the Giant Turtle’s bubble-blowing attack on when above groundMarked Valgeuro’s Ice Golem and Chalk Golem as unable to transferValguero Ice wyvern class switched to Ragnarok Ice WyvernFixed an exploit that allowed mission creatures to be used in unintended waysTeleporting East in the Bog biome will no longer transport the player South EastFixed an exploit which allowed certain creatures to attack structures through wallsFixed a bug with the grenade launcher where it wasn’t consistently using all its ammo
Misc
End of Eggcellent AdventureEnabling 2x harvest, breeding, XP and tamingMade multiple improvements to the Hexagon Exchange UIFixed a server crashFixed some configuration issues with the dynamic rates ini on non-standard official serversImproved HLNA performance when crafting a large number of itemsImproved localization on the Rockwell boss fight and end cutsceneEnabled several performance-related visual tweaks on wild AstrocetusImproved the accuracy of HLNA cardinal direction when teleportingHLNA teleportation logic now tries to avoid turrets, non-allied players, and hostile dinosImproved several visual components of the mission UI (difficulty text, leaderboards, item lists, mission notifications)
While ARK update 2.26 doesn’t include anything by way of new features or content additions, it goes huge lengths toward making the existing base better. Meks are no longer horrendously overpowered thanks to nerfs, Pistol damage, and the Snow Owl dive isn’t as punishing as it used to be. Players have been asking for changes to both of these creatures for some time now, so it’s nice to see that Wildcard has taken that feedback and implemented it. The material harvesting balance is a nice touch as well, considering stocks of Element have been growing way too high in recent weeks.
Perhaps the most underrated part of these patch notes, however, is the 100+ map fixes for holes, meshing issues and other abnormalities. Especially for the hardest of hardcore ARK players, meshing continues to be an ongoing sore spot as cheaters make their way under maps for easy griefing. Given just how much the base maps have been tightened up thanks to this recent update, we imagine hackers will have a much harder time getting cheap thrills. ARK update 2.26 won’t do much to bring new players in, but it should make existing ones happy.
ARK: Survival Evolved is available now on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Mac and Linux.
What are your thoughts on ARK update 2.26? Are you happy with the Mek nerf and map adjustments? Tell us in the comments section!
