Summary
Ark: Survival Ascendedis adding two new creatures in the upcomingAberrationDLC, one of which could be introducing an awesome new mechanic. TheAberrationDLC takes survivors to a broken down and irradiated Ark where mutated dinosaurs run amok.One ofAberration’s new creaturesis the Yi Qi. This prehistoric winged dinosaur fills a mixed role as a ranged DPS unit that has a handful of helpful debuffs.
The other new addition is the Cosmo spider, which was second in votes after the Qi Yi. However, this playful critter comes with two major points ofcontroversy that are causing problems inAscended. The first of which is that this is another creature that must be bought from a small DLC pack, which the studio has already taken plenty of heat from. The other is that Cosmo is strikingly similar to the Maevia Eureka Jumping Spider created by Sovira.
10 Biggest Ark: Survival Ascended Aberration Changes & Differences From ASA
Aberration is a DLC that can feel on the small side but comes with some big changes from the base game that is important to know going in.
What Awesome Mechanic Does Cosmo Bring To Aberration?
The Jack-Of-All-Trades Shoulder Pet
Though the specifics for the Cosmo have yet to be fleshed out, the developers have given a glimpse of what this little creature can do. Once tamed, Cosmo will ride on a player’s shoulder and gradually collect the webbing of larger spiders. With this “ammo”, Cosmo canshoot out webs that slow targets, grab items from a distance or"swing around like a spider-themed superhero". This combines many of the utility items fromArkinto one adorable shoulder pet.
The most standout feature of Cosmo will likely be swinging. Though this can be done with the grappling hook item, the ability to do it without a set item is a huge boon. There is also the chance Cosmo’s swing could be upgraded in some capacity. Even without any upgrades, it should provide a fun and easy to use traversal system.
How Big Is Ark: Survival Ascended Aberration’s Map Compared To DLCs & The Island?
It’s definitely bigger than The Island, but calculating the exact size of Ark: Survival Ascended’s upcoming Aberration map is complicated.
How Cosmo Could Be Pay To Win
An Amazing Addition Locked Behind A Paywall
Outside the controversy about the similarity to a modded creature, the other issue with Cosmo is the possibility of a pay-to-win aspect.If Cosmo is combining the bola, grappling hook and other items into a tame, and a tame that can ride on one’s shoulder while riding another tame, this is concerning. This shouldn’t impact PvE too much, though these DLC creatures can only appear under certain conditions. However, the big impact would be on the PvP playerbase, where any slight advantage can make a huge difference, especially if someone does not have to switch weapons to slow an enemy or swing away.
Ark: Survival Ascended Abberationis set to releaseon July 14, 2025.
Overall, what Cosmo does would be a handy and extremely fun quality of life improvement if it was available to everyone for free. Though it is apaid DLC points to a disturbing trend, Cosmo will likely still be an excellent tame for those players who can experience it. That is all because the Cosmo spider is adding some awesome new mechanics toArk: Survival Ascended.
