ARK: Dragontopia's full map, a "boundless, map-wide skyworld" of floating islands, is due in December 2026. It's the last step in the rollout Wildcard published when the DLC launched on 3 July, and the Dragontopia store page still lists it for December. Wildcard hasn't named the map, given it a day, or said how servers will run it, so there's nothing to change on your server yet.
What's coming to Dragontopia
Wildcard's July rollout sets out what December brings: a new map, enemy outposts, a boss and the rest of the dragon roster.
A map made of floating islands
Wildcard describes "fantastical floating landmasses surrounded by countless procedural shattered isles". The store page sets the same scene: a "cloudbound paradise where the earth has fractured into a world of floating islands". The Drake Claw Grappler, which came with the DLC on day one, already points that way: Wildcard built it for "high-altitude traversal and midair dragon mounting".
"Procedural" is the word to watch if you run a server. Wildcard hasn't said whether the shattered isles are generated once per world, change over time, or can be set by the server owner, so read the patch notes on release day before you plan bases or events around the layout.
Outposts, phenomena and an invading legion
Alongside the map itself, the December paragraph lists:
- "the secrets of aerial phenomena" to work out
- enemy outposts to conquer
- "a tremendous variety of new items, new vehicles, and cosmetics"
- an invasion: "a merciless invading legion", which picks up the "ruthless airborne invader" the store page has promised since launch.
- a boss, described only as "an apex threat unlike anything ARK has ever seen".
None of these has a name yet, the vehicles included.
The complete dragon roster
The headline promise is that you'll "bond with the complete mythical roster of dragons". Three dragons have been released so far:
- Umbra arrived on day one, 3 July: the shadow dragon you bind through the Dragon Horn.
- Lumina, Umbra's sun-sworn counterpart, followed on 9 July.
- Gargantar, the sky-behemoth that inhales resources, enemies and allies alike, came on 30 September.
The store page's roster blurb also describes "elegant, wind-dancing steeds that gallop across the clouds", "deadly four-winged assassins", "multi-headed beasts of dual-breathed chaos" and "loyal shoulder-drakes that guard you on your journey". Wildcard hasn't tied any of those lines to a named dragon, and as we read them, none of the four describes Umbra, Lumina or Gargantar.
Xeranox
Wildcard revealed Xeranox in Community Crunch 526 on 3 October as "the latest dragon preparing to spread its wings in ARK: Dragontopia". It has "four magnificent wings" and "remarkable agility", and Wildcard's teaser says it wants you to strike first: "Some creatures prefer to avoid a confrontation. This one might just welcome it, actively daring you to strike first. Don't let it goad you, because every scratch may fuel the plummet."
Four wings sounds to us like the store page's "four-winged assassins", but that's our guess: Wildcard hasn't made the link. Xeranox isn't in the July rollout list and has no date either, so it could arrive with the map or on its own.
What your server needs to do
Nothing yet. When Wildcard posts a date:
- Back up before the update. On a self-hosted server that's the
ShooterGame\Saved\SavedArksfolder, plusGameUserSettings.iniandGame.inifromShooterGame\Saved\Config\WindowsServer. - Update the server as soon as the build is out. Players' clients update themselves through Steam, and after a major version, players can't join a server that hasn't updated yet.
- Decide whether to move to the new map. ASA keeps each map's save in its own folder under
SavedArks(The Island's isTheIsland_WP), so moving to a new map starts a fresh world and leaves your current one in place. - Before you switch, check with your players. Wildcard hasn't said whether the map needs the DLC, but Gargantar is tameable only by Dragontopia owners.
Self-hosting? The dedicated server is Steam app 2430930:
steamcmd +force_install_dir C:\asa-server +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit
The map's level name goes first on the server's launch line, and Wildcard hasn't confirmed it yet. The ARK wiki lists Dragontopia_WP, but nothing from Wildcard backs that up, so check the patch notes before you change your launch line.
What's coming before December
- 28 October: the Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade "arrives October 28", per Community Crunch 528. Plan to update your server that day too: the dedicated server app already has a
public_test_realmbranch on Steam, and Wildcard releases its major versions "for Servers and Clients". It's also when modding is due to reopen, after Overwolf planned to take its mod cooking servers offline on 5 October, and Overwolf is due to publish its list of mods "requiring author action" the same day. - 6 November: the Giganotosaurus TLC, plus the Enigmasaur, which "will wrap up ARK Fantastic Tames Season 1".
- December: the skyworld map, with the enemy outposts, the boss and the rest of the dragon roster.
Wildcard's dates do move. UE 5.8 was meant to land on 30 September before Crunch 525 said "the full release is moving to October 28th", so treat December as the plan rather than a promise.
FAQ
Do players need to own Dragontopia to play on the new map?
Gargantar arrived "for all ARK: Dragontopia owners", though it also spawns on other maps for everyone; only owners can tame it. Wildcard hasn't said whether the map itself will need the DLC, so check with your players before you switch.
What date in December?
None yet. You may see 9 December on the ARK wiki, but nothing from Wildcard says it: the store page and the July rollout both say only "December".
Will the update wipe my server?
Wildcard hasn't mentioned a wipe. Each map's save sits in its own folder under SavedArks, so switching to the new map deletes nothing and you can move back to your old world later.
Can I buy Dragontopia now, or wait for the map?
Yes, it's been on Steam since 3 July, and the skyworld is part of what that purchase covers: Wildcard says buying now gets you "locked in for a massive rollout of content over the coming months".
Sources: Wildcard's Dragontopia launch post and rollout, the ARK: Dragontopia store page, the Gargantar release post, Community Crunch 528, 527, 526 and 525, and the ARK wiki's server configuration page for the config path and launch-line order.