PixARK's October update is meant to bring a new creature to the Terracrypt expansion, a Keep Inventory option for single player and local multiplayer, and an update to the mod developer tools. As of 16 October none of it has shipped, and the studio hasn't given a day. The three patches since the roadmap went up (1.241, 1.242 and 1.243) were the Gigantoraptor and a run of fixes, so for now there's nothing new to prepare for beyond the usual patch-day update.
What's in the update
A new Terracrypt creature
The roadmap, posted on 20 September, says: "In October, a new creature will be added to the DLC PixARK:Terracrypt." That's the whole description. There's no name, no concept art and no taming details yet.
It's going into Terracrypt, the paid underground expansion that released on 26 August, so it's for players who own the DLC.
The last creature didn't arrive cold. The Gigantoraptor got a concept-art first look in the 24 September post and went live five days later. If the October creature follows the same pattern, a teaser post means the update is close.
Keep Inventory
The roadmap's wording is specific: "We'll also introduce a Keep Inventory option for Single Player and Local Multiplayer, allowing Adventurers to enable it according to their preferences in the corresponding game modes." The roadmap art calls it a "Keep Inventory on Death" option.
Dedicated servers aren't mentioned. On what the studio has said so far, this is a setting for solo and local games only, and a server's death rules stay as they are.
Mod developer tools
The October heading reads "New Creature/Keep Inventory/Mod Developer Tools Update", and the art lists a "Mod Kit Update". The body of the post never describes it, so there's no word yet on what changes for mod authors, or whether existing mods will need rebuilding afterwards.
Mods have been patchy on the newer maps. Patch 1.239 on 22 September "Fixed an issue where some existing MODs could not function on the Skypiea and Terracrypt maps." If your server runs mods, plan to check each one after this update.
What has landed since the roadmap
1.240, 24 September: Autumn Festival. Mooncake Tokens, the Osmanthus Tree Challenge, a summonable Lepursa, and "Double Harvest rates on mining ores". The post gives no end date for the event.
1.241, 29 September: the Gigantoraptor. September's roadmap creature, on the PixArk, Skyward and Terracrypt maps. It's tamed by knockout and fed fertilised eggs, and a tamed one can help incubate eggs and feed babies.
1.242, 9 October. Five fixes, with 45 minutes of maintenance on the official servers. The one that matters most for clusters: "Fixed an issue where dinosaur data could be lost with a chance when uploading dinosaur data across servers between Skypiea and PixArk." The studio also said it "will roll out frequent updates in the near future".
1.243, 15 October. Four more fixes (including the Gigantoraptor's hatching effect and Magic Castle Stair placement) and one change to gas: every Gas Cylinder (Full) burned in a workstation now hands back a Gas Cylinder (Empty).
What your server needs to do
Nothing yet. When the October update does land:
- Take a backup of the world before you update.
- Update the server on patch day so it matches the build your players' Steam clients download. The last two patches reached the dedicated server the same morning they were announced.
- If you run mods, start the server once with them and check the console for errors before you open it to players.
Self-hosting? The dedicated server is Steam app 824360, and it downloads with an anonymous login:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 824360 validate +quit
If your server is with us on PixARK server hosting and it won't come back up on the new build, open a ticket and we'll look at it.
What's coming next
- October: the new Terracrypt creature, Keep Inventory and the mod developer tools update. The roadmap gives the month and nothing narrower.
- In between: more small patches. Three have arrived in under three weeks, and the studio's own line is "frequent updates in the near future".
- Later: the roadmap closes with "There's more content currently in development, so stay tuned for future updates!" Nothing past October has a date.
FAQ
Is the October update out yet?
Not as of 16 October. The most recent patch, 1.243 on 15 October, is a fix patch with no new creature, no Keep Inventory and no mod tools.
Is 1.242 or 1.243 the October update?
No. Both are short bug-fix patches. They needed a server update, but neither contains anything from the October roadmap.
Do players need Terracrypt for the new creature?
Yes. The roadmap puts it in the Terracrypt DLC, and Terracrypt is a map of its own: Snail Games says players must own the DLC to enter an official server running the Terracrypt map. Players on the PixArk or Skyward map won't meet it.
Will Keep Inventory work on a dedicated server?
The roadmap only names Single Player and Local Multiplayer. Nothing the studio has posted mentions a server setting for it.
What time do PixARK patches go live?
Recent ones have arrived in the morning, UK time. The server builds for 1.242 and 1.243 went out at about 08:40 and 08:05 UK time on their patch days.
Will the update wipe my world?
Nothing in the roadmap mentions a wipe, and none of the patches since 1.240 has asked for one.
Sources: Snail Games' Sep & Oct Development Roadmap, Terracrypt official server modes, and patch notes 1.239, 1.240, 1.241, 1.242 and 1.243.