ARK Giganotosaurus TLC Out Now (5 Nov 2026) - Apex Challenge Taming, Wounded Fury & Rage
Short answer: the Giganotosaurus TLC is out now in ARK: Survival Ascended. It arrived with patch v97 (dated 6 November 2026 in the patch notes), alongside the Enigmasaur and the Unreal Engine 5.8 upgrade. The Giga has a new Wounded Fury passive that makes it stronger below 75% health, shares half of that bonus with nearby allied creatures, gains a Heavy Stomp / Tail Slam attack, and has a reworked Enrage. It is no longer tamed by knockout: you start an Apex Challenge by carrying an Apex Offering, crafted from Alpha trophies, near a wild Giga.
It's the third creature TLC won in the 2025 Extra Life community vote, after the Araneo and the Therizinosaurus (our Theri TLC write-up). Wildcard's earlier posts said 6 November; Community Crunch 530 gave 5 November, and Community Crunch 531 confirms the TLC is live.
What changed in the Giga TLC
From the v97 patch notes in Community Crunch 531:
| Change | Detail |
|---|---|
| New look | Fully updated model and animations, plus an additional colour region. |
| Wounded Fury (new passive) | Below 75% health the Giga grows stronger, up to 50% increased damage and 30% increased damage resistance. Visual and audio effects intensify as it strengthens. It stays at maximum strength while Enraged. |
| Wounded Fury ally buff | Nearby allied non-Giganotosaurus creatures receive 50% of the Giga's current Wounded Fury bonuses. A toggleable rider display shows which allies are receiving the buff. |
| Heavy Stomp / Tail Slam | A directional area attack that knocks back smaller creatures and briefly slows affected targets. Looking forward or to the sides performs Heavy Stomp; looking backward performs Tail Slam. |
| Enrage update | Riders get a dedicated Rage bar, and other players see visual indicators of the Giga's Rage buildup. Simultaneous damage instances, such as shotgun blasts, can no longer immediately trigger Enrage. |
| Regain Control window | Reaching maximum Rage starts a short window. Landing attacks reduces Rage and can cancel Enrage. If you fail, the rider is dismounted and Enrage activates as normal. |
New taming: the Apex Challenge
Wildcard's patch notes describe the new method as follows:
- Craft an Apex Offering using Alpha trophies.
- Carry it near a wild Giganotosaurus to start an Apex Challenge.
- During the challenge, attacks the Giga lands increase its Torpidity.
- Torpidity is capped at 50% at first. Enrage the Giga and survive until its Enrage ends to remove the cap.
- Once Torpidity reaches 100%, the Giga becomes unconscious and can be fed.
The Giga is no longer tamed through a standard knockout encounter.
Same update: Enigmasaur and Unreal Engine 5.8
- Unreal Engine 5.8: optimised rendering to reduce GPU workload, with improved foliage and distant vistas on all platforms. Lumen Lite is enabled with select PC graphics settings, with broader support planned. See our Unreal Engine 5.8 guide.
- Enigmasaur: closes out Fantastic Tames Season 1 and can mimic other creatures and combine their powers. It has been added to The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Lost Colony and Astraeos.
What has NOT been announced
- Exact base stat changes (health, melee, weight) for the Giga.
- Whether existing tamed Gigas need to be re-tamed. The patch notes don't say; earlier TLCs kept existing tames and their stats.
- Saddle changes.
How to prepare
- Keep your bred Giga lines. The patch notes don't mention removing existing tames.
- Stock up on Alpha trophies. The Apex Offering is crafted from them.
- Plan for the Enrage step. You have to Enrage the Giga and survive until it ends to lift the Torpidity cap.
- Bring allied creatures to fights. They get half of the Giga's Wounded Fury bonuses, though non-Giga creatures only.
Giga TLC on BG Gaming
The TLC came with the engine upgrade, so the cluster updates in a planned restart window with notice once our server plugins are confirmed working on the new build. We never half-update maps while people are playing. Our 12-map PvE cluster runs boosted rates, so rebuilding a Giga line after the TLC is a lot quicker than on official. Join BG Gaming — crossplay PC / Xbox / PS5, no wipes, 50,000 free coins for new players.
FAQ
Is the Giga TLC out? Yes. It is live as part of patch v97, which also brings the Enigmasaur and Unreal Engine 5.8.
Can you still tranq a Giga? No. It is no longer tamed through a standard knockout encounter. You use an Apex Offering to start an Apex Challenge, and the Giga falls unconscious once its Torpidity reaches 100%.
What does Wounded Fury do? Below 75% health the Giga gains up to 50% increased damage and 30% increased damage resistance. Nearby allied non-Giganotosaurus creatures get 50% of its current bonuses.
What does Heavy Stomp / Tail Slam do? It is a directional area attack that knocks back smaller creatures and briefly slows them. Looking forward or sideways gives Heavy Stomp; looking backward gives Tail Slam.