ARK: Survival Ascended skill tree explained

Time of India

23-06-2025

Image via Studio Wildcard
ARK: Survival Ascended, Studio Wildcard, not only gave us a visual upgrade but also led to some big gameplay changes, too. One of the most thrilling is the completely overhauled skill tree system.
Whether you are a seasoned ARK player or new to the game, you'll notice that this game isn't just about pumping points into weight or stamina anymore. The new skill tree adds more strategies, more diversity, and many more ways to make your survival on your own. In this guide, we will walk you through how it works and how you can make the most of it.
How the skill tree works in ARK Survival Ascended
The skill tree in ARK: Survival Ascended represents an organized method to unlock your abilities and upgrade them.
To release those points in your simple stats, now you can have multiple trees and forks altering the development of your character.
Key features you need to know:
Tiered unlocks: You start fresh at the base and work your way up, unlocking certain skills and abilities that will open up new ones above them, creating a natural progression.
Specializations: Whether players prefer to fight, build, tame, or just survive the elements, there is a tree for that.
Skill points: Each time you level up, you'll earn points that can be spent on skills. The choices you make can define your strengths.
Perks and buffs: Some upgrades boost your damage or crafting speed. While others make you tougher, let you tame faster, or carry more.
Example skill tree paths:
Combat Path
Increased melee damage
Faster weapon reload times
Improved armor durability
Crafting path
Quicker crafting speed
Reduced resource requirements
Access to the advanced recipe blueprint
Taming path
Faster taming speed
Better creature control
Extended creature buffs
Survival path
Enhanced environmental resistance
Carry more weight
Manage hunger and thirst more efficiently.
At a certain time, players can reset their skill points at the cost of rare in-game items and, as such, experiment with a variety of builds without any lasting implications.
One such addition that is positively received is the use of skill trees, as ARK: Survival Ascended introduces this feature, which provides variety and a few alternatives to players when developing their characters. Since it gives the player the ability to customize their abilities to the maximum allowance using a comprehensive, progressive system, it invites a range of play experiences and increases replay value.
Combat or survival, whatever you work on, it is important to know and maximize your skill tree to survive in the hostile environment of ARK.
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