Sorry, arachnophobes, Ark's giant spiders just got a lot more horrifying

The first Ark Survival Ascended TLC patch has been revealed, and the promise of ‘Tender Loving Care’ isn’t quite what comes into my mind when I see it. The Ark Araneo is top of the list, having come out ahead during the Extra Life charity vote that determined which five creatures would be getting a fresh look and feel. Even in the land of the dinosaurs, there’s something about giant spiders that always puts me on edge, and what Studio Wildcard has to say isn’t helping. You’re going to want to look up.

“You voted, you donated, and now it begins,” the Ark Survival Ascended developer writes in its latest blog post. “Thanks to the incredible support shown during our Extra Life charity event, the first TLC creature is almost ready to descend from its shadowy lair.” Alongside the Araneo, the survival game’s community has also put its support behind overhauls for the Quetzal, Giganotosaurus, Therizinosaurus, and Megalosaurus.

It’s our spider friend that’s up first, however, and it’s “evolving into something far more dangerous,” Studio Wildcard reveals. “No longer content to skitter at ground level, these overgrown spiders have begun claiming the high ground, using web-lines to traverse elevated terrain and drop down on unsuspecting prey with unnerving precision.” Well, that’s just great news.

Spiders on the walls and ceiling generally don’t cause me much concern in real life, although I do take exception when they start plummeting down towards me on a line of silk. It’s the bigger species that I find more unsettling, but fortunately where I live they’re mostly found on the ground. The world of Ark no longer offers that reassurance, however, and I’m not looking forward to having to deal with airborne Araneo coming at me.

A series of dossier notes in the traditional Ark style explains that this is the result of a “breakthrough evolution” in the local population. “Broodmother’s ‘children’ have suddenly exploded in number, and they’ve also begun using their amazing amalgam of arachnidial abilities in alarming new ways,” it reads.

“These overgrown spiders have begun traversing high areas with their web-lines, and rappelling down them to ambush prey. They also shoot their webbing with a newly ruthless precision – a disorienting innovation that restricts their prey’s ability to move, attack, and protect itself. Struck enough times, an entangled victim is as good as helpless.”

That makes the upgraded Araneo sound much more of a threat than its current incarnation, which you can see in action above courtesy of ‘ImmaBeastGaming’ on YouTube. Once you’ve tamed one, you’ll be able to utilize its torpor-inflicting venom for yourself. That sounds like it works much the same as before, with the notes remarking that it’s “useful for tranquilizing potential tames.”

The webs will likely be even more potent – the old web shot was already great for slowing targets to a crawl, but now you’ll have the option “to drop from above and wrap up a target creature in webbing before subduing them from a venomous bite.” Even if your taming attempt doesn’t pan out, “your spider-mount can harvest the hardened silk from a downed target for a variety of uses,” such as acting as an insulator in warm-weather clothing.

The new-look Araneo could end up being quite a handy companion when it arrives, but I’m still not convinced it’s worth having to deal with them dropping on you from the skies. It’s certainly a creature that’s fallen behind the times, however, and I am pleased to see it getting the love and care it deserves.