ARK: Survival Evolved has been a huge hit for an Early Access game, even with a few bumps in the road, whether it was the release of DLC before full release, or the controversy involving sheep. The next big update is set to make the title grow even more, with Gamespot revealing the ARK Tek Tier patch, which Studio Wildcard creative director Jesse Rapczak says will be the game’s largest update yet.

Some of the “smaller” changes with the upcoming patch include the following:

• Tamed creatures now have an option to disable resource harvesting.
• Holding “left” or “right” while dismounting will make you dismount in that direction.
• Added 5 more Player and Dino Levels.
• Fixed Allosaurus spawning inside bases.
• Alliance-Chat channel.

One addition that has many people excited is the release of the lance. Players have been asking for the ability to joust on their tamed dinos, and now they will have that chance. The ability to use a shield while mounted and using the right weapons is also a huge bonus. The lance will allow you to knock other players off of their mounts with a well timed hit, and the shield gives you that extra protection you always wish you had.

The update also adds seven new creatures to the game. The most anticipated of which is the Ovis Aries, a sheep that you can tame using Sweet Vegetable Cakes, and then shear them for their wool. Though they can be ridden, they don’t make good mounts, being purely a farm animal. The other creatures will be adding a lot more gameplay and tactics to the game, especially for PvP. Here they are:

• The Ammonite is a resource rich sea dweller that enrages all nearby creatures when attacked.
• The Microraptor is a small, fast carnivore that will focus humans over dinosaurs when angered.
• The Thylacoleo is a tree climbing marsupial that will drop down on unsuspecting prey.
• The Purlovia can burrow underground to stay hidden, bursting out and attacking those that get to close.
• The Baryonyx looks very much like a bipedal crocodile that is good at both running and swimming.
• The Basilosaurus seems very whale-like, being full of blubber that can be used in place of oil. This creature is often followed and protected by other other creatures who will attack on sight.

Also coming in the ARK Tek Tier patch is “real-time hair growth”. Rapczak explains in the video that it takes about 5 hours of game play for your hair to grow out, and about 8 hours for beards. Using scissors, you can give yourself or others a hair cut, and while only a couple of styles are shown in the preview, it is confirmed that more will be available on release. The ability to dye your hair and add highlights will also be added, allowing you to style yourself however you see fit.

The biggest addition to the update is the one people have been waiting for the most. ARK Tek Tier will be bringing new structures and items that will allow players to do so much more. While this is end game content, it does make the wielders of this sci-fi gear incredibly powerful. Rapczak explains in the video that you will have to defeat the bosses in order to gain the knowledge required to both build and use the Tek Tier equipment. The bosses will also drop new items each time, encouraging players to go back and fight them multiple times. Each piece of Tek Tier equipment gives a player the ability to do new things. Check out the list below:

• Tek Helmet allows a player to switch out to night vision, or “Tek Vision” – this highlights allies in green and enemies in red.
• Tek Boots negate all fall damage, as well as allowing you to scale cliffs and slopes with ease.
• Tek Pants let you run incredibly fast.
• Tek Jetpacks allows you to launch yourself upwards (which when used in conjunction with the pants lets you fly around the map).
• Tek Gauntlets give the player the power to punch really hard, useful for melee combat and harvesting.
• Tek Rifles are long range, accurate, explosive weapons that don’t need to reload (though they do overheat).
• Tek Rex Saddles give your favourite Rex extra armour and the ability to shoot lasers from its head (more Tek Saddles to come, but this is all that is being released for now).

With the new update, the bosses are also being revamped, with each boss now having three difficulties. In the reveal, Rapczak also tells of a fourth boss coming, and you will only be able to access the fight if you have defeated all three of the current bosses. You can watch the full video below to hear all of the details:

Sound off in the comments section below and tell us your thoughts on the new ARK Tek Tier. What are you looking forward to most? Do you have any concerns about the new additions? Also, don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter and Facebook for all your gaming news updates.