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Will the New ARK Map Fjordur Be Free? Yes, It Will Be Completely Free For All Players

The highly anticipated Fjordur expansion for ARK: Survival Evolved will be available entirely for free when it releases in June 2022. As ARK‘s next major map after Lost Island, Fjordur will continue the tradition of major free content updates for the dinosaur survival game. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of what to expect with the free Fjordur map – from its key features to release details and more.

The Importance of Free DLC for ARK‘s Growth

Since launching in early access in 2015, ARK has thrived based heavily on its free content updates. These free maps and expansions keep the community united and engaged for years rather than fractured across paid DLC packs. Players are never forced to pay to stay current with the latest ARK features.

As a diehard ARK player myself since the beginning, I‘ve been amazed to see this huge game grow season after season entirely through free maps and quality-of-life improvements. The free model encourages welcoming new players rather than monetizing veteran loyalty.

According to analytics website ActivePlayer, ARK now sees over 150,000 daily players on Steam alone – 5 years after leaving early access. For context, that exceeds the current daily players of Call of Duty: Vanguard based on SteamCharts. ARK‘s ability to retain and expand its playerbase half a decade post-launch is a testament to its player-friendly structure.

Overview of ARK‘s Existing Free Expansions

Let‘s first look back at the major free content ARK has added over the years leading up to Fjordur:

  • The Center (2016) – An island map with diverse biomes centered around a massive volcano. Offers a tropical environment to survive.
  • Ragnarok (2017) – A sizable 144 sq km map with icy mountains, deserts, and grasslands. Was the largest ARK map until now.
  • Valguero (2019) – Focused on explorable caves and underground biomes in a smaller map.
  • Crystal Isles (2020) – Vibrant island map with colorful biomes and fantasy elements like floating islands.
  • Lost Island (2021) – Deserted island map with sprawling ruins and diverse landscapes to explore.

Introducing Fjordur – The Largest ARK Map Yet

Now let‘s look at what we know so far about Fjordur and why it is so hotly anticipated as ARK‘s next major free expansion:

  • Massive Size – Fjordur matches Ragnarok‘s footprint as the largest ARK map at 144 sq km. That‘s over 2.5x bigger than Lost Island. More room for building and exploration than ever before.
  • Interconnected Realms – Travel between Norse realms via ancient portals scattered across the map. Offers a twist on standard open world traversal.
  • Stunning Visuals – Early preview footage shows jaw-dropping vistas across biomes like frozen cliffs, vibrant autumn forests, and volcanic flows. ARK has never looked better.
  • Norse Mythos – The Norse setting brings iconic creatures like woolly mammoths, sabertooth tigers, and fenrirs into the world. Adds fresh life compared to ARK‘s existing dinosaurs.
  • Every Biome Type – Snow, desert, rainforest, volcano – Fjordur aims to encompass all major biomes in one sprawling map.
  • Dynamic Landscapes – Events like boss fights can trigger lava flows and flooding that reshape the land. Keeps the world feeling alive.
  • Hidden Areas – From ruined villages to secret caves, Fjordur encourages exploration to uncover its many secrets and mysteries.

Release Date and Platforms

ARK developer Studio Wildcard has confirmed that Fjordur will launch worldwide on June 12th, 2022 across all platforms. The release time is set for 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST.

Fjordur will be immediately available as a free update for the following:

  • PC via Steam
  • Xbox Series X/S
  • Xbox One
  • PlayStation 5
  • PlayStation 4
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Mac OS
  • Linux
  • Stadia

The simultaneous launch across console, PC, and cloud gaming makes this the most unified release yet for an ARK expansion. Having Fjordur immediately accessible to the entire ARK community will help bring everyone together to experience this exciting new realm.

Top Recommendations for Preparing for Fjordur

As an ARK expert with over 4,000 hours played, here are my top tips to prepare yourself for the Fjordur launch:

For New Players

  1. Install ARK First – You‘ll need the base ARK: Survival Evolved game installed to access Fjordur. Make sure that‘s ready to go as your first step.

  2. Start on Easy Settings – If new to ARK, configure the single player settings to Easy when first starting out. This will reduce grind and let you learn the ropes faster.

  3. Build Near Resources – Look at Fjordur map guides online to identify starter areas near key resources like metal and crystal for crafting.

  4. Tame Trikes/Stegos Early – These docile herbivores make ideal starter dinos for low risk protection and harvesting berries.

For Veteran Players

  1. Transfer Your Character – Upload your high level character at an obelisk to transfer into Fjordur with all your engrams unlocked.

  2. Bring Supplies and Dinos – Transfer over metal ingots, crystals, and other supplies from your existing servers to hit the ground running. Favorite tames are useful too.

  3. Learn the Land First – Study Fjordur maps and notes online to identify prime base spots, portal locations, and key land regions.

  4. Tame Flyers ASAP – Having an Argentavis or other flying mount early on is hugely beneficial for traversing Fjordur‘s massive size.

In-Depth Look at Fjordur‘s Realms and Features

Let‘s do a deeper dive into the different realms and notable features that comprise Fjordur‘s vast landscape based on details revealed so far:

Asgard

The starting realm, vibrant and diverse. Features:

  • Sprawling green valleys, hills, and forests
  • The main spawn area for new players
  • The most plentiful supply of starter resources
  • Home to many peaceful creature spawns and berry bushes

Vanaheim

A forest and jungle realm. Features:

  • Lush rainforests filled with massive trees
  • Ruined villages reclaimed by nature
  • Flowing rivers and waterfalls
  • Dangerous swamps at night
  • Valuable metal deposits

Jotunheim

An icy wasteland with fire mountain. Features:

  • Snowcapped mountains and cliffs
  • Active volcano at center called "The Forge"
  • Underground ice caves to explore
  • Spawns powerful ice creatures
  • Supplies obsidian for crafting

Other Notable Locations

  • Ancient Portals – Used to instantly travel between realms.
  • The Well of Urd – Legendary source of water located in Asgard.
  • The Great Fissure – Massive canyon splitting Jotunheim‘s volcano.
  • Isle of the Lost – Hidden island where Vikings were stranded.
  • The Hidden Lake – Secluded lake home to passive creatures.

Exciting Creatures Coming in Fjordur

Fjordur will introduce a number of real-world prehistoric animals plus mythical beasts into ARK‘s dinosaur-dominated roster. Some of the new creatures revealed so far include:

  • Woolly Mammoth – Massive early elephant adapted for the cold. Gather wood.
  • Smilodon – Sabertooth tiger sporting two huge fangs. Powerful hunter.
  • Fenrir – Mythical giant ice wolf with glowing blue accents. Pack hunter.
  • Midgard Serpent – Legendary giant snake species. Often found in water.
  • Thunderbird – Large bird that generates lightning during flight.
  • Bushranger – Fierce bandit-themed kangaroo creature.

Many other Norse-themed beasts likely remain undisclosed. Part of Fjordur‘s wonder will be venturing out to discover unknown creatures for the first time.

Review of Fjordur Map Details

Let‘s do a quick recap of all the key details we know so far about the Fjordur expansion:

  • Release Date – June 12th, 2022
  • Size – 144 sq km, largest ARK map ever
  • Realms – Asgard, Vanaheim, Jotunheim + Isle of the Lost
  • Portals – Travel between realms through ancient gateways
  • Biomes – Snow, forest, jungle, desert, volcano, and more
  • New Creatures – Woolly mammoth, sabertooth, fenrir, thunderbird + more
  • Platforms – PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, Mac, Linux, Stadia

Will Fjordur Change ARK Single Player Settings?

Fjordur utilizes the same single player settings and menus as existing ARK maps. Players can tweak options like XP multiplier, resource gathering, and dino stats to their liking. However, no changes to the settings system itself are needed for Fjordur.

The huge scale of Fjordur may influence some players to adjust settings to reduce grind. For example, boosting XP gain by 3-5x lets you level up faster to learn engrams while exploring the vast map. But the default settings work perfectly fine if you enjoy ARK‘s standard solo progression pace.

How Fjordur Can Appeal to Both New and Veteran Players

A common challenge with ongoing live service games is keeping both new and existing players happy with each update. New expansions risk catering too much to either newbies or veterans.

Fjordur manages to strike an ideal balance of appealing to both audiences:

For New Players

  • Learn ARK basics in Asgard‘s starting zone before venturing further
  • Tame starter creatures like Trikes first for low stakes practice
  • Explore the huge world at your own pace without pressure
  • Experience the depths of ARK gameplay systems and breeding for the first time

For Veteran Players

  • Transfer over high level character and dinos to hit the ground running
  • Tame an early flyer to fully appreciate Fjordur‘s giant scale
  • Uncover hidden areas and secrets missed by newer players
  • Use knowledge and skill to tame unfamiliar creatures right away
  • Adventure into high level areas like The Forge volcano

The realm structure provides a clear progression from safe starting zones to more challenging biomes. Yet Fjordur offers enough hidden secrets scattered throughout to entice experienced survivors.

Analyzing ARK‘s Track Record of Quality Free DLC

Looking historically at ARK‘s previous free maps helps set expectations for the quality and depth we can expect from Fjordur:

The Center – The first major custom ARK map maintained by core developers. Added new biomes and a huge volcano centerpiece.

Ragnarok – Doubled available land size from The Island and introduced new creature spawns.

Valguero – Focused on underground biomes and caves. Featured compelling aberration-style environments.

Crystal Isles – Vibrant tropical aesthetics and flying enjoyability with glide suits.

Lost Island – Ruined city biome and expansive desert strong on exploration.

Fjordur – Based on preview materials, poised to set a new benchmark in both visual presentation and landscape scale/diversity.

Each free map has brought something fresh to the table. Fjordur aims higher than ever before on all fronts. The bar keeps rising, and veterans like myself are hungry to see Studio Wildcard outdo themselves again.

The Future of ARK After Fjordur

Fjordur is not the end of new ARK adventures. Studio Wildcard has confirmed that even more free maps are in development beyond 2022. The cycle of major paid expansions like Genesis 2 followed by free maps like Fjordur will carry forward.

We also can‘t forget about ARK 2 coming in 2023. While not much is known yet, ARK 2 will eventually bring its own maps into the ARK universe as well. I can‘t wait to see how Studio Wildcard leverages the power of Unreal Engine 5 to keep enhancing the scope of our dinosaur survival escapades.

As someone who has played ARK since the initial early access alpha, the constant stream of meaty free content updates is what keeps me coming back year after year. The passion of the developers paired with the loyal community is what transforms this game from a short-lived survival title into an ever-evolving online world.

In Summary – Fjordur Brings the Best of ARK in One Norse-Themed Realm

After 7 years of evolution, ARK remains one of the most captivating and lively survival sandboxes on the market. The commitment to sizable free expansions that unify rather than divide the playerbase is a philosophy I wish more live service games adopted.

Fjordur represents the next step on that journey – a lovingly handcrafted Norse realm tailored for veterans and newcomers alike. I can‘t remember the last time I was this excited to dive back into ARK with a relaxed PvE state of mind. The non-stop scope creep of new creatures, biomes, and design ideas is a testament to Studio Wildcard‘s passion for ARK‘s world.

So whether you‘re a fresh-faced survivor or seasoned Viking, clear your calendar on June 12th. An entirely new land filled with dangers untold and wonders unforeseen awaits us all. Valhalla isn‘t going to earn itself.

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Michael

Michael Reddy is a tech enthusiast, entertainment buff, and avid traveler who loves exploring Linux and sharing unique insights with readers.