How to Reach Max Level in Ark: Survival Evolved

Reaching the maximum player level in Ark: Survival Evolved is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor, showcasing a player’s dedication and mastery of the game. As of June 2022, the absolute maximum level attainable is 190. This isn’t achieved simply by grinding experience points. It requires a combination of traditional leveling, conquering end-game bosses, exploring every inch of the Ark, and even nurturing a digital pet. This article will break down exactly what you need to do to reach the pinnacle of character progression in Ark.

To reach level 190, you must achieve several milestones:

• Initial Levels: You start at level 1 and can gain 104 levels through standard gameplay activities like crafting, harvesting, and combat.
• Boss Ascensions: Defeating end-game bosses grants additional levels. These boss battles are critical to reaching the max level.
• Explorer Notes: Collecting all explorer notes across all available maps unlocks even more levels. This requires meticulous exploration and a good knowledge of the game world.
• Chibi Leveling: Lastly, leveling up a Chibi, a cosmetic event pet, grants the final few levels needed to reach the maximum.

It’s important to note that reaching level 190 is a true test of an Ark player’s skill and dedication, requiring a thorough understanding of multiple aspects of the game. It’s not about simply “cheating” your way to a high level; these steps must be earned through genuine gameplay.

Leveling Up the Conventional Way

Experience Points (XP) Basics

The cornerstone of character progression in Ark is experience points (XP). These are earned through various activities like:

• Crafting: Manufacturing items, from simple tools to complex structures, provides XP.
• Harvesting: Gathering resources from the environment yields a steady stream of XP.
• Combat: Killing creatures, whether they’re wild dinosaurs or aggressive players, rewards XP.
• Completing Tasks: Participating in specific events or completing in-game objectives, particularly on Genesis, is an excellent way to gain experience.
• Taming Dinos: Successfully taming wild creatures, especially high-level dinos, gives a significant amount of XP

Quick Leveling Tips

Here are some tips to quickly level up your character:

• Build, Build, Build: Focus on crafting and building structures. The sheer volume of resources used and items produced will result in fast XP gains.
• Craft Narcotics: Crafting narcotics is a particularly efficient method, though requires a good supply of resources such as meat and narcoberries.
• Tame High-Level Dinos: Taming high level dinos offers experience gains.
• Crystal Wyvern Taming: Taming a Crystal Wyvern is an effective way to quickly gain XP.
• Gather Extinction Notes: Extinction notes provide a good boost of xp.
• Megatherium Taming: Taming a Megatherium is another viable strategy, particularly if you plan on boss fights.

Ascension and End-Game Bosses

Bosses and Their Level Rewards

The most crucial aspect of maximizing your character’s level is defeating end-game bosses. Each boss on each map, when conquered at higher difficulties, provides significant level increases to your character.

Here are the bosses that will grant you extra levels upon defeating them:

• The Overseer on The Island: Grants 5, 10 or 15 levels, depending on the difficulty you select(Gamma, Beta, Alpha).
• The Manticore on Scorched Earth: Grants 5, 10 or 15 levels, depending on the difficulty you select(Gamma, Beta, Alpha).
• Rockwell on Aberration: Grants 5, 10 or 15 levels, depending on the difficulty you select(Gamma, Beta, Alpha).
• The Corrupted Master Controller on Genesis: Part 1: Grants 5, 10 or 15 levels, depending on the difficulty you select(Gamma, Beta, Alpha).
• Rockwell Prime on Genesis: Part 2: Grants 5, 10 or 15 levels, depending on the difficulty you select(Gamma, Beta, Alpha).

Difficulty Matters

The level increase from defeating bosses is not fixed. It changes depending on the difficulty setting you select. Defeating a boss on Alpha difficulty will give you the highest level rewards, typically 15 levels. It’s therefore important to defeat all the end-game bosses on Alpha difficulty to maximize your level gains. You must face these bosses on the right difficulty level to reach the cap.

King Titan Exception

It’s important to note that, despite being a challenging end-game boss, King Titan does not provide levels upon defeat. Defeating King Titan is more of a final achievement, but does not contribute to achieving max level.

The Significance of Explorer Notes

What are Explorer Notes?

Explorer Notes are scattered throughout all Ark maps. These lore collectibles, also known as dossiers, not only provide lore and backstory to the game world, but they also grant a player experience points.

Collecting All Notes

Collecting all explorer notes across every map awards a significant level boost, usually 10 levels total. This is crucial for reaching the maximum level and requires a dedicated effort to explore the game’s diverse environments.

Single Player Explorer Note Progress

Progress on single-player is tracked and counts towards your level progression. So, you can collect explorer notes on single-player and it will count towards your level before heading onto official servers. You are not penalized or forced to recollect in online games.

The Role of the Chibi Pet

What is a Chibi?

Chibis are cosmetic pets that were introduced to the game. These event-based pets are not just for looks. They also contribute to your character’s leveling.

Leveling a Chibi

Leveling a Chibi to the maximum will give the player 5 additional levels. This is a necessary step in reaching the ultimate level of 190.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the maximum player level in Ark as of 2024?

The maximum achievable player level in Ark: Survival Evolved is 190.

2. Can you cheat to get to level 190?

No, you cannot simply cheat to reach level 190. You must beat the Alpha level bosses, collect all explorer notes, and level up a Chibi. These are requirements that cannot be bypassed through commands.

3. What happens when you reach max level in Ark?

Once you reach the maximum level of 190, you no longer gain experience points and cannot level up any further. You’ve essentially maxed out your character’s potential.

4. How do you reset your character’s stats in Ark?

You can use a mindwipe tonic to reset your engram points and skill points. This can be useful for respeccing if you need a change to your stats.

5. What is the maximum level for dinos in Ark?

On official servers, the maximum dino level is capped at 450.

6. How do I get higher level dinos in Ark?

Higher-level dinos can be found by increasing the game’s difficulty settings. Adjusting these settings will increase the levels of the dinos in your game world.

7. How do I override official difficulty in Ark?

You can override the official difficulty settings using the OverrideOfficialDifficulty command. This allows you to make dinos spawn with higher levels than the default setting.

8. What stats should you level in Ark?

Key stats to prioritize include Weight, Health, Stamina, Movement Speed, and Melee Damage. These will help you efficiently gather resources, survive combat, and move quickly.

9. Does crafting provide XP in Ark?

Yes, crafting is a very reliable method for leveling up in Ark. The more you craft, the more experience you will gain.

10. Does harvesting provide XP in Ark?

Yes, harvesting resources provides a consistent source of XP. The more resources you gather, the more XP you will accumulate.

11. What is the easiest boss in Ark?

The easiest bosses in Ark are generally considered to be the Broodmother and the Megapithecus on The Island, particularly at Gamma difficulty.

12. What is the hardest boss in Ark?

The King Titan is often regarded as the most challenging boss in the game.

13. How do you get Mjolnir in Ark?

To get Mjolnir, you must collect the Alpha trophies, use them at a runestone to craft a portal, fight the Alpha Fenrir, and then take the Mjolnir that drops from the fight.

14. What does difficulty affect in Ark?

Difficulty in Ark primarily impacts the maximum level of wild creatures and the quality of loot drops.

15. Does leveling up give you more health in Ark?

Yes, leveling up gives you a base stat increase and when coupled with leveling up the “Health” stat, it will provide a further boost to your health.