ARK: Survival Ascended — Valguero Resource Map Guide
Last verified: May 26, 2026. Valguero Ascended released October 2025, remains active in 2026 with minor balance patches from Studio Wildcard.
Valguero is one of the largest free expansion maps for ARK: Survival Ascended — a 63 km2 remaster released October 2025 across Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. It bundles snow deserts, chalk cliffs, volcanic ridges, lush valleys, an Aberration-style underground zone, and a unique enclosed underground ocean called The Abyss. Two ASA-exclusive creatures launched with it: Megaraptor (community creature vote winner) and Elderclaw (Lost Colony Expansion Pass).
2026 Update: What Changed Since Launch
Six months in, the Valguero Ascended balance state in May 2026:
- Wyvern egg respawn fix patched in February 2026: eggs no longer despawn during host migration, ending the long-standing PS5 dedicated server issue.
- Aberration trench Reaper spawn rate reduced by 25% after the November 2025 player feedback wave.
- Forsaken Oasis tribute requirements rebalanced down by roughly 15% in March 2026 to bring solo-tribe attempts back into reach.
- Elderclaw spawn density doubled around the lake-and-cave network after community reports of near-impossible taming windows.
If you played Valguero at launch and have not returned, the boss fight is more accessible and the Aberration trench is less of a slaughterhouse.
The Three Farming Zones
Valguero plays best when you treat it as three distinct farming zones, each with a different risk-reward profile:
Zone 1: Chalk Hills (Beginner-Friendly Powerhouse)
The single richest entry-level zone in the game. Resources here:
- Metal — surface and node deposits across the hill faces (35-40 lat, 50-55 lon).
- Crystal — abundant on cliff edges and chalk outcrops.
- Obsidian — found in the volcanic seams running through the chalk.
- Cactus Sap — desert-edge plants near the southern hill base.
- Sand — the southern desert transition.
Combine chalk hills with the supply-drop loop overhead — drops cluster here, so you can run a metal-plus-crystal-plus-drop circuit per Argentavis loop. Community-reported metal yield per hour on chalk hills is roughly 2-3x the equivalent run on The Island map.
Zone 2: Aberration Trench (High-Risk Specialty)
An underground biome modeled on the Aberration map. Radiation hazard requires Hazmat suit.
- Gems (Red, Green, Blue) — required for many late-game crafts.
- Element Dust from Earth Elementals.
- Specialty resources — Aberration-only creatures and drops.
- Black pearls — in the deeper tunnels (Rock Drake territory).
Tames you bring need to be Aberration-compatible (Rock Drake, Reaper, Ravager). Most regular dinos refuse to enter. The February 2026 Reaper-spawn nerf made solo expeditions viable for the first time, though Hazmat plus charge-light is still mandatory.
Zone 3: Lake + Cave Network (Mid-Game Sweet Spot)
The central lake plus its connected cave system gives:
- Oil — submerged nodes around the lake floor.
- Pearls — same area; pair with Megalodon or Basilosaurus for safe gathering.
- Crystal — cave walls along the network.
- Fast progression resources — black pearls in the deeper cave segments.
- Elderclaw — ASA-exclusive crustacean, doubled in density per the March 2026 patch.
Resource Quick Reference
| Resource | Best Zone | Approx. Coords | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal | Chalk Hills | 35-40 lat / 50-55 lon | Low-Medium (wyverns on edges) |
| Crystal | Chalk cliffs + lake caves | Multiple | Low |
| Obsidian | Volcanic ridges | South / 60-75 lat | Medium (heat, alphas) |
| Oil | Central lake + Abyss | Lake center / -10 lat (Abyss) | Low (lake) / High (Abyss) |
| Pearls (silica) | Central lake | 40-50 lat / 40-50 lon | Low |
| Black Pearls | Abyss / Aberration deep | Multiple deep zones | High |
| Gems (R/G/B) | Aberration Trench | 50-60 lat / 80-90 lon | High (radiation, Reapers) |
| Cactus Sap | Southern desert edge | South of chalk hills | Low |
| Element Dust | Aberration Trench | Earth Elemental spawns | High |
| Wyvern Eggs | Wyvern Trench (double) | West / 30-40 lat / 10-20 lon | Extreme |
Cave Artifacts on Valguero
| Artifact | Cave | Prep Required |
|---|---|---|
| Artifact of the Cunning | Snow Cave (north) | Fur armor; cold tames |
| Artifact of the Brute | Aberration Trench | Hazmat suit; Aberration tames |
| Artifact of the Massive | The Deep Cave (under chalk hills) | Climbing gear; combat tames |
| Artifact of the Skylord | Jungle Cliff Cave | Flyer or zipline |
| Artifact of the Pack | Abyss area cave | Scuba gear; aquatic mount |
| Artifact of the Devourer | Volcanic ridge cave | Heat resistance; ranged weapons |
All six artifacts are required for the Forsaken Oasis triple-boss tribute.
Unique Map Features
| Feature | What's There |
|---|---|
| Wyvern Trench (double) | Ice Wyverns above, Fire Wyverns below. Egg-run paradise; high risk for unprepared players. Eggs no longer despawn during host migration (Feb 2026 patch). |
| Aberration Trench | Underground biome with radiation. Aberration creatures only. Reaper spawn rate reduced 25% in Nov 2025. |
| The Abyss (underground ocean) | Enclosed late-game ocean with Megalodons + Tusoteuthis spawns. Pearls, oil, black pearls. |
| Forsaken Oasis (triple-boss arena) | Endgame fight against three bosses simultaneously. Full tribe coordination required. Tribute requirements down ~15% in Mar 2026 patch. |
| Rock Elemental variants | Unique color/biome variants distributed across hills + lava ridge. |
| Castle of the South / North | Pre-built ruins that double as defensible base spots. |
| Spring Valley | North-east jungle, mid-game base sweet spot with abundant fresh water. |
ASA-Exclusive Creatures
- Megaraptor — fast, pack-aggressive, mid-tier mount. Launched with Valguero ASA as the community creature vote winner.
- Elderclaw — large crustacean variant, ASA-exclusive, found around the lake/cave network. Spawn density doubled in March 2026.
Recommended Path Through Valguero
- Spawn on the chalk hills for safer early-game and easy resource access.
- Tame an Argentavis within the first week for chalk-hills metal runs.
- Push to the lake + cave network for oil and pearls before crystal scarcity hits.
- Hazmat → Aberration trench for gems once you can craft the suit.
- Wyvern eggs → Wyvern trench at level 60+ with a fast flyer.
- Collect all six artifacts across the cave systems.
- Forsaken Oasis triple-boss with full tribe gear at level 80+. Easier in 2026 after the tribute rebalance, still wipe-prone solo.
Hazards by Region
| Region | Hazard |
|---|---|
| Chalk Hills | Wyverns spawn on edges; alpha Carnos roam south. |
| Snow Deserts | Cold debuff (fur armor required); Yuty packs; lone Direwolf packs. |
| Aberration Trench | Radiation (Hazmat); Reapers; nameless ambushes. Reaper rate down 25% post-Nov 2025. |
| Volcanic Ridges | Heat damage; alpha spawns. |
| The Abyss | Pressure damage at depth; Tusoteuthis grab; cold zone. |
| Wyvern Trench | Wyvern aggro; fall damage; respawning egg-guard wyverns. |
| Forsaken Oasis | Triple-boss simultaneous; tribute consumption per attempt. |
Common Mistakes
- Going into the Aberration trench without a Hazmat suit — radiation kills in 30 seconds.
- Trying to fly into the cave system — most flyers can't reach the deeper sections.
- Skipping the chalk hills for snow biome metal — chalk hills give comparable yield with half the risk.
- Tackling Forsaken Oasis solo — even after the March 2026 tribute rebalance, three bosses simultaneously will wipe under-leveled tames.
- Wyvern egg runs on a Pteranodon — stamina runs out before clear; use Argentavis or a fast Tropeo for safer extraction.
- Base-building inside the Aberration trench — radiation makes return logistics painful.
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