Gigantic Prehistoric Kangaroo Comes to Dino Game Ark in New Update

Dinosaur game Ark: Survival Evolved is getting another holiday-themed update. Beginning today at 12 PM EST, a humongous New Year's Eve ball like the one in New York City will begin its descent from the sky. It'll hit the bottom at midnight EST to ring in the New Year. Developer Studio Wildcard also teases that when the ball eventually hits the ground, players in the game then will be treated to a "fantastic surprise."

On top of the New Year's Eve event, a new update for Ark adds a new creature to the game. That beast is the Procoptodon, which is a "gigantic prehistoric Kangaroo." It can carry two people at the same time (one on its back and then other in its pouch), which is a first for any beast in the game. It's also very swift and nimble, hopping over hurdles easily.

Today's Ark update -also introduces a "Tribe Alliances" feature, which allows smaller tribes to officially band together to take on bigger teams. This was a much-requested feature, according to Studio Wildcard.

Ark is marked down to $18 in the Steam Winter Sale. That price is good through January 4.

This isn't Ark's first holiday-themed update. Previous ones have been themed around Halloween and Thanksgiving. This latest update is available on PC only, not the newly launched Xbox One edition.