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For ordinary ARK supply drops, the color indicates the minimum player level needed to open the crate and gives a rough signal of its potential loot tier. The level requirement varies by map, and color does not guarantee a specific item or quality. Use the map-specific chart below, and identify the drop type before applying these rules.
Ordinary supply drop levels by map
These are the minimum player levels listed by the ARK Official Community Wiki for ordinary colored supply beacons. They are game requirements, not a universal chart for every ARK map or drop type. Source: ARK Official Community Wiki
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved (PS4) | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One | $23.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved (Nintendo Switch) | $35.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One (Renewed) | $21.26 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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ARK Survival Evolved Definitive Complete Guide & Walkthrough (Latest Update 2025) All Strategies,... | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Map | White | Green | Blue | Purple | Yellow | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Island, The Center, and Ragnarok | 3 | 15 | 25 | 35 | 45 | 60 |
| Scorched Earth | 3 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 55 | 70 |
| Aberration | 10 (cave crate only) | 25 (cave crate only) | 35 | 50 | 65 | 80 |
On Aberration, surface beacons begin at blue; white and green crates are found in caves. The chart concerns opening requirements, not a promise about what a crate contains.
What the colors tell you about loot
Higher-level ordinary beacons generally offer a higher potential loot tier. Their contents are random selections, however, so a red drop does not guarantee a particular weapon, saddle, blueprint, or quality roll. Color is best read as an access threshold plus a broad indication of potential, not as an item list.
#1 Best Overall
- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
Special drops use different rules
Genesis space loot crates
On Genesis, ship space-crate colors vary with the planet or asteroid where the ship is located. Some specific drops are available only while the ship is docked at the corresponding location, so ordinary beacon assumptions do not identify their contents.
Deep Sea Loot Crates
Deep Sea Loot Crates are a separate category from ordinary colored beacons. The wiki lists them for players level 80 or higher and says they often contain ramshackle-quality or better items.
Rank #2
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Orbital Supply Drops
Orbital Supply Drops around Corrupted Earth do not require a player level to activate, according to the wiki. The challenge is defending the drop from Corrupted Creatures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the map and game edition before chasing a drop
First identify the map and whether the crate is an ordinary beacon or a special drop. Then use the applicable level requirement and, if you need to know possible items, consult a loot table for that exact map and edition. The Island’s loot details should not be assumed to apply elsewhere; ARK: Survival Ascended has had a supply-crate loot-table rework, and server settings may also matter.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Rank #3
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game. Run too far and not only will you be exhausted, but you will also quickly get hungry and thirsty. Weather effects are based on real-world climates, and so you'll need to hide out from rain and snow, while making the most of sunny days
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Gather Resources, Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes and style of everything from the walls of your home, to your character's armor, weapons and more
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout. Make your way to the final boss and figure out why you've been dropped into this Jurassic-era experience
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