After months of anticipation and hundreds of incredible submissions, we're thrilled to announce the winners of ARKBoneSkins' first-ever Community Skin Design Contest! The creativity and talent displayed by our community has been absolutely phenomenal, making the judging process both exciting and incredibly difficult.
Grand Prize Winner: "Primal Fusion" by DragonSlayer_92
Taking home the grand prize of $5,000 and a lifetime premium membership is DragonSlayer_92 with their stunning "Primal Fusion" armor set. This design brilliantly combines organic tribal elements with futuristic technology, featuring living vines that pulse with energy and stone armor plates embedded with glowing crystals.
What impressed our judges most was the attention to detail and the way the design tells a story. The armor appears to be grown rather than crafted, suggesting a civilization that has learned to merge with nature while harnessing advanced technology. The helmet design, featuring a crown of crystalline antlers, is particularly striking and will become an instant classic when implemented.
Second Place: "Void Walker" by ShadowArtist
ShadowArtist's "Void Walker" design earned second place with its haunting beauty and innovative use of negative space. The armor appears to be carved from obsidian and starlight, with sections that seem to absorb light while others shimmer with cosmic energy. The cape design, which appears to be made of flowing darkness dotted with distant stars, creates an otherworldly silhouette.
This design pushes the boundaries of what's possible in ARK's visual system, and our development team is excited about the technical challenges of bringing the "living shadow" effects to life. The $2,500 prize and year of premium membership are well-deserved for this innovative concept.
Third Place: "Apex Predator" by WildcardFan
Rounding out our top three is WildcardFan's "Apex Predator" set, which transforms the wearer into the ultimate hunter. Drawing inspiration from ARK's most dangerous creatures, this armor features Rex-scale texturing, Raptor claw gauntlets, and a helmet designed to mimic a Carnotaurus skull.
The genius of this design lies in its practical intimidation factor. Enemy players will think twice before engaging someone wearing this fearsome ensemble. The attention to creature anatomy and the way each piece references different ARK dinosaurs shows a deep understanding of the game's ecosystem.
Honorable Mentions
We received so many outstanding submissions that we had to create additional recognition categories. Special mentions go to "Crystal Guardian" by GemCrafter, "Tribal Chieftain" by PaintedWarrior, and "Mech Pilot" by RobotBuilder. Each of these designs brought unique perspectives and will receive $500 prizes plus six months of premium membership.
The diversity of submissions showed us just how creative and passionate our community is. From steampunk-inspired contraptions to ethereal fairy-tale designs, every entry demonstrated the incredible imagination of ARK players worldwide.
Implementation Timeline
We're committed to bringing these winning designs to life in ARK. Our development team has already begun work on the technical implementation, starting with the grand prize winner. We expect the "Primal Fusion" set to be available in our shop by early February 2025, followed by the other winning designs throughout the spring.
All winning designers will receive royalties from sales of their implemented designs, ensuring that their creativity is rewarded long-term. We're also exploring opportunities to feature community designs in future contests and collaborations.
What's Next?
The success of this contest has inspired us to make it an annual tradition. We're already planning next year's competition with even bigger prizes and new categories. Stay tuned for announcements about our 2025 Community Design Contest, which will feature separate categories for armor, weapons, creatures, and base decorations.