Quick answer: To tame a Giganotosaurus in ARK Survival Ascended you trap it (the easiest option is a room of metal gateways with a Large Bear Trap), knock it out with tranquilizer arrows or darts and feed it Exceptional Kibble or Raw Mutton. A level 150 Giga needs 19 Exceptional Kibble, about 511 Narcotics and 1 h 13 min at official 1x rates; on Tharyon, with 8x taming, 3 kibble and roughly 12 minutes are enough.
Updated October 2026 for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).
The Giganotosaurus is the most feared land carnivore in ARK. Its bite hits extremely hard and ignores natural armor, and the more you hurt it the angrier it gets. Tamed, it is a war machine, but it demands serious preparation: one mistake and it kills both you and your mount.
Giganotosaurus quick facts in ARK Survival Ascended
| Diet | Carnivore |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Extremely aggressive |
| Taming method | Knockout (knock it out, then feed it) |
| Preferred kibble | Exceptional Kibble |
| Best food | Raw Mutton and Raw Prime Meat |
| How to immobilize it | Only the Large Bear Trap |
| How to knock it out | Crossbow with tranquilizer arrows (cheapest) or a Longneck Rifle with Shocking Tranquilizer Darts (fastest); the head takes 1.5x damage |
| Saddle | Giganotosaurus Saddle (level 96) |
| Maps (ASA) | The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Lost Island |
How to tame a Giganotosaurus step by step
- Build the trap: a room of Metal Dinosaur Gateways with one side open and a Large Bear Trap in the middle.
- Lure the Giga into the trap with a fast mount and close the last side. Stay nearby so the trap stays rendered.
- Shoot it in the head with tranquilizer arrows or darts from a high, safe spot.
- Put the food in its inventory: Exceptional Kibble or Raw Mutton.
- Have plenty of Narcotics: it loses torpor very fast and needs them constantly.
- Watch the surroundings: nearby fights can damage it and lower taming effectiveness.
Giganotosaurus taming food and taming calculator
These numbers come from ARK’s taming formula for a level 150 Giganotosaurus. The 1x column is the official rate and the 8x column is Tharyon’s rate. They are estimates: hitting the sleeping creature or a game patch can change them slightly.
| Food | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Amount 8x (Tharyon) | Time 8x (Tharyon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exceptional Kibble | 19 | 1 h 13 min | 3 | 12 min |
| Raw Mutton | 39 | 1 h 28 min | 5 | 11 min |
| Raw Prime Meat | 49 | 1 h 50 min | 7 | 16 min |
| Cooked Lamb Chop | 72 | 2 h 42 min | 9 | 20 min |
| Cooked Prime Meat | 97 | 3 h 38 min | 13 | 29 min |
Giganotosaurus taming time by level with Exceptional Kibble
| Level | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Narcotics 1x | Amount 8x | Time 8x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 7 | 27 min | 180 | 1 | 4 min |
| 60 | 10 | 38 min | 261 | 2 | 8 min |
| 100 | 14 | 54 min | 372 | 2 | 8 min |
| 150 | 19 | 1 h 13 min | 511 | 3 | 12 min |
A level 150 Giganotosaurus has about 99400 torpor. With the amounts in the table you usually do not need narcotics on Tharyon, but bring a few in case it takes longer than expected.
Where to find the Giganotosaurus in ARK Ascended
The Giga strolls across the map killing everything in its path, so it can show up almost anywhere. There are usually very few at a time and its huge size gives it away from a distance. If creatures in an area are fleeing or missing, one may be nearby.
Official ARK Survival Ascended maps where it spawns: The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Lost Island.
Giganotosaurus abilities and uses
- A 1,000-damage bite that ignores natural armor.
- Rage: after heavy damage in a short time it doubles its damage and attacks everything nearby, allies included.
- A wild one inflicts a wound that drains health and almost stops the target for a few seconds.
- It can destroy thatch, greenhouse, wood, adobe and stone structures.
Giganotosaurus variants
The Tek Giganotosaurus spawns on Extinction and can be tamed. The Corrupted Giganotosaurus (Extinction) and mission or event versions, such as the Skeletal or Malfunctioned Tek, cannot be tamed.
Giganotosaurus breeding
The egg takes 2 d 2 h to hatch and the baby needs 10 d 3 h to reach adulthood at official rates. The egg needs 43-44 °C. On Tharyon (25x hatching and 35x maturation) that drops to about 2 h and 6 h 58 min.
Tips and mistakes to avoid
- With too much rage a tamed Giga can throw or eat its rider: do not let it take hits nonstop.
- Build anything nearby in metal: wood and thatch will not stop it, and even stone only slows it down.
- Other creatures will not attack a wild Giga, but it can still take collateral damage from fights around it.
Tame your Giganotosaurus faster on Tharyon
On Tharyon taming runs at 8x: a level 150 Giganotosaurus is ready in about 12 min instead of 1 h 13 min.
- ARK Survival Ascended with crossplay: PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- 8x taming, 2.5x XP and harvesting, 35x maturation and 25x hatching.
- 11 PvE maps: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ragnarok, Valguero, Lost Island, Genesis 1, Astraeos and Forglar.
- Automatic events (a supply crate every 60 minutes and an event creature every 70), quests and an in-game shop.
To join, hop into our Discord and use the /link command. See every rate in the rates section.
Giganotosaurus taming FAQ
What does the Giganotosaurus eat for taming?
Exceptional Kibble first; after that Raw Mutton, Raw Prime Meat or cooked meat.
How long does it take to tame a Giga?
A level 150 Giga takes 1 h 13 min with Exceptional Kibble at 1x and about 511 Narcotics. On Tharyon (8x) it takes about 12 minutes.
What is the easiest Giga trap?
A room of Metal Dinosaur Gateways with one open side and a Large Bear Trap in the middle.
What is the Giganotosaurus rage?
When it takes a lot of damage quickly it enrages: it doubles its damage and attacks everything nearby, including your tames.
What level unlocks the Giganotosaurus Saddle?
At level 96.
Why is my Giganotosaurus not taming?
It is almost always one of these: it is not hungry yet (it only eats when its food bar drops, so the first bite can take a while), the food in its inventory is not one it accepts, it woke up because torpor ran out, or something is attacking it. Check that the taming bar goes up every time it eats.
ES 
EN 
DE 
FR