ARK: Survival Ascended Guide | How to Evolve Tidepup in ARK Tides of Fortune

Tidepup is a healing companion introduced with the Tides of Fortune content in ARK: Survival Ascended. Once you’ve tamed one, you’ll have to keep using its healing ability until its Evolution Meter is filled up. Reaching 100% unlocks two paths: an enhanced shoulder-pet form or a large, rideable support form.

Place Tidepup on Your Shoulder

Pick up your tamed Tidepup and place it on your shoulder. Its Evolution Meter will appear on the right side of the interface, allowing you to track its progress.

Open Tidepup’s radial menu and adjust its healing threshold. This setting controls how low your Health must fall before it heals you. Set the threshold high enough that a small amount of controlled damage can activate the ability without putting you in serious danger.

Take Controlled Damage Safely

Tidepup earns evolution progress whenever it successfully heals you after your Health drops below the selected threshold. A qualifying heal has a chance to add approximately 2.5% to the Evolution Meter, although progress is not guaranteed after every activation.

Standing close to a Campfire is one of the simplest ways to deal steady damage. You can also drop from a low ledge and receive minimal fall damage. Don’t take too much harm that could kill you before Tidepup can heal.

Creating Blood Packs is another practical option because the process reduces your Health. This lets you repeatedly trigger Tidepup’s healing while collecting Blood Packs for later use.

Fill the Evolution Meter

Continue alternating between controlled damage and healing until the Evolution Meter reaches 100%. The process commonly requires many healing cycles and may take around 30 to 40 minutes.

Keep enough food available during the process. Tidepup’s healing ability drains its Food, and evolution progress may stop if it can no longer activate the heal.

Choose Tidepup’s Evolution Path

After filling the Evolution Meter, choose Neotenic Stabilization for an improved shoulder companion or Metamorphosis for a rideable support Tidepup.

Place Tidepup on the ground once the Evolution Meter reaches 100%. Hold the interaction button, open its radial menu, and choose either Neotenic Stabilization or Metamorphosis.

Neotenic Stabilization retains Tidepup in its little shoulder-pet form, but adds to its healing and underwater support powers.

Tidepup's huge, rideable form is its metamorphosis. This version needs a Tidepup Saddle and has enhanced support skills like Life Sense, Regenerative Stasis, healing for surrounding teammates, and removal of negative status effects. Its healing continues to consume Food, so keep an additional supply in its inventory.

FAQ

Q. Why is Tidepup’s Evolution Meter not increasing?

A. Evolution progress is not guaranteed after every heal. Continue triggering the healing ability and make sure Tidepup has enough Food.

Q. Can Tidepup remain a shoulder pet after evolving?

A. Yes. Choose Neotenic Stabilization to keep its small form while improving its existing healing and support abilities.

Q. Do you need a saddle for the evolved Tidepup?

A. You need a Tidepup Saddle to ride the large form that is created through Metamorphosis.