The Ark: Survival Evolved mod Survival of the Fittest was spun off into a free, standalone game earlier this month, as the first step in establishing the competitive esports Survivor League. Today, developer Studio Wildcard revealed how its new esports league, which will award cash prizes to the game's top 40 players each month, will work.

Survivor Leagues will be made up of the top ten players in each of the game's four modes, and will run for approximately 30 days. A clock and leaderboards will count down to the beginning of the next Survivor League period, and also track the top ten player rankings in real time. Rankings will not reset at the beginning of each new league, so it's possible for players to stay in the Survivor League for multiple months, but players who don't play for more than a week will see their scores begin to decay.

All active Ranked games count toward admission to the Survivor League, and players who make it in will be awarded a cash prize based on their ranking:

1. $3,500
2.  $2,500
3.  $1,800
4.  $1,650
5.  $1,500
6.  $1,350
7.  $1,200
8.  $1,050
9.  $900
10.  $750

Survivor League members will also be archived and celebrated throughout the game in the Survivor League Archives and members of this exclusive and honorary league will be invited to upcoming broadcasted Tournaments, so getting into the league is not just a way to win a large amount of money and glory, but also a way to earn even more prizes and glory in the future, Studio Wildcard said. We are serious about the Survival of the Fittest becoming a serious competitive e-sports game and with that, want to celebrate players who are dedicated and perform to the highest standard!

The first Survivor League is set to begin on April 15. The clock is ticking now at survivetheark.com.

One of the things I like most about Ark: Survival Evolved is the apparently complete lack of commitment to any kind of coherent narrative, or even theme. When it first began, it seemed like a Land That Time Forgot experience with rideable dinosaurs and assault rifles, but since then Studio Wildcard has added dragons, a Yeti, War Kangaroos, Raptor Claus, and even Mega-Beavers. Now Easter is coming, and that means it's time for—get ready for it—an Eggcellent Adventure.

The latest festive event includes collectible Bunny Eggs, suitably huge, that can be painted or crafted into Easter-themed items like Bunny Ears or a Bunny Costume for the Procoptodon. But it won't be all sugar-coated fun and games: The ferocious Bunny-Dodorex will be hopping around Ark all week long, and he's apparently not someone you want to meet.

The latest Ark update also adds the new Swamp and Snow Caves areas, containing high-end loot, advanced artifacts, and more clues towards the mysterious origins of the Ark. You may not want to rush into them headlong, however, as the developers warned that they're intended for high-level survivors. The Ark: Survival Evolved Eggcellent Adventure is live now and runs for a week.