When you jump into a server on ARK: Survival Evolved you will notice beams of light that shine into the sky everywhere you travel across the map. These can be indicative of either a Beacon or an Obelisk, but what is the difference between them? They share some qualities, but otherwise are very different from one another in terms of their uses.

These strange areas perform different tasks and if you want to take your gameplay to the next level then you should understand how to properly utilize them. Beacons and Obelisks are an important part of ARK: Survival Evolved and knowing what they are will put you one step closer to being a Grade A survivor!

What Is A Beacon?

A Beacon is also known as a Supply Crate and it is marked by a colored beam of light, which is why beginners can’t tell the difference between this and an Obelisk. The various colored crates hold different items, including things like resources, blueprints, building supplies, and weapons. There is no guarantee as to what item you will receive, but the Beacons do spawn in set locations.

The Beacon will go through a process of landing before you can loot the crate that it holds. You will see a web of lights at the top and an object slowly descending within the beam of light. Once it reaches the ground the web of lights will disappear and the crate is able to be looted.

However, they can despawn after a set amount of time at which point the light will disappear. You should also remember not to stand beneath the Beacon as doing so can push you through the ground in a glitch.

While these do carry incredible loot, you should be careful when going after these on PVP servers as it often leads to fights with others. There are also some crates that glitch through objects or land in inaccessible areas, so don’t be surprised if you happen to come across one of these.

Level Requirements

There are numerous colorful beams of light and your survivor’s level determines which Supply Crates you can open.

The colors and the respective player levels are as follows:

  • White: Level 3 Green: Level 15 Blue: Level 25 Purple: Level 35 Yellow: Level 45 Red: Level 60

Most Common Places To Find Them On The Island

The Beacons tend to spawn in set locations, with the colors often corresponding to the difficulty of an area. One example is that white Beacons are for beginners, and they can help you survive your first days.

If you are looking for a certain color Beacon, then the most common places to find them on The Island are as follows:

  • White: Beaches Green: Slightly inland from the beaches and just south of the center of the map Blue: Everywhere Purple: Everywhere Yellow: Everywhere Red: Deep sea and the north and northwest portions of the map

How To Use It

First and foremost you need to make your way to one of these pillars of light. The easiest way to find them is by taking a tamed flying creature, such as a wyvern, and flying around until you come across the Beacon you are looking for.

Once you land, one tip is to rid the area of any aggressive dinosaurs who might attack, and this is a common occurrence among higher-level Beacons. Wait for the Supply Crate to land, and then approach the orb in front of you and press the button to access your inventory.

It will then pull up the items within the crate and you can move the items you want to your inventory.

What Is An Obelisk?

One of the differences between an Obelisk and a Beacon is that the Obelisks are constant in the maps and never leave their locations. They also do not provide you with specialty items or resources that can be used to craft Engrams, but they are still very useful for other reasons.

You will recognize them as they contain a platform with a crystal-shaped spire in the middle that can be interacted with. They also have rock-looking objects in the sky above them that encircle the colored beam of light that they give off.

Obelisk Locations

There are only three Obelisks in the game, and they all serve the exact same purposes.

The colors of the Obelisks on The Island and their locations are as follows:

  • Red: Southwest corner (79.8, 17.4) Blue: Northwest corner (25.5, 25.6) Green: East of the center of the map (59.0, 72.3)

The Obelisks serve several purposes, and the Beacons can perform all of the same tasks. It is relatively easy to use as everything involves interacting with the Tribute Terminal in the center of it, then accessing the correct menus.

The actions you can perform at an Obelisk and Beacon include:

  • Summoning bosses Transferring character data Crafting

Summon Bosses

Most choose to summon bosses from an Obelisk due to their many requirements for items, and they are a bit more difficult to defeat than a Magmasaur. First, access the Tribute Terminal and place the required items into the Tribute tab in order to spawn one of the three portals that will lead to one of the bosses.

The only thing to keep in mind is that in Singleplayer the bosses can only be summoned from their respective Obelisk unless you are using cheat codes, while in every other mode they can be spawned from any of them.

Transfer Character Data

You can transfer your character data between servers so your survivor is not trapped in one world. Most players choose to use an Obelisk over a Beacon, especially if they plan on switching between servers, as they can leave a bed next to it to automatically spawn beside it to reload or save a survivor.

If you are interested in learning how to transfer your character data between servers you can check out this guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Crafting

You can use the Obelisk, as well as a Beacon, to craft a Cryopod and Tek Replicator. However, if you use a Beacon to craft it then the items will take up its entire inventory. Most choose just to use an Obelisk due to their ease of accessibility.