Studio Wildcard has announced that the highly anticipated sequel to breakout dino-survival game Ark: Survival Evolved, Ark 2, won’t be coming out this year. In fact, the delay is until the “end of 2024.”
This extra time allows ARK 2 to be the best game it can be and provide a truly exceptional and rewarding experience for players. UE5 is incredibly new technology and with ARK 2, this cutting-edge tech will be used to its fullest potential. As the team learns more about the engine through ASA and develops the sequel, adapted workflows and adjusted pipelines are being created to accommodate this next-generation paradigm. Because of everything that involves, more time is needed.
We also recognize that ARK 2 has some pretty significant design changes from the original game, which may not make it as appealing to everyone (looking at you, Souls-like combat, primitive-only weaponry, and strict third-person mechanics – and an overall “very serious” tone), which is why we feel it is essential to provide players with a fully next-gen version of the original experience to ensure that fans can continue to enjoy the ARK they know for years to come.
ASA references Ark: Survival Ascended, a newly announced remaster of the original game. ASA uses Unreal 5 engine and all its bells and whistles, including dynamic water and interactive foliage. It also promises cross-platform multiplayer, cross-platform modding, and all holiday events as official mods.
Survival of the Fittest, the PvP Battle Royale mode, will also be integrated as an official game mode.
Survival Ascended can be purchased in a Ark: Respawned Bundle that includes a pre-order of Ark 2 on PC and Xbox, beginning in August ($49.99). The bundle will include 1-month closed beta to Ark 2, and will only be available until Ark 2’s release next year.
Ark 2 will launch exclusively on PC and Xbox, including Game Pass. PlayStation owners can purchase Ark: Survival Ascended as a stand-alone game in August, for $39.99.
There is some important fine print regarding these announcements, however.
Ark: Survival Ascended will not launch with all the existing content for Survival Evolved. Expansion packs will be sold separately, organized into two different passes:
- $19.99 for Explorer’s Pass, which includes Scorched Earth, Aberration (Q4 2023), and Extinction (Q1 2024).
- $19.99 for Genesis Pass, which includes Genesis Part 1 (Q1 2024) and Genesis Part 2 (Q2 2024).
Furthermore, the official servers for Survival Evolved will be taken offline at the end of August, effectively killing the game. Existing players will be able to host their own servers (or play singleplayer), but the final content update will roll out in June, in time for Ark’s 8th anniversary.
The Ark series is rated T for Teen.
