Ark 2 Delayed Again, to 2024; But a Next-Gen Version of the First Game Is Out in August
Studio WildCard announced today that Ark 2, the sequel to 2017’s Ark: Survival Evolved, will be delayed twice to 2024, but in the meantime, the next-gen version of the original game will be released in August. has been released to keep us busy. .
and Community blog post providing development roadmapStudio WildCard explained that the reason Ark 2 was postponed to next year was due to the challenges of working with Unreal Engine 5.
“Our goal is to make ARK 2 the best possible game and give players a truly exceptional and rewarding experience. It’s as new as it gets, and we aim to use this cutting-edge technology to maximize its potential while creating games to a range never before achieved with Studio Wildcard. As we learned more about the engine and developed the sequel, we adapted our workflow and adjusted our pipeline to accommodate this new next-gen paradigm. ”
Additionally, Studio WildCard acknowledged that these challenges also meant that Ark 2 was not backwards compatible. That means there will be no release of Ark 2 on Xbox One or PS4.
But there’s good news for Ark 1 fans. Ark 2 has “quite a big design change from the original game,” adding “souls-like combat, primitive-only weapons, strict third-person mechanics, and an overall ‘very serious’ tone.” It may not appeal to those who like it, so “Studio WildCard will release the latest version of Ark 1 on PC, Xbox series, and PS5 in August 2023. This is what fans know.” So that we can continue to enjoy ARK for years to come.”
It’s called Ark: Survival Ascended and comes with Islands, the battle royale spin-off Survival of the Fitest, and “all non-canon DLC maps.” Cross-platform multiplayer and cross-progression, Overwolf-supported cross-platform modding, as well as graphics and performance upgrades.
This is a ton of content, but it’s a bit confusing how to purchase it. Xbox Series X, S, and PC players can only get the Ark Respawned Bundle, which includes both Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2, for $49.99, and into Ark 2’s one-month closed beta in 2024 access is allowed. The bundle will only be available for Survival Ascended’s first year after launch, after which both games will be available separately.
Meanwhile, PS5 players can purchase Survival Ascended as a standalone game for $39.99 at launch. DLC packs are also available separately for both platforms.
Finally, Studio WildCard has a new standard story DLC scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2023, including four new creatures.
Ark 2 was first announced via a lavish Vin Diesel cameo appearance at The Game Awards in 2020, with a 2022 release date at the time, but was later pushed back to 2023. Admire its strategic moments and combat, but note its AI bugs and grinds.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. you can find her on her twitter @duck valentine.
