Ark 2 delayed, Ark: Survival Evolved to get next-gen remaster this year

Studio Wildcard, developer of Ark 2, the sequel to 2017’s Ark: Survival Evolved, has announced that the game’s release date has been delayed, and that it will now release in 2024. To give fans something to focus on in the meantime, however, the studio has also confirmed that an upgraded version of Ark: Survival Evolved will be coming out soon for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year.

In a blog post, the developers discuss some of the development challenges which have led to the delay of Ark 2 until the end of 2024. “Our goal is to make ARK 2 the best game it can be and provide a truly exceptional and rewarding experience for players,” they write. “Unreal Engine 5 is incredibly new technology to us (and all developers), and we aim to use this cutting-edge tech to its fullest potential while creating a game with never-before-achieved scope at Studio Wildcard. As we learn more about the engine and develop the sequel, we have adapted our workflows and adjusted our pipelines to accommodate this new next-generation paradigm, and because of everything that involves, we need more time for development.”

Despite the delay of Ark 2, Studio Wildcard have a plan to tide fans over until next year. A remastered version of Ark: Survival Evolved for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 consoles and PC has been announced, called Ark: Survival Ascended. This version includes the base game, The Island DLC, the Survival of the Fittest battle royale mode and all the “non-canon” DLC maps, which will be added to the game over time. The developers promise that Ark: Survival Ascended will improve upon the last-gen versions of the game by “harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5“.

The method of purchasing the remaster is a little convoluted. PS5 players will be able to purchase it as a standalone product by the end of August 2023. PC and Xbox Series X/S players have it a little differently, however. Ark: Survival Ascended on PC and Xbox Series X/S can only be purchased as part of the slightly-more-expensive Ark Respawned Bundle, which includes both Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2, as well as access to an exclusive 1-month closed-beta to ARK 2 in 2024 ahead of the game’s full release. This bundle will be available for a year from the end of August 2023, after which point both Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2 will be able to be bought separately on those platforms.

While news of delays is rarely fun, at least the developers have been allocated plenty of additional time to work on ensuring Ark 2 releases in a good state. Ark 2 is set to release by the end of 2024, exclusively on Xbox Series X/S and PC. Ark: Survival Ascended will release on Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC by the end of August of this year.