Studio Wildcard Delays Release of Ark: Survival Ascended
Studio Wildcard has announced a delay in the release of Ark: Survival Ascended. The highly anticipated “next-generation remaster” of Ark: Survival Evolved was originally set to launch in August 2023. However, it will now be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC in October.
New Release Date and Price
The game’s launch price has also been lowered from $59.99 due to the reduced content at release. It will now be available for an Early Access price of $44.99 with a launch discount bringing it down to $39.99.
Challenges with Unreal Engine 5.2
Studio Wildcard expressed the challenges of working with Unreal Engine 5.2. Despite the difficulties, they find it incredibly exciting and are continuously discovering new ways to push the technology further. The team also mentioned the work required to support a fully cross-platform moddable game ecosystem on consoles and PC, which has contributed to the delay.
Separate Release Dates for Maps
Furthermore, the release date for maps within the game has been separated. The Island will be released first on ASA, with Scorched Earth planned for December. Ragnarok and Aberration will follow in Q1 2024, and the rest of the maps will be released thereafter.
Full Remastering and Early Access Completion
Ark: Survival Ascended will leave Early Access in late 2024, once all the content has completed its next-generation remastering.
Closure of Survival Evolved Official Servers
Upon the release of Survival Ascended, the official servers for Survival Evolved will be closed. This means players who do not upgrade will no longer have access to the game. Originally scheduled to shut down in August, the servers will now be closed on September 30.
Ark 2 and Changes in Release Plans
Ark: Survival Ascended’s delay has affected the release plans for Ark 2 as well. Previously, Xbox and PC players could only access Ark 2 through the Ark Respawned Bundle, priced at $49.99. However, following player feedback, Studio Wildcard has scrapped the bundle and reworked its release plans.
“First things first, we are scrapping the ARK Respawned Bundle,” Studio Wildcard announced. “Our intention behind this was to provide a package where you essentially got two products for the price of one. In hindsight, not the best move. Our bad; we recognize how combining ARK Survival Ascended with ARK 2 and requiring further DLC upgrades wasn’t optimal, especially since you wouldn’t be able to judge ARK 2 as no gameplay or content would be available yet.”
