Fans waiting to play Ark 2 are going to have to wait a little longer. Studio Wildcard released a blog post updating everyone on the current state of the Ark franchise and what the next steps are. The biggest announcement, of course, was that Ark 2 is now delayed until the end of 2024. The game was originally announced back in 2020 with a 2022 release date, but that was moved to 2023. Now that 2023 has arrived, Studio Wildcard has realized that it needs more time to really polish up the game.
The key reason for the delay is the use of Unreal Engine 5. The studio is using Unreal Engine 5 to power Ark 2 and it wants to make sure it knows the tool well enough to produce an awesome game. In a world where games are released in an incomplete state far too often, this is a good attitude for them to have. One big frustration with this delay, however, is the lack of new information for Ark 2. Studio Wildcard made it clear that there would be no gameplay, screenshots, or video of the game shown in 2023. So 2024 is the earliest fans will get to see more of what the next chapter offers.
The other major update in this blog post is related to the original Ark. In a not shocking update, nothing in Ark 2 will be backwards compatible, nor will anything transfer from Ark to Ark 2. That means Ark 2 will only be available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Aside from the gap in generations, the gameplay style and atmosphere will be drastically different, so there would be very little to carry over anyway, technology limitations aside.
Speaking of that gap in generations, Studio Wildcard is releasing a current gen version of the original Ark. Dubbed Ark: Survival Ascended, the game will run on Unreal Engine 5 and will be available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The game will feature different game modes and DLC as well as cross-platform multiplayer and mod support. If you’re itching for some current generation dinosaur fun, you only have to wait until August to dive into this new version of the same game you’ve already been playing. If you haven’t checked out the franchise yet, this is a great chance to dive in. Keep your eyes peeled for a final release date for Ark: Survival Ascended and settle in for the wait for your next look at Ark 2 sometime in 2024.
Image from: Studio Wildcard
