Ark 2 has been delayed to 2024 – and the current-gen version of the first part is available in August

Studio WildCard has announced that Ark 2, the sequel to 2017’s Ark: Survival Evolved, has been delayed for a second time to 2024, but in the meantime, the next-gen version of the original game is coming out in August to keep us busy.

In a post on the team’s official blog, Studio WildCard explained that the reason for Ark 2’s delay to next year was the challenges of working with Unreal Engine 5, and the studio went on to say, “Our goal is to make ARK 2 the best game it can be and deliver a truly exceptional and rewarding experience for players.” Unreal Engine 5 is an incredibly new technology for us (and all developers), and we aim to use this cutting-edge technology to its fullest potential while creating a game of scale never before seen in Studio Wildcard. As we learn more about the engine, we need more development time.” .

Studio WildCard has acknowledged that these challenges also mean that Ark 2 will not be compatible with previous generation platforms, and this means that Ark 2 will not be released on Xbox One or PS4, however, Studio WildCard is releasing a cross platform version of the new generation of Ark 1 on PC and Xbox Series and PS5 in August 2023 to ensure fans can continue to enjoy the ARK they know for years to come.

The game is known as Ark: Survival Ascended and it comes with The Island, the battle royale Survival of the Fittest mode, all additional maps, and in addition to the graphics and performance upgrades, it also includes cross-platform multiplayer and cross-progression.

Xbox Series X, S, and PC players can only get all this content by purchasing the Ark Respawned Bundle for $49.99, which includes Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2, and will grant access to an exclusive one-month closed trial of Ark 2 in 2024, and the pack will only be available for the first year after Survival Ascended’s launch, after which both games will be available separately.

PS5 players can purchase Survival Ascended as a standalone game at launch for $39.99, while additional content packs will be available separately on both consoles.

Finally, Studio WildCard is working on additional content for a new story planned for release in Q4 2023, including four new creatures.