Studio Wildcard apparently disappointed many fans by confirming that ARK II has been delayed to the end of 2024 tonight, but we’ll still get a glimpse of what awaits in a few months.
Because the studio has brought some good news after bad news, as the developer looks to familiarize itself with Unreal Engine 5 by making ARK: Survival Evolved Remastered for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. It’s called ARK: Survival Ascension, and it’s coming out at the end of August. This release will include the base game, Islands, Scorched Earth, Survival of the Fittest, and all “non-canon” DLC maps (to be added over time). Expansion packs will be sold separately.
As far as the visual upgrades this remaster will offer, we’re told to expect Unreal Engine 5’s Nanite, Lumen and RTXDI technologies, dynamic water, interactive plants, cross-platform multiplayer and mods, and quality of life changes like Updated minimap, new third person camera, ping system, and tons of other stuff that will be shown at launch and found here.
Good news is everywhere, right? Not quite, because the final content update for Ark: Survival Evolved will be available in June, and then the game’s official servers will shut down in August. Not exactly devastating news when it seems like the vast majority of people are playing single player or other types of servers these days, but it’s still kind of sad.