The sequel, Ark 2, has also been delayed by Studio Wildcard.
Studio Wilcard will shut down the official servers for Ark: Survival Evolved when its remaster, Ark: Survival Ascended, launches ater this year. The company has also delayed the sequel, Ark 2, until the end of 2024.
The studio jammed all of that news into a single community update, so let's break it down.
Ark: Survival Ascended is billed as a "next-generation remaster" of Survival Evolved and will launch by the end of August 2023.
Survival Ascended will only be available on PC and Xbox platforms via an "ultimate-value bundle" called Ark Respawned that includes ownership of both Survival Ascended and (eventually) Ark 2. That bundle will set players back $49.99. PlayStation 5 users, meanwhile, will be offered a standalone version for $39.99.
Notably, when that bundle and Survival Ascended finally launch, Studio Wildcard will be taking down the official servers for Survival Evolved on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. It also plans to end official support for features including Primitive+, Split Screen, and Procedurally Generated Maps, and noted those features won't be ported over to the remaster.
Wildcard added that Survival Ascended will be supported with regular updates to resolve bugs, balance changes, and introduce new content, while Survival Evolved updates will be "limited to crashes and critical bug fixes."
Although Survival Evolved's official servers are being scrapped, players will be able to re-host on their own servers or continue their adventure in singleplayer mode. "You will still be able to play on singleplayer, non-dedicated, player-dedicated, and unofficial servers. Ark: Survival Ascended will have its own fully supported Official Network for all platforms," wrote Wildcard.
Those taking a cynical view might suggest that Wildcard is attempting to funnel players towards the "ultimate-value bundle" and essentially boost sales of Ark 2 and Survival Ascended by throwing a metaphorical meteor at its original prehistoric survival title.
As for Ark 2, Wildcard said it has delayed the title for the "betterment of the final product and the team's well-being," noting that the shift to Unreal Engine 5 has resulted in the team adapting their workflows and adjusting production pipelines to "accommodate this new next-generation paradigm."
"We sincerely apologize for this delay and genuinely appreciate your understanding. Your support and passion are vital to us, and we will continue to work intensively to deliver the ultimate next-gen dinosaur survival experience," added the studio. "With that in mind, we do not plan to showcase any gameplay/screenshots/videos of Ark 2 this year; however, we intend to keep you informed and engaged in the development process by regularly showcasing more Ark 2 assets in the months ahead, leading to our gameplay reveal next year."
You can find out more about the changing shape of the Ark franchise by reading the full community update here.
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