On March 31, Studio Wildcard introduced that the Vin Diesel-starring survival recreation Ark 2 can be delayed till 2024, and {that a} remaster of the unique Ark Survival Developed, constructed utilizing Unreal Engine 5, would launch as Ark Survival Ascended. Included with Survival Ascended can be entry to the complete Ark 2, with the bundle priced at $50 USD. Nevertheless, the developer has now altered its plans, asserting that Survival Ascended will as an alternative be offered individually for $59.99 USD, and can now not embrace entry to the sequel, as we strategy the Ark 2 launch date.
Survival Ascended, the UE5-driven remake of the primary Ark recreation, was initially anticipated as a free replace, earlier than Studio Wildcard confirmed that it could as an alternative be bundled with the complete sequel, Ark 2, for $50 USD (£39.99 GBP).
This determination was criticised, because it required gamers who owned the unique Ark Survival Developed to primarily repurchase the sport fully in addition to commit to purchasing Ark 2, a recreation that’s not anticipated to launch till late 2024 and is but to obtain its first gameplay trailer.
In response, Studio Wildcard has now utterly modified its plans for the Ark remaster, and can promote Ark Survival Ascended with out the inclusion of Ark 2. The brand new package deal will embrace the remastered model of Ark Survival Developed in addition to its numerous growth packs. Many of those nonetheless aren’t at present launched, with some not anticipated till as late as the center of 2024.
The Island, Survival of the Fittest, and Scorched Earth DLCs will all be included and remastered as a part of Survival Ascended at launch, however all the pieces else promised within the bundle is but to be unveiled.
This consists of the Aberration growth, slated for This autumn 2023, Extinction, scheduled for Q1 2024, and the 2 Genesis expansions which will even arrive in Q1 and Q2 of subsequent 12 months.
The initially introduced Ark bundle, which included Survival Ascended and entry to Ark 2, was priced at $50 – an alternate model, which might additionally embrace all of the expansions, was initially deliberate for $90 USD (£70).
Studio Wildcard’s new model, nonetheless, which doesn’t embrace Ark 2, and as an alternative offers solely the remaster of Survival Ascended and its expansions will value a costlier $59.99 USD (£49.99 GBP).
“We respect your persistence as we digested the suggestions and consulted with our companions to revise our upcoming plans,” Studio Wildcard says. “As all the time, we’re very grateful to have such a passionate participant base, and we hear and perceive your issues. We’ve determined to make some modifications and supply further data as to why we’re taking this strategy.
“Our intention behind this was to supply a package deal the place you primarily obtained two merchandise for the value of 1. In hindsight, not the very best transfer. Our dangerous; we acknowledge how combining Ark Survival Ascended with Ark 2 and requiring additional DLC upgrades wasn’t optimum, particularly because you wouldn’t have the ability to decide Ark 2 as no gameplay or content material can be obtainable but.”
Studio Wildcard additionally confirms that the servers for the unique Ark Survival Developed will probably be closed on August 31, 2023. The studio claims that making the graphical and gameplay modifications mandatory for the remaster wouldn’t be attainable utilizing the unique recreation’s code base, and that somewhat than iterate on the primary Survival Developed, the developer has chosen to start once more with the utterly new Survival Ascended.
“You’re in all probability asking, why don’t we make these upgrades to the unique Ark Survival Developed?,” the studio writes. “Frankly, it could not be viable. Lots of the modifications we’re making in Ark Survival Ascended will contact quite a lot of facets of the sport; it’ll invalidate save knowledge, some mods is probably not practical, some issues could not play the identical manner as they did earlier than, and we didn’t wish to change that have for individuals who want it or are unable to improve.
“This additionally impacted our determination to sundown the ASE official community offline on August thirty first, shortly earlier than the ASA launch. Our reasoning behind the choice is that these servers are primarily primarily based on previous expertise and require vital growth assets and time for our groups to function and preserve.
“In some instances, the problems aren’t as simply solvable with out an general improve,” Studio Wildcard continues. “Moreover, we all know that these assets may very well be higher utilised on basically new expertise to additional improve the general recreation expertise for all gamers.”
Ark Survival Developed will nonetheless be playable offline and thru privately-owned, unofficial multiplayer servers, Studio Wildcard confirms. Ark Survival Ascended is anticipated to launch in August, with Ark 2, which stars Quick and Livid frontman Vin Diesel, launching in 2024.
If you wish to hold the unique recreation alive, take a look at all the very best Ark mods for 2023. You’ll additionally need to check out all the very best upcoming video games gracing your PC within the subsequent 12 months.
