As 2024 draws to a close, the absence of an imminent launch for Ark 2 becomes increasingly worrying. Announced in 2020, the follow-up to Ark: Survival Evolved was subjected to multiple delays, eventually falling outside of its planned 2023 launch window. The last official word on the matter promised a late 2024 window for the gamebut with only a few weeks left until the end of the year, it seems there is little hope of this becoming a reality.
While Ark 2 has not made its plans for 2023, Ark: Ascended Survivalan Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original game, has finally fallen into its place. THE Ark IP is clearly not deadBut despite the franchise’s continued activity, none of this has been accompanied by updates on when the sequel can be expected.
Ark 2 is eyeing a 2024 release
A delay followed by another delay
The last update on Ark 2The timeline of the developer, Studio Wildcard, has been made available on the official website Ark website in 2023. This update explained that the game would be postponed until the end of 2024when it would be released exclusively on Xbox, Game Pass and PC. If the 2024 window were true, Ark 2 should theoretically be on the verge of a full release.
At the moment, the company justified the initial delay as a result of the switch to Unreal Engine 5. The full incorporation of the new technology would be a complex and Ark: Ascended Survival was positioned as a way to help bridge the gap and prepare for the sequel. Optimizing the game for console and working on cross-platform systems can help the team understand the true scope of the challenges for Ark 2hopefully leading to a better finished product.
What happened to Ark 2?
Studio Wildcard ignores the existence of Ark 2
Arkthe team has been juggling a lot in recent yearsincluding the launch of both Ark: Ascended Survival and the new TV series, Ark: The Animated Series. These other projects possibly took priority over Ark 2and the mixed public reception of both probably didn’t speed anything up. Studio Wildcard may have delayed the project further to focus on delivering a solid product with Ark 2or, based on recent company changes, continued to allocate resources to Ark: Ascended Survival updates.
Furthermore, the studio’s financial situation appears complicated. One 2023 SEC The lawsuit revealed that Studio Wildcard owner Snail Games received a multi-million dollar loan from Marbis/Nitrado that came with some strings attached. When it comes to refunds, the conditions state that Ark: Ascended Survival should be officially launched by October 31, 2023 and, otherwise, they would have to return to Nitrado an amount equivalent to 20% of the monthly gross revenue of the Ark: Survival Evolved until the loan is fully paid off.
Snail Games‘ 2023 financial results also presented a net loss of US$9.1 million, adding another level of concern to the picture. At this time, it may be necessary to maintain focus on Ark: Ascended Survival generate the revenue necessary for the continued development of the company Ark franchise. That would be align with Studio Wildcard’s recent behavior, and despite the lack of news around Ark 2the studio continued to deliver content updates to Ascended Survival.
Will ARK 2 still be released in 2024?
Ark 2 appears to still be in production
Because neither Snail Games nor Studio Wildcard released a statement this year to Ark 2, it seems extremely unlikely that the game will be released this year. If any news arrives soon, it’s most likely to be the official announcement of another delay, which may or may not come alongside a new release window for the game.
The biggest frustration around Ark 2 is a lack of communication, and an increase in publicly available information about the status of the project could go a long way. Despite the persistent promise of a 2024 release, it may still be a while before Studio Wildcard and Snail Games fully align their goals with Ark 2.
Sources: Survive the Ark/Studio Wildcard, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Snail Games