A little later but also a little cheaper
In a post on their community website, Studio Wildcard revealed that the upcoming remaster of ARK: Survival Evolved has been delayed until October. Officially titled ARK: Survival Ascended, the remastered version utilizes Unreal Engine 5.2 and offers full cross-platform support.
Delays are nothing new to ARK fans, with the highly anticipated sequel ARK II getting delayed as well just a few months ago.
As disappointing as a delay can be, there is some good news. ARK: Survival Ascended has received a discount on its launch price. The open world survival game will now launch in Early Access at the price point of $44.99. A $5 launch discount will bring the price to $39.99.
Content for ARK: Survival Ascended delayed as well
Unfortunately, the delay affected more than just the remastered game release. ARK: Survival Ascended had planned on following a content release schedule similar to the original game. It was originally planned to release with The Island map and the first big DLC and map, the Scorched Earth.
Therefore, The Island will release alongside ARK: Survival Ascended but The Scorched Earth content releases will be split up. The Scorched Earth map will now release in December, with Ragnarok and Aberration moved into Q1 2024. All of the remaining DLC and maps will continue to release beyond that.
Fan frustrations continue
This isn’t the first point of frustration for ARK fans. The remaster of ARK: Survival Evolved was originally a bundle with ARK II, increasing the price of the game. However, after fans voiced their frustration with the issue, Studio Wildcard changed course and separated the two games.
Despite the change, some fans are still not happy. Many thought the Unreal Engine 5 version of the game would be a free update, but instead, it would now have the cost of a AAA game. When you realize the original ARK: Survival Evolved released at $29.99, it’s easy to see the cause of frustration.
Having received two price cuts, from $60 to $50 and now $50 to $40, perhaps this is a good thing. Who knows, maybe if the delays continue fans will get their wish for a free update.
ARK: Survival Ascended will now launch in October on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation and PC.
