The upcoming remaster of Ark: Survival Evolved, known as Ark: Survival Ascended, has been pushed back to October 2023 due to complications with the game’s upgraded engine. To account for this delay, the servers for the original game will remain live for longer than originally announced, with plans for this service to shutter on 30 September 2023.
‘We’ve found it challenging working with Unreal Engine 5.2, but at the same time, it is incredibly exciting,’ Studio Wildcard said in its recent announcement. ‘We’re discovering new ways each day to push the technology to the next level; combined with the work needed to support a fully cross-platform moddable game ecosystem on consoles and PC, it’s clear that we’ll need a bit more time.’
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In addition to the delay, Studio Wildcard has announced that while The Island expansion will launch with the game, the Scorched Earth chapter will now arrive in a post-launch update. Extra maps for the game have also been delayed to the first quarter of 2024.
It’s the latest major change for Ark: Survival Ascended, which has gone through a number of revisions since it was announced in early 2023. At first, the remaster was set to be bundled in a US $50 package with a preorder for Ark 2. Then, it was separated with promises of DLC upgrades, at a more expensive price point.
While this was later lowered – it will reportedly cost US $39.99 at launch – the constant changes have frustrated those looking forward to the game. News of a delay into October 2023, one of the most stacked months for gaming in several years, may complicate fan sentiment even further.
For now, those keen to hear more about Ark: Survival Ascended will need to stay patient, as Studio Wildcard ramps up to launch the game in October 2023. Stay tuned for a firmer release date.
