A quick reminder of the facts: Saturday April 1, Studio Wildcard announced some funny news, starting with the postponement ofArk 2 at the end of 2024 and the closure of the official servers of the still very active Ark: Survival Evolved on August 31st. This due to the release in the wake ofArk: Survival Ascendeda deep overhaul powered by the Unreal Engine 5 that will be released on PS5, Xbox Series and PC, without any compatibility with current game saves but with crossplay support and the promise of a game that will cross much better years.
From the outset, the table presented by Studio Wildcard is full of black dots: to move to the next level, the owner ofArk: Survival Evolved must buy Ark: Survival Ascended without any promotional offer. To complicate matters, Studio Wildcard had planned two different formulas depending on the platform. On Xbox Series, the only way to get Ark: Survival Ascended was to buy the Ark Respawned bundle including Ark 2 for $50. A method all the more absurd as this sequel, of which we have not yet seen the slightest gameplay, is announced as very different from its predecessor and will not be released before the end of 2024. On PS5, the platform on which Ark 2 is currently unannounced due to an agreement with Microsoft, Ark: Survival Ascended was to be released for $40.
But beware, whatever the platform, the advertised price was only valid for the basic game. So count 20 extra dollars for the cards Scorched Earth, Aberration And Extinction and another 20 dollars more for the final extensions Genesis Part 1 And Genesis Part 2all this additional content being spread between the fall of 2023 and the spring of 2024. In short, a nice mess for a bill that is not far from being odious for those who have already invested in the license since its inception.
An offer that is still expensive but more readable
After taking note of the few thousand comments left for their attention on Steam alone, the makers of Studio Wildcard have put a little water in their wine. First, the Ark Respawned bundle is being scrapped altogether, with the team admitting that their proposal wasn’t optimal given that no one is able to make up their minds on it yet. Ark 2. Whether playing on PS5, Xbox Series or PC, Ark: Survival Ascended will therefore be sold independently at a price of 60 dollars and no longer 40 dollars.
This increase is not necessarily a bad joke since this tariff will in fact include all the expansions of the game, whose value was 40 dollars according to the previous pricing. Studio Wildcard has therefore made a pricing effort, without necessarily being flexible since the extensions are no longer optional and therefore inflate the base price. note that Scorched Earth is now expected at the same time as the base game, while the other expansions will be spread out between the end of 2023 and the spring of 2024.