The release of the eagerly awaited sequel to the award-winning game, Ark, may be slated for Spring 2025, as indicated by the Annual Report from Digital Domain. The American visual effects and digital production company, known for its work on feature films, advertising, and games, is currently collaborating with Studio Wildcard to create in-game assets for Ark 2.
Update May 4th, 2023: According to a spokesperson from Studio Wildcard, there is no additional delay and the “spring of 2025” portion was “just a typo.”
Here’s the exact quote from the Annual Report:
Digital Domain is continuing its relationship with the team from Studio Wildcard as they prepare for the highly anticipated release of ARK 2, the follow up to its award-winning predecessor, ARK. Currently, Digital Domain is assisting with the creation of several “ingame” assets. Digital Domain anticipates being intimately involved in all aspects of the project through the game’s release in spring of 2025.
Studio Wildcard had previously announced a delay for Ark 2’s launch to the end of 2024, citing the need for additional development time to leverage the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 fully. The sequel will initially be available exclusively on Xbox, Game Pass, and Windows distribution platforms, such as Steam and PC. There is no official confirmation yet on a potential PlayStation release, which may be slated for sometime in 2025 or early 2026.
In their statement, Studio Wildcard expressed their commitment to delivering the best possible gaming experience, stating, “Our goal is to make ARK 2 the best game it can be and provide a truly exceptional and rewarding experience for players.” The developers also acknowledged that adapting to the new Unreal Engine 5 technology has required significant adjustments to their workflows and pipelines, necessitating the delay.
Despite the disappointment surrounding the postponement, Studio Wildcard has reassured fans of their dedication to creating a next-gen dinosaur survival experience. Although they do not plan to release any gameplay, screenshots, or videos of Ark 2 this year, the studio intends to keep players informed and engaged through regular updates showcasing more assets from the game, leading up to a gameplay reveal in the coming year.
Ark 2 was first announced at The Game Awards 2020 and is being co-developed with Grove Street Games. The sequel, which will feature Vin Diesel and Auli’i Cravalho, entered early access on Windows and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. Unlike its predecessor, which utilized Unreal Engine 4, Ark 2 will be developed using the more advanced Unreal Engine 5.
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