Ark Survival Ascended is an action-adventure game developed by Studio Wildcard and Grove Street Games. The game is a full-fledged remake of Ark Survival Evolved in Unreal Engine 5. Initially, the studios planned to release the game for all next-gen platforms, but the game has only been released for PC in October 2023 in Early Access.
Now, the launch for the console version finally has a firm release date. In a blog post, Studio Wildcard offered an update on the game’s release. Things seem to be going as planned for the Xbox Series X|S. The release date for Microsoft’s next-gen consoles has been finally confirmed.
Unfortunately, there is bad news for PlayStation 5 owners. The studio revealed that there is yet another delay for the game on the PlayStation 5.
Ark Survival Ascended Release Date: Studio Wildcard’s Official Statement on the Subject
In a blog post titled Community Crunch 385: Console and LiveOps Update, Extra Life Update, and More!, the studio gave an update regarding the current state of development for Ark Survival Ascended.
The statement by the studio for the release of the game’s Xbox and PC versions read:
We’re on track for a November 14th (Tuesday) launch day! As we get closer to the launch, we’ll share more information on precisely when it should be available for you to download.
The statement continued, mentioning crossplay and promising similar game specs on the Xbox release as on the PC. It read:
The Xbox version will be up-to-spec with the latest PC functionality as of Nov 14, and will launch directly into crossplay with the PC version (along with new servers, including Xbox-only servers).
Regarding the PS5 release, the developer stated that it was impossible to roll out the game for the PlayStation 5 yet. Moreover, a concrete release date cannot be provided until Sony and Studio Wild agree to it. However, it is likely that the game could come out for the PlayStation 5 at the end of November. Following this, the statement read:
We know this isn’t ideal, but we’re optimistic we’ll be able to share a date very soon!
Since the Xbox release will take place almost three weeks after the PC launch, crossplay is a feature the game will implement. It becomes crucial to ensure that the lead that is provided to PC users in terms of player progression is gradually dissolved.
This is all the information provided by the studio regarding the Xbox launch so far:
-
Cross-platform with Steam will be enabled on Day One.
-
We’ll be onlining a new set of official servers for the respective game modes (PVP, PVE, and Small Tribes). These servers will be running at boosted rates for some time to allow players starting on them to catch up. We hope to synchronize the rates by mid-December.
-
We’ll also be onlining our first set of console-specific servers at this moment so that players who do not want to play on crossplay can play on those
The studio will also provide even higher boosted rates for the game for Ark Survival Ascended‘s PlayStation 5 launch, which is expected to be in late November.
Ark Survival Ascended Release Date and How It Affects Ark 2
The sudden release date announcement for Ark Survival Ascended is good news for anyone interested in playing the game. A massive game project like Ark 2 requires a lot of resources and careful resource allocation. This is probably why support for Ark Survival Evolved ended in September 2023.
Ark 2 has also been delayed multiple times. At the same time, the release for Ark Survival Ascended doesn’t directly provide a date for Ark 2. It certainly is a step in the right direction. That is because the announcement regarding the development of Ark Survival Ascended took place after Ark 2.
The post that acted as a medium to announce it was also the one that was used to announce the delay for Ark 2. Fans speculated that Ark Survival Ascended was the reason why Ark 2 was delayed. That is because resources that should have been ideally allocated towards Ark 2 were most likely allocated to Ark Survival Ascended.
Although, from the studio’s perspective, a remade Ark Survival Evolved would both exploit the success of the original and act as a test for the all-new Unreal Engine 5. Using cutting-edge technology often leads to various issues in games.
Games like Lords of the Fallen (2023) are games that suffered a similar fate. Ark 2 is one of the most wishlisted games on Steam and most probably will meet fans’ expectations. And, although Ark Survival Ascended has some negative reviews due to Early Acess issues, hopefully, they will be fixed before launch.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
