ARK: Survival Ascended released on Steam on October 25, over eight years after the release of the original ARK: Survival Evolved. However, at The Game Awards in 2020, ARK 2 was announced. So is ARK: Survival Ascended ARK 2? Or, will it replace ARK: Survival Evolved? Keep reading for everything you need to know about the present and future of ARK.
Is ARK: Survival Ascended actually ARK 2?
Despite the improved visuals, ARK: Survival Ascended actually has no relation to ARK 2. In fact, even though fans probably expect ARK 2 to be similar to the original, developer Studio Wildcard have indicated that won’t be the case. In 2022, the developers revealed that ARK 2 will be a third-person souls-like game. While still a survival game, it will be heavily reliant on skill. Also, the third-person gameplay will featured advanced character traversal mechanics including mangling, free-climbing, swinging, and sliding.
Will ARK: Survival Ascended replace ARK: Survival Evolved?
Technically, ARK: Survival Evolved still exists even with ARK: Survival Ascended now available. However, there are no longer official servers or support for ARK: SE. With enhanced graphics and systems using the power of Unreal Engine 5, Studio Wildcard will be able to do more to improve and optimize ARK: Survival Ascended.
As such, the original will no longer receive updates or be supported. Once the remaster catches up in terms of content, it will begin to receive new content while the original no longer will. Furthermore, Unreal Engine 5 allows ARK to have cross-platform and cross-modding support for the first time ever. This will only increase the popularity and lifespan of the new version compared to the old one.
For those that do not wish to purchase Survival Ascended, they can still play Survival Evolved. However, if they encounter any issues, they will not be able to get assistance from Studio Wildcard.
Differences in content
All of the DLC items from ARK: Survival Evolved has been updated to organically fit into the base game of ARK: Survival Ascended. The DLC maps will also eventually be making their way to the base game and included in ARK: Survival Ascended, though as of now only The Island is available.
Also, some items like the Electronic Binoculars from ARK: Survival Evolved have been reworked in the new version as Tek Binoculars. It would have been impossible to get them otherwise due to the new reworked map.
