ARK 2 Overview: Delays, Platforms, Story, and New Gameplay Features

Studio Wildcard announced ARK 2 several years ago as the sequel to ARK: Survival Evolved, the dinosaur survival game where planning, taming, and occasionally being eaten all share equal billing. Since then, players have been waiting for clearer details about its launch, supported platforms, and new systems.

What ARK 2 Is About

ARK 2 keeps the broad survival fantasy of the first game: humans and dinosaurs sharing a dangerous primal world where cooperation, conflict, and taming all matter. The sequel is also expected to lean harder into story. Instead of only roaming maps and completing objectives at will, players can follow a narrative and encounter major heroic characters.

Some of those characters use the likeness and voices of real celebrities. Santiago, a legendary ARK hero, is played by Vin Diesel. His daughter Meeka is voiced by Auli'i Cravalho.

Release Date Delays

ARK 2 was first revealed during The Game Awards 2020, with the release originally planned for sometime in 2022.

That window did not hold. In a March 2023 community update, Studio Wildcard announced a delay, pushing the expected release to the end of 2024. The delay followed a familiar pattern for large games: more development time, fewer firm promises, and a fanbase refreshing announcements like it owes them money.

Players interested in future updates were directed to wishlist the game on Steam and follow official announcements for release news.

Planned Platforms

ARK 2 is planned for PC and console release at the same time. On console, it was announced as an Xbox Series X and S console launch exclusive. That means PlayStation players may need to wait before getting access.

The first ARK also took more than two years to reach PlayStation 4 after its initial release, so a delayed PlayStation version would not be unusual for the series.

Announced Gameplay Features

ARK 2 keeps several core ideas from Survival Evolved, but Studio Wildcard has listed major new features for the sequel, including:

• Mod support for all servers
• Player-made modpacks for creatures, maps, items, and gameplay features
• Advanced movement such as mantling, sliding, swinging, and free-climbing
• Expanded crafting with millions of possible item combinations
• Random world events with extra rewards
• Aratai enemies that hunt players while riding tamed creatures
• Better building material rendering and network streaming
• Removal of omnipresent radar, allowing creatures to track by senses
• Key objectives that provide experience and knowledge points
• A new skill tree system

Unreal Engine 5 Upgrade

ARK 2 will use Unreal Engine 5 instead of the first game's custom Unreal Engine 4.5 build. The newer engine is expected to improve presentation across several areas:

• Localized weather systems
• Smoke and particle effects
• Volumetric storm clouds
• Improved water behavior
• Passing wildlife

Taken together, the announced changes point toward a sequel with more directed storytelling, deeper traversal, broader mod support, and a larger technical jump than a simple content expansion.