Getting Started
Where the Project Stands
ARK 2 has been delayed multiple times since its 2020 announcement. The current release target is 2028, moved from an earlier planned 2024 Early Access and an original 2023 launch. Studio Wildcard is publicly testing components of the sequel's new combat system in the Legacy of Santiago expansion for the existing games before they ship in ARK 2 itself.
What It Plays Like
ARK 2 is a third-person action-survival game rather than the first-person shooter-with-dinos that the original was. Combat draws on soulslike conventions: blocks, dodges, combos, staggers, and special attacks. That is a substantial shift, and it is the reason Wildcard has positioned the Legacy of Santiago expansion as a public testbed before launch.
Who the Player Is
The player takes the role of Santiago da Costa, travelling alongside his daughter Mika. The setting is the alien planet Arat, which is home to both familiar dinosaurs and the hostile Aratai faction that tames its own.