Overview
ARK 2 is the long-in-development sequel to ARK: Survival Evolved, developed by Studio Wildcard. It is set on the alien planet Arat, and shifts the series' gameplay toward third-person, soulslike-influenced combat.
Release
Field | Detail |
|---|---|
Current release target | 2028 |
Engine | Unreal Engine 5 |
Developer | Studio Wildcard |
Original announcement | 2020 |
Prior targets | 2023 launch, then 2024 Early Access, now 2028 |
Story
ARK 2 follows Santiago da Costa as he survives on Arat alongside his daughter Mika. The world is populated by familiar and unfamiliar dinosaurs and by a new enemy faction called the Aratai, who tame dinosaurs on their own terms and act independently from the player's tribes.
Gameplay Changes
Third-person, soulslike-influenced combat. Studio Wildcard defines it as 'blocks, dodges, combos, staggers, special attacks'.
Modular gear. Weapons and tools are assembled from distinct modules that combine to determine look and function.
Unreal Engine 5, with Studio Wildcard publicly committing to use the engine 'to its full potential'.
Legacy of Santiago expansion serves as a pre-release testbed for the new combat systems before they land in ARK 2 proper. See Legacy of Santiago.
Vin Diesel's Involvement
Vin Diesel was originally attached as executive producer and actor for Santiago. Studio Wildcard has publicly stated that his continued involvement is 'an open question' after years of delays. Karl Urban also appears in the game as a character named Bob across anime cutscenes and as a Metahuman character.