Ark: Survival Evolved fans are in an uproar right now, as the game’s current servers are set to shut down soon, and it seems they will need to pay once again to keep playing the game. To make matters even worse, the sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved was delayed to the end of 2024.
Originally out in Early Access a few years ago, Ark: Survival Evolved was a huge indie hit. Despite mixed initial reviews, it sold more than five million units over the years, which allowed the developer Studio Wildcard to announce Ark 2 back in 2020. Unfortunately, Ark 2’s release date was pushed back to late 2024 recently, due to the technical limitations of the developers, who are now using Unreal Engine 5 for the sequel. This was just the first bad news Ark would get, though, as a new update is set to make things even worse.
This week, Studio Wildcard affirmed that the current Ark: Survival Evolved servers will shut down as the upcoming Ark: Survival Ascended update is rolled out. This did not bode well with the community, and many are angry that they will need to pay for the same game twice, despite previous promises that the update would be free. When the Ark: Survival Ascended update is released, Xbox and PC players must pay $49.99 for the Ark Respawned Bundle (which includes Ark 2) to get it, while PlayStation gamers will pay $39.99. If players acquire the new edition, they will get their saves transferred and keep playing one of the best survival games.
In the official Ark: Survival Evolved subreddit, it’s not hard to find posts criticizing the decision. One post created by IWonByDefault, for instance, shares a few images of previous promises made by the developers stating that the new update before the launch of Ark 2 would be free when it’s not. In the comments, other gamers criticize the high price tag of $40 for the game, while others find it unacceptable to pay after the previous promises. At the moment, Studio Wildcard has not commented on the decision or tried to appease the community.
The rage of the Ark: Survival Evolved community is proportional to the level of care that they often put in the game. Some months ago, an Ark player spent over 100 hours building a fortress. So, it’s always disappointing to see the so-called “free” update being gated behind a fee when there’s such a dedicated community that has been playing the game for the last five years.
ARK: Survival Evolved is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Studio Wildcard
