Last week's announcement that Wildcard would release ARK Survival Ascended, an ARK 1 remaster on Unreal Engine 5, in late August with an additional payment sparked controversy. Now, the developers are adjusting their strategy.
In Community Crunch 356, Wildcard's weekly dev blog, they address the backlash against the remasters pricing. Initially, the remaster was to be bundled with ARK 2 for PC and Xbox players, with additional costs for DLCs. However, due to community criticism, the developers have revised their plans.
Previously, Wildcard intended to offer ARK Survival Ascended alongside ARK 2 in a bundle for $49.99, with two expansion passes priced at $19.99 each. This meant fans would pay roughly $90 for the full remaster and ARK 2, while PlayStation players would pay $80.
Due to community backlash, Wildcard has now changed their plans:
ARK Survival Ascended will now cost $59.99 across all platforms, including:
Players will now pay just under $60 for the remastered ARK 1, with ARK 2 no longer included and set for a separate release in late 2024. ARK 2's price is still unknown, but it will be available on Xbox Game Pass.
The Unreal Engine 5 remaster initially aimed to lift graphics restrictions from the Switch version of ARK 1. Still, Wildcard has opted to develop the remaster from scratch, benefiting both the remaster and ARK 2. Features of the UE5 remaster include:
Share your thoughts on the revised pricing and plans in the comments. For more ARK: Survival Evolved guides, check out our guide overview, and join our Discord server to chat with other players and us.