author: Zuzanna Domeradzka
ARK Remaster Confusion Continues; Release Delayed
Studio Wildcard has shared new information about ARK: Survival Ascended. The release date of the remaster has changed. A new price has also been set.
ARK: Survival Ascended is one of those remasters that the community did not ask for, as it is not necessary. Shortly after the announcement of the paid refresh, there was quite a stir around the title - the developers announced, among other things, a price increase. This was not to the liking of fans, who boycotted ARK: Survival Ascended. Now Wildcard has stirred things up again, releasing new information about the remaster. Although compared to the changes announced in April, they seem to sound a bit better overall.
Delayed release
One of the most important pieces of news is the change in release date of ARK: Survival Ascended. The game will debut on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 this October. Originally ASA was supposed to be released in August.
"Working with Unreal Engine 5.2 is a challenge for us, but at the same time it is extremely exciting. Every day we're discovering ways to take the technology to the next level; combined with our work on the game's multiplatform ecosystem on consoles and PC, it's clear that we'll need a little more time."
The refreshed versions of the DLCs also suffered a delay. Scorched Earth will hit ASA in December (it was supposed to debut on the remaster's release), while Ragnarok and Aberration in the first quarter of 2024 (these were due to hit players in late 2023). More maps will be released after that.
ASA is scheduled to come out of early access at the end of 2024.
Another price change
What may again confuse the players is the new price of the remaster. Early access to ARK: Survival Ascended is expected to cost $44.99. For the launch, however, the remaster will be discounted by $5. The developers explain that this decision was made precisely by trimming the content due to the delay of the refreshed DLCs.
This is a big change in the price of the game, but this time for the better. In April, the developers announced that a set with the remaster and the second part of ARK would cost $49.99. It was later corrected that ASA will not offer access to the sequel, and players would nevertheless have to pay more, as much as $59.99, for the remaster alone.
Other information
Due to the delay of ARK: Survival Ascended new information has emerged regarding ARK: Survival Evolved. Fans of the original will have more time to play on the official servers of ASE - they will be shut down only on September 30.
The transfer of servers will not be possible at the time of the release of ASA - this feature will be made available after the release of Scorched Earth in December. In addition, the developers plan to present gameplay from the remaster closer to its release. Below, meanwhile, you'll see a comparison of the tools' appearance from ASE (left) and ASA (right).
Source: survivetheark.com
Changes for the better?
New information regarding ARK: Survival Ascended is quite numerous, but the delayed release is not bad news. The developers will have more time to polish the title, although in the comments under the announcement there is no shortage of sentences that early access means a ton of bugs on debut anyway. Some fans are happy with the changes, however, and apparently there is no sign of another major boycott of the remaster.
