Ark 2 is still in the works, and someday it'll bring a rex-wrangling Vin Diesel with it. While the sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved now looks like a third-person, soulslike action game, you may be wondering: Isn't Ark a multiplayer survival RPG? Was there eventually a story after all the nude tree-punching? Why are there orcs?
Well, given that there's also an animated TV spin-off, it seems like Studio Wildcard is investing in evolving its storytelling. We'll see how well all this is explained, but there are worse ways to write a story than giving Vin Diesel an excuse to ride a thunder lizard.
Here's everything we know about Ark 2.
Does Ark 2 have a release date?
Ark 2 is releasing into early access "hopefully within the next two years," which would set it up for a 2027 release date, if all goes to plan.
This very vague release window was relayed by Studio Wildcard co-founder Jeremy Stieglitz during an interview with PCGamesN. In that interview, Stieglitz and fellow co-founder Jesse Rapczak go on to unpack why Ark 2 is taking so long, seeing as it was first set to release in 2023, then 2024, then... we heard nothing as 2024 came and went.
Stieglitz and Rapczak explain that prior to Ark: Survival Ascended (a remaster Ark: Survival Evolved), they had a "pretty cool" vertical slice of Ark 2, but that they felt that "as a team, it would be very difficult to follow that all the way through to a complete game with both our experience level and [our scope] as a company." So Survival Ascended was favored instead, with the majority of Wildcard supporting it post-release over working on Ark 2.
Only a small portion of Wildcard is working on Ark 2 now, and the team is trying to work out what the right time would be to shift resources from Survival Ascended onto it.
So, all that to say that even though a 2027 release window was teased, with so little time and resources being dedicated to it, I'm a little skeptical that Ark 2 will actually meet this deadline. Especially because Survival Ascended just detailed its two-year roadmap.
Ark 2 trailers
This cinematic trailer from the 2022 Xbox & Bethesda showcase gives us a taste of the backstory for the world of Vin Diesel, dino-wrangler. Evidently, humanity has undergone some kind of apocalyptic conflict. This war took place so long ago in Ark 2's past that it's remembered as a battle between the gods—gods who apparently tried to transplant humanity to another planet as a last resort. And, it seems, they shipped some dinosaurs along for good measure.
Watch the Ark 2 reveal cinematic
Has it really been five years already?
Out of nowhere Studio Wildcard dropped a 4-minute cinematic reveal trailer for Ark 2 back in 2020. A follow-up to Survival Evolved, a game known for its big expansions, is surprising enough, but even stranger is that Ark 2 will star Vin Diesel.
Studio Wildcard later said on X that the trailer was made completely in-engine with real game assets. It's hard to believe the final game will look quite this good when it releases, but it's nonetheless impressive.
Ark 2 story and gameplay
Who is Santiago, Vin Diesel's character?
As we see in the cinematic, Vin Diesel's character Santiago appears to be wading through dino-infested forest alongside who might be his wife and daughter. According to his bio from the animated series trailer, Santiago is a "24th-century ‘Mek’-pilot, gearhead, & freedom-fighter." He's also got a little tribe in tow, who run into a bit of trouble when a band of creepy blue guys jumps them.
Santiago factors into a prolonged saga of wars brought on by superscience materials and technological arms races, culminating in a ruined Earth that's orbited by biodome Ark space stations populated by dinosaurs, dragons, and sand worms. Those stations are where Ark 1 and its DLCs take place. It's a lot.
At the end of the storyline delivered in chunks throughout Ark 1's DLCs, an Ark colony ship that'd left Earth for deep space jettisons its population of human survivors and genetic monstrosities onto an Earth-like planet. Presumably, that same planet is where Ark 2 takes place.
Will Ark 2 have a playable story?
While the cinematic trailer certainly gives you the idea that Ark 2 will be about Vin Diesel's best efforts to not get eaten by dinosaurs, the official Ark X account clarified that Ark 2 is indeed an online multiplayer sandbox.
At least, that's what its willing to share at the moment. Maybe Vin Diesel's Santiago will be featured prominently in the lore, or maybe he'll be a vendor? For a game that's always been about the social interactions between actual players, throwing living, breathing fictional characters into the mix does raise questions.
What changes are coming to Ark 2 gameplay?
As described on its Steam page, Ark 2's gameplay will be third-person only. It'll feature "advanced character traversal mechanics like mantling, free-climbing, parkour, sliding, and swinging." Tarzan-tech, in other words.
That third-person gameplay will also feature "soulslike" melee combat, which Wildcard defines as "blocks, dodges, combos, staggers, special attacks." Third-person-only play is a pretty big departure from the original Ark, which allowed players to alternate between first-person and third-person perspectives.
It sounds like crafting will be getting an overhaul, too: your weapons and tools will be built from "distinct modules" that can be combined to determine your gear's looks and function.
Other Ark 2 info
What else do we know about Ark 2?
If that wasn't enough excitement, Ark got its own show simply called Ark: The Animated Series. The first part debuted in March 2024.
Here's the official synopsis:
"Ark: The Animated Series chronicles the story of a mysterious primeval land populated by dinosaurs and other extinct creatures, where people from throughout human history have been resurrected. When 21st century Australian paleontologist Helena Walker awakes on the ARK after tragedy, she must learn to survive and find new allies, or die again at the hands of ruthless warlords -- all while trying to uncover the true nature of their strange new world."
Collider reported that the show is confirmed for two seasons, and the first part of Season 1 debuted on Paramount+ with six episodes. In an interview with Paste, Ark: The Animated Series co-creator Jeremy Stieglitz promised a story with narrative and emotional closure, just in case they "never get to tell any more story than this."
Just like Ark 2, Part 2 of Season 1 has also suffered some delays, but worry not, Part 2 is still on the way, and is set for release in 2025.
Ark: The Animated Series has a star-studded cast
A stacked cast voices the show, including Vin Diesel (of course), Russel Crowe, Elliot Page, Gerard Butler, David Tenant, Karl Urban, Alan Tudyk, and Malcolm McDowell. Here's a complete list of actors and the characters they're playing:
- Gerard Butler plays General Gaius Marcellus Nerva, a brutal ancient Roman despot.
- Devery Jacobs plays Alasie, a peppy 17th century Inuit teenager, now finding her place on the ARK.
- Cissy Jones plays The Gladiatrix, a formidable commander in Nerva's army.
- Madeleine Madden plays 21st century Australian paleontologist Helena Walker, newly awoken on the ARK.
- Deborah Mailman plays Deborah Walker, a 21st century Aboriginal Australian activist, and mother to Helena Walker.
- Zahn McClarnon plays Thunder Comes Charging, a 19th century Lakota warrior who leads a thriving community on the ARK.
- Malcolm McDowell plays Senator Lucius Cassius Virilis, a manipulative aristocrat during the reign of Caesar Augustus.
- Juliet Mills plays Chava, a wise healer and village councilmember.
- Elliot Page plays Victoria Walker, an idealistic humanitarian aid worker, and wife of Helena Walker.
- Ragga Ragnars plays Queen Sigrid, a bellicose 10th century Viking warlord.
- David Tennant plays Sir Edmund Rockwell, an egocentric 19th century scientist harboring dark ambitions.
- Alan Tudyk plays The Captain, a crusty buccaneer who profitably sails the dangerous waters around the ARK.
- Karl Urban plays Bob, a recent square-jawed ARK arrival.
- Jeffrey Wright plays Henry Townsend, an 18th century American watchmaker and Patriot spy.
- Michelle Yeoh plays Meiyin Li, a 3rd century Chinese rebel leader, known on the ARK by her reputation as the formidable “Beast Queen.”
- Ron Yuan plays Han Li, a 3rd century Chinese rebel leader and brother to Meiyin.
- With Russell Crowe playing Kor the Prophet, an eccentric ‘dino-whisperer’ hailing from a time before recorded history.
- And Vin Diesel playing 24th century ‘Mek’-pilot, gearhead, & freedom-fighter Santiago.
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