Studio Wildcard’s founders talk about 10 years of Ark how hard it was to get players to move to ASA and which expansions they liked the most.
Ark Survival Evolved has been one of the best survival games for years. It may not be the smoothest or most perfect game but it offers a lot. You can build bases explore many maps tame dinosaurs and enjoy deep survival gameplay with interesting lore. Because of all this it has built a large and loyal fan base. Jeremy Stieglitz proudly says In the survival game world we’re right at the top. He also gives credit to Rust which came out before Ark and is often seen as one of the first major survival games.
Studio Wildcard has now moved on from Ark Survival Evolved (ASE) and is fully focused on Ark Survival Ascended. The studio’s co-founder Jeremy Stieglitz says it was a tough but important choice to leave ASE behind. One big reason was the old game’s technology. For example it was impossible to add cross-platform multiplayer because of how ASE was built and this stopped the game from growing.
When the team started making Ark 2 they didn’t have enough experience with the new Unreal Engine 5. They realized they needed more practice before they could finish the full sequel. So they decided to make Ark Survival Ascended which some call Ark 1.5. Stieglitz says making Ark 2 without enough experience was like trying to play in the NFL after only playing high school football. You need to play college football first to be ready just like they needed to build another game first to learn more.
Ark 2 will be very different from the first game. It will have third-person gameplay new combat inspired by Soulslike games and exciting world events that change over time. But even though Ark 2 is a new game some of its technical features are being tested and built through Ark Survival Ascended (ASA). Because of this the Ark 2 release has been delayed multiple times. The developers decided to first remake all of the old Ark expansions for ASA instead of rushing Ark 2. They say the wait will be worth it. In fact Studio Wildcard’s Jeremy Stieglitz said in a recent update that they hope to release Ark 2 in the next two years.
Ark 2 is going to feel very different from the original game. It will be played in third-personnhave combat similar to Soulslike games and include events that change the world around you. Even though Ark 2 is a new game the developers are using Ark Survival Ascended (ASA) to build and test the technology behind it. Because of this, they’ve had to delay Ark 2 several times especially since they also decided to remake all the old expansions from Ark Survival Evolved (ASE). But the good news is they’re taking their time to make sure Ark 2 is done right. The developers say it will be worth the wait and as revealed earlier this week it might be ready for players in about two years.
Even though the older game ASE has been shut down many players haven’t moved over to ASA. I asked Studio Wildcard if they expected this to happen or if they thought more people would switch.
Jeremy Stieglitz one of the leads said there are three big reasons why some players are still sticking with ASE or haven't made the jump yet. First some players have older PCs that can’t run ASA well so they can only play ASE because it’s easier on their systems. Second not all of the players’ favorite content has been moved over yet while most of the expansions have been remade, a few are still missing. Third some players want something truly new before they switch. They’re not interested in playing the same content with better graphics they want brand-new adventures like the upcoming Lost Colony expansion, to feel excited again.
Studio Wildcard is proud of how well both Ark Survival Evolved (ASE) and Ark Survival Ascended (ASA) have done. But for co-founder Jeremy Rapczak there's something else he's just as proud of the team behind the game has stayed strong over the years. He says it's been really rewarding to work with a team that hasn’t changed much. Many people working on Ark today have been part of the project for 7 to 10 years which is rare in the gaming industry.
I also asked both co-founders what their favorite Ark expansion has been over the past 10 years. They both picked Genesis 2. Rapczak explains that this expansion told the biggest story and was one of the most ambitious they had ever done. He liked how it took a different path from the original story and helped connect to the future of the series in Ark 2. The team also got the chance to try new things similar to what they’re now doing with Lost Colony exploring new stories, settings and creatures with a fresh look. One of the wildest ideas was the lunar missions which were very different from anything they had done in Ark before.
Over the past ten years things haven’t always gone smoothly for Ark. Even one of the creators Stieglitz admits that they haven’t always hit their goals the way they wanted to. The game also has a bit of a reputation for delays and missing deadlines. But even with those problems Ark has built one of the strongest and most loyal communities in survival gaming.
Stieglitz says the team is truly thankful for the fans love, passion and support. He explains that everyone on the team always works as hard as they can. They enjoy making Ark and hope to keep doing it for another ten years. They want to give fans the exciting experience they’re waiting for in Ark 2. As Rapczak puts it the best stuff is yet to come.
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