Though Ark: Survival Ascended recently released a roadmap that seems to lead to Ark 2‘s potential release date, growing concerns may point to a massive downgrade for the sequel. Ascended has been a roller coaster for Studio Wildcard since its release. Though it has been the upgrade it was made to be, the various technical and microtransaction issues have plagued the franchise’s reputation. This has been coupled with a part of the game, its PvP community, being largely ignored since release.

Ascended‘s new roadmap shows that the game plans to add every studio-created map to the game, with the main story concluding in 2026. This was headlined by the new Lost Colony expansion, which will fill in story gaps between Extinction and Genesis. Two non-canon maps were also included without released dates, meaning they may not be released until 2027. However, this roadmap has already changed slightly shortly after its release, with the premium map being delayed from June 2025 to February 2026.

Why Ark 2 May Be Turned Into An Expansion

The Path Of Less Risk

Though it has not been confirmed, there is a chance Ark 2 will get turned into a large expansion for Ascended rather than being its own title. The main reason for this would be money. Ascended has already been massively profitable for both Studio Wildcard and publisher Snail Games, and selling completely brand-new expansions for it would be huge. This can also be coupled with the reduced cost of not trying to make a new game from scratch and using a system that is already in place.

Ark 2 was announced in December 2020, but has received very little significant news since.

This ease is the second reason to make Ark 2 for Ascended. Technical issues aside, there is nothing wrong with the gameplay or systems of Ascended. Thus, it would be less of a risk to continue with systems that already work. Now this wouldn’t be without its downsides, as Ark 2 was rumored to have numerous new systems and gameplay changes. These additions would have forever changed the franchise on numerous fronts and perhaps revitalized a community that has grown a little tired of Studio Wildcard’s current antics.

How Would A Smaller Ark 2 Work

A Return To Form

A smaller Ark 2 could work multiple ways, but would, regardless of the method, likely be split up into multiple expansions. The most obvious reason for this is money: more expansions mean more products to sell. Secondly, it will conceivably be easier on Studio Wildcard to make multiple expansions than something large that is trying to fit into another game. Meanwhile, the upcoming Unreal Engine upgrade that will have a feature to uninstall undesired DLCs will remove any worry about the game’s storage size inflating.

With this said, if Ark 2 takes this route, expansions, or at least the first one, could be much larger than any that came before. This doesn’t necessarily mean multiple maps, but maps on a larger scale and with more depth than previous ones. Changes like this would help soften the blow of not receiving an outright sequel with dramatic changes. Content like this has already been seen in many of Ark‘s later maps or game-changing premium mods, so it is entirely reasonable to expect this from what was supposed to be a massive update for the franchise.

A change this grand may be an initial shock, but it may not be the end of the world. The argument has been made that the franchise should continue with Ascended for numerous reasons. Since the core gameplay loop of the franchise has been solidified and not fallen out of favor, sticking with it could help prevent player loss. Recent updates like Bob’s Tall Tales and Battlerigs have shown that Ascended is more than capable of innovating without changing to a new engine or title.

An Alternative Option For Ark 2 As A Sequel

Still A Chance For A New World

Custom Image by Katarina Cimbaljevic

If Ark 2 is still the plan, there are two likely ways it could come to be. The first is for it to stay exactly like what has been rumored. The largest change is a move to solely third-person gameplay with more soulslike combat. It’s unlikely many of the beloved features, like taming and riding prehistoric creatures, would change, but that player combat would be more interactive. This change could be a welcome one, as player contributions outside PvP can feel bland.

PvP is another area where Ark 2 could massively boost the franchise. Ascended currently suffers from a massive imbalance and overall lack of dedication to the PvP community. This is semi-understandable since the game is more suited to a PvE environment, but that doesn’t mean it can be ignored when the player base wants to enjoy that aspect. In this way, perhaps a refreshed system and more dedication to a new project could bring back this once lively PvP scene.

The other route Ark 2 could take is, while still being a separate title from Ascended, essentially feature the same gameplay. This gives Studio Wildcard the freedom to innovate slightly, while still moving on to a new product that has less risk of failure. Even if it wouldn’t be the game-changing sequel that is expected, it would still be a sequel that furthers the future of the franchise. This option also has plenty of room for new features depending on what engine is used.

Overall, Ark 2‘s status will be up in the air until Studio Wildcard publicly announces its plans. The directions it could choose to take for the highly-anticipated sequel are numerous, meaning nothing is set in stone. Given the numerous delays it has already had, it is in the realm of possibility that Ark 2 will not be seen until 2027 or even later, which could kill or severely hurt all excitement for the game. Instead, Ark 2 may be turned into content that can be implemented into the already successful Ark: Survival Ascended.