So, Ark 2 is still a reality, with a fresh target of 2028. Yes, you heard it correctly. The sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved – a dinosaur survival game that was first announced in 2020 with a major Vin Diesel promotion—will be released eight years after it was originally revealed. This is a huge timeframe for development, and the online community’s reaction has been… let us say: it is not a festivity with confetti and jubilant dinosaurs.
The news traveled through social media and the first reaction was skepticism coupled with weariness. One gamer, Ilman Shazhaev, briefly put it this way, ‘Eight years from announce to launch is bonkers. At that point, all you can do is pray that the game is delivered and feels worth the wait.’ This is the big question, isn’t it? After nearly a decade of sucking in demand—and probably a number of delays—what is Ark 2 supposed to be?
Of course, this conversation soon turned to the state of Ark and the development company Studio Wildcard that made the game. A gamer called CyberNoah, who claims to have spent 2,500 hours playing the original game, did not hold back: ‘nah don’t believe these dates, it’s known that Wildcard always delays shit 😭😂😂 but seriously, this game “franchise” is just dogshit now. The actual dev studio for ASA/ASE is terrible, the parent company is even worse.’ Ouch! That’s a lot of resentment from a loyal player. He was referring to Ark: Survival Ascended, the controversial Unreal Engine 5 remake that many considered a cash grab, and the widespread negativity directed towards the publisher Snail Games who, as one commenter put it, is ‘a terrible publisher.’
And then there is the whole Vin Diesel issue. The Fast & Furious star was introduced as not only the main character but also a creative partner in 2020 when he was already regarded as a somewhat controversial marketing move. Now, with a 2028 release date looming, players are making jokes about the budget. ‘Entire budget spent on fucking vin diesel 😂😭,’ one user commented. Another asked the question that cannot be avoided: ‘Will the theme of this game be family?’ Because, after all, it is Vin Diesel. It is almost a necessity.
But, pardon me for wandering off. Oh yes, the game itself. The original tweet sparked a lot of questions from people who have never played Ark. Gaming Nation posted the main one: ‘Honestly I’ve never even tried Ark, is it worth it? Seemed like Minecraft with dinos but worse.’ The replies provided a perfect miniature sample of the Ark experience. Some, like Mr 𝕏, claimed it is ‘a fun survival game, particularly with friends,’ but he also gave the crucial caution: ‘Just keep away from official servers.’ Others, like CyberNoah again, gave a more technical assessment, suggesting to play the old ‘Survival Evolved’ instead of the new ‘Survival Ascended’ because of performance issues. So the conclusion is… there is no conclusion. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it grind.
This brings about the more general skepticism. Why it takes such a long time? A user going by the name BHAPGHAV had a thought that with the present-day technology, it is hard to justify the long time for developing games. The replies pointed solely to development problems as the main reason. One user argued that maybe they had ‘scrapped a lot of it and started over,’ referring to the earlier announcements of ‘Soulslike’ combat and a third-person-only view that sounded ‘really weird.’ When your community is practically thinking of a reboot, that’s not a good sign.
And that doesn’t even bring into account the influence of Palworld on Ark. Yeah, that game. One user, Ribbit from StoneFrogGames, gave the ultimate insult: ‘Meh, every time I try to play Ark, I end up playing Palworld.’ Oof! When an unexpected monster-catching survival game is drawing players away from your dinosaur kingdom, you know you have a perception problem.
So what is the 2028 deal with Ark 2? Honestly, I am as lost as you are. The player core is pretty much separated into two groups: weary veterans who feel burnt and curious newcomers who are reluctant. The eight-year timeline looks more like a placeholder pushed into the distant future to buy time rather than a thoughtfully planned production. Some even predict more delays, with estimates such as ‘2029 at the earliest’ and ‘2030 at the earliest. We are on Wildcard time.’
The announcement does not create enthusiasm, but rather the recognition that this particular project is still alive. In a time when the fate of games is determined by popularity cycles shorter than Ark 2’s development time, Studio Wildcard and Snail Games have to put in a lot of work. The gaming community often discusses major platforms like PlayStation and Xbox when considering where such long-awaited titles might eventually land.
