Stuck in development limbo for years, ARK 2 is now planned for 2028

by

The announcement of ARK 2’s release date yesterday was a surprise to many, as the game had largely faded from public memory. Studio Wildcard now says we can expect it in 2028. It’s been around five years since the initial announcement and trailer at The Game Awards, and with so many delays, many players had begun to doubt it would ever come out.

ARK 2 is planned for 2028

ARK 2 was first shown off at The Game Awards in 2020 with a trailer featuring Vin Diesel, who is also a producer on the game. It was initially planned for release in 2022 and is being developed using the advanced Unreal Engine 5, a significant upgrade from the first ARK. However, Studio Wildcard has faced challenges learning Unreal Engine 5, which has slowed down development and led to multiple delays.

Due to these technical difficulties, the team largely turned their attention to ARK: Survival Ascended, which is a rebuilt version of the original game using the Unreal Engine 5. They hoped this would help them become more familiar with the engine and generate revenue while continuing to develop ARK 2. Consequently, the release of ARK 2 was delayed – first from 2022 to 2023, and then again to late 2024 – and very little information or gameplay footage was shared during that time.

Wildcard’s founders stated in mid-2025 that ARK 2 was still in very early development – just a basic prototype. They estimated it would take around 18 months of dedicated work from the entire team to get the game ready for an initial Early Access release, meaning the earliest players could expect to play it was around 2027.

Just yesterday, The Game Awards’ official social media account announced that ARK 2 is currently scheduled to release in 2028. While Studio Wildcard hasn’t officially confirmed this date yet, it seems likely to be accurate considering the game was first revealed at The Game Awards.

Despite a loyal fanbase, the recent Aquatica expansion for ARK: Survival Evolved, released to celebrate the game’s 10th anniversary, was a major disappointment. The initial announcement faced criticism due to an AI-created trailer that was quickly removed from YouTube, and the expansion itself launched with significant issues. Currently, ARK: Aquatica has a very low approval rating on Steam, with only around 13% of reviews being positive and the vast majority of feedback being negative.

The long development time for ARK 2 is a bit concerning. Right now, we can only hope the game is released as planned in 2028 and see how it turns out when it’s finally available.

Read More

2025-12-19 14:32