Having recently been delayed to a 2023 release, it’s currently unclear whether the Ark: Survival Evolved sequel is ever going to launch on PlayStation 5, with only its PC and Xbox Series builds having officially been announced. Now, however, new information suggests that any reveal about a potential PlayStation 5 Ark 2 release won’t be coming anytime soon.
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Specifically, Ark YouTuber GP has uncovered a US Securities and Exchange Commission form that states that the parent company of Studio Wildcard, the game’s developer, already has a long-term license agreement in place with Microsoft. According to this document, Ark 2 will be available on Xbox Game Pass for a full three years after its initial release. Game Pass made nearly $3 billion for Microsoft in 2021, making it a massive aspect of its ongoing video gaming strategy and a potentially huge deal for the upcoming dinosaur survival game. Though it’s now clear that Ark 2 will be on Game Pass for literal years, there’s still no official word on a potential PlayStation 5 version of the game.
Ark 2 was a major feature of the 2022 Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, and though concrete gameplay is yet to be shown, its predecessor cemented the idea of Ark being a flagship in its niche. It’s not overly surprising then that Microsoft would aim to lock the game in for its Game Pass subscribers, to provide them with a massive survival game right off the bat and draw them into the ecosystem.
Sources recently reported that adding Ark: Survival Evolved to PlayStation Plus cost Sony $3.5 million. Conversely, Microsoft paid $2.5 million to keep the game on Game Pass for just six months. According to that same report, it cost $2.3 million for Microsoft to add Ark 2 as a day-one Game Pass release, though it’s unclear whether this includes the three years’ worth of Game Pass access as well or just the initial launch availability.
There’s still some time to go before Ark 2 makes its way to Game Pass and video game stores proper, and Ark: Survival Evolved is still one of the largest, most substantial survival games on the market. The current state of Ark: Survival Evolved is fairly solid, and though the game had a few growing pains back in the day, it’s now a great choice for those who’d like to immerse themselves into a sci-fi ecosystem with dinosaurs romping about.
Ark 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S
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Source: US Securities and Exchange Commission
