Originally unveiled during The Game Awards 2020, the highly anticipated Ark 2 has faced a quiet development cycle punctuated by several delays. Now, fans finally have a new—albeit distant—launch window. The sequel is officially targeting a 2028 debut as Studio Wildcard pivots toward a more iterative development strategy.
During a recent Snail Games Investor Day, Studio Wildcard co-founder Jeremy Stieglitz confirmed the 2028 timeline in an interview with Epic Games’ Brian Crecente. Stieglitz elaborated on the team’s decision to push the date, explaining that the studio is prioritizing a “phased” approach to ensure the sequel meets expectations by building upon the foundations of Ark: Survival Ascended.
“Developing Ark 2 taught us that we needed to refine our understanding of the technology and mechanics we want to implement,” Stieglitz noted. He suggested that integrating these innovations gradually is a much safer bet than rushing a standalone product to market without proper testing.
To facilitate this, Studio Wildcard plans to use the current remastered title, Ark: Survival Ascended—which has already eclipsed 4 million units sold—as a springboard. The first major glimpse of Ark 2’s gameplay will arrive via the Legacy of Santiago expansion in late 2027. This prequel content will serve as a mechanical testing ground while fleshing out the story of Santiago, the protagonist portrayed by Vin Diesel.
“Legacy of Santiago allows us to experiment with the systems we’ve designed for Ark 2 within a live environment,” Stieglitz said. “This approach de-risks the sequel. If a feature doesn’t land perfectly, we can iterate based on community feedback much more fluidly than we could with a static, standalone launch.”
Vin Diesel’s specific role in the project remains somewhat flexible. Stieglitz admitted that the game’s narrative depth depends largely on the actor’s availability for performance capture. The studio has developed two versions of the script: one that leans heavily into Diesel’s performance if he can provide extensive time, and a more streamlined narrative if his schedule is more restrictive.
Despite the focus on the sequel, Studio Wildcard isn’t abandoning its current player base. The developer revealed an ambitious roadmap for Ark: Survival Ascended extending through 2027. This includes the new Ark: Lost Colony expansion launching this week, followed by the esports-centric Survival of the Fittest, a nautical-themed expansion titled Tides of Fortune, and a creative suite called Ark World Creator in 2026. Stieglitz reassured fans that Survival Ascended will continue to receive support for as long as the community remains active, even after the sequel’s arrival.
Ark 2 was first slated for a 2023 release, which was later moved to 2024 to make room for the launch of Survival Ascended. With this latest update, the ambitious survival sequel is now set to launch eight years after its initial reveal, provided the development path remains steady.
