Update: A Studio Wildcard spokesperson has confirmed to us that there will be no upgrade path for existing owners from ARK: Survival Evolved to ARK: Survival Ascended. “ARK: Survival Ascended is designed for next-gen consoles and does not have an available upgrade path,” we were informed.
Original article: ARK: Survival Evolved will shut down in August on PS4, with support moving to a remastered PS5 version called ARK: Survival Ascended, all as part of a complicated roadmap for the dino survival series. The re-release will run on Unreal Engine 5 and include content like The Island and Survival of the Fittest, but strangely it doesn’t seem like there’s an upgrade path for existing owners. It means the new version will set you back $39.99, even if you’re a longtime player of the original.
In fact, the whole pricing model is a bit complicated. As you already know, the sequel ARK II it looks like it’s going to be a console exclusive on Xbox Series X|S, so developer Studio Wildcard is offering a bundle on the Microsoft machine that includes ARK: Survival Ascended and its sequel for $49.99. While PS5 owners will pay $10 less overall, it’s probably a better deal to include the sequel as well. Although that has been pushed back now, to 2024.
Expansion packs will also be sold separately for the remastered version, so the Explorer’s Pass that includes Scorched Earth, Aberration, and Extinction will cost $19.99. then you will have to leave other $19.99 for the Genesis Pass, which includes both parts of the Genesis story. Again, there’s absolutely no word on these being offered at a reduced price for people who’ve already bought them on the PS4. We will check with the developer.
To its credit, the remaster promises some nice improvements, like dynamic weather, interactive foliage, and cross-platform multiplayer. The studio also includes a ton of gameplay and UI improvements. Sounds good, but we’re wrestling with the idea of ​​the developer shutting down the original version of the game and then asking fans to repurchase it for a new console. That doesn’t sit well with us at all!
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