If you’ve spent dozens of hours taming high-level dinosaurs, building fortified cliffside bases, and fighting off hostile raiders in Ark: Survival Evolved, you’ve almost certainly asked are they working on Ark 2 at least once in the last few years. The initial 2020 reveal with Vin Diesel attached as a lead actor and executive producer sent the fanbase into a frenzy, but long stretches of radio silence since then have left a lot of players confused, frustrated, and worried the sequel might have been scrapped entirely. This guide breaks down all verified official info, confirmed features, and common myths to give you a clear picture of where the project stands right now.
Official Confirmation: Are They Working on Ark 2?
Let’s get the biggest question out of the way first: yes, Studio Wildcard has repeatedly confirmed active development on Ark 2 as of their latest public community update. The team has addressed cancellation rumors multiple times, stating that they’ve intentionally slowed down the development timeline to avoid the bug-ridden, unfinished early access launch that hurt the original Ark’s reputation for years. Studio Wildcard has repeatedly stated that development is progressing steadily, with no plans to scrap the project entirely.
You might have noticed the lack of big gameplay reveals over the last year, and that’s intentional per the dev team. They’ve said they don’t want to show off unfinished, placeholder content that will change dramatically before launch, and they’re saving full gameplay reveals for when they’re confident the footage matches the final product. They have shared small behind-the-scenes snippets on their official Discord server, including clips of the new dinosaur AI and updated building mechanics, for community members who opt into development update channels.
Confirmed Features We Know Are Coming to Ark 2
A lot of fans worry that long development times mean the game will be a stripped-down shell of what was promised, but we already have a solid list of confirmed features that have been signed off by the dev team. Some of the most exciting confirmed additions include:
All of these features directly address common complaints from the original Ark player base, from janky creature pathing to limited cross-play support and console modding restrictions. The dev team has also stated they’re prioritizing performance as a core feature, not an afterthought, so you won’t have to deal with constant crashes and 20fps drops on launch day even on mid-tier hardware. All future Ark 2 DLC will be released as separate, optional purchases, so you won’t be forced to buy expensive bundles to access content you actually want.
Common Rumors About Ark 2 Development (And Which Are True)
With so little official footage out there, it’s no surprise that hundreds of rumors have popped up across TikTok, Twitter, and fan forums over the last few years. Most of them are completely untrue, but a few have small grains of truth behind them. Let’s break down the most common ones we’ve seen circulating.
The biggest rumor by far is that Ark 2 has been quietly canceled to let the dev team focus on updating Ark: Survival Ascended. That’s 100% false, per a direct statement from Studio Wildcard’s community manager in late 2023. The team has separate groups working on each project, so work on one doesn’t slow down progress on the other. Another common rumor is that Ark 2 will be a live service game with pay-to-win mechanics and a monthly subscription fee. Any rumors claiming Ark 2 will require a monthly subscription to play are entirely untrue, per official statements. It will be a standard buy-to-play game with only optional cosmetic microtransactions at launch.
One rumor that has a small grain of truth is that the release date has been pushed back multiple times. The devs initially targeted a 2023 launch, but they pushed that back to focus on quality improvements, and they haven’t shared a new official launch window yet. They’ve said they won’t announce a release date until they’re 100% sure they can hit it, so don’t trust any random account claiming to have a confirmed launch date unless it’s shared directly from Studio Wildcard’s official channels.
What You Can Do While You Wait for Ark 2 to Launch
We get it, waiting for a game you’re excited about can be frustrating, especially when there’s no clear release date to look forward to. There are plenty of ways to pass the time and even prepare for Ark 2’s launch so you’re ready to hit the ground running as soon as it drops.
If you’re still playing the original Ark, you can check out the latest story DLC for Ark: Survival Ascended, which includes plot points that directly tie into the Ark 2 narrative, so you’ll have a better understanding of the world when the sequel launches. You can also join modded servers that use custom gameplay overhauls similar to what’s been teased for Ark 2, including third-person only rules and improved dinosaur AI mods, to get a feel for what the new gameplay loop will be like. Many long-time Ark players are already forming teams for Ark 2 launch, so joining a community now can help you hit the ground running when the game drops.
You don’t have to refresh the official Studio Wildcard Twitter account every hour to stay up to date, either. Turn on notifications for their official Discord announcement channel, and you’ll get a ping as soon as any new info drops. If you’re starting to feel burnt out from waiting, take a break from Ark entirely and play other survival games for a while. The extra development time will make the final game better, and you’ll be more excited to dive in when it finally launches if you don’t burn yourself out obsessing over updates.
At the end of the day, there's no need to keep asking are they working on Ark 2, the devs have confirmed time and time again that the project is active, and they're putting in the work to make it a worthy sequel to one of the most popular survival games of all time. You don't have to cling to random leaks or rumors to get accurate info, just stick to official channels, and you'll be one of the first to know when a release date is announced, or when new gameplay footage drops. It's okay to be excited, and it's okay to be a little impatient, but the extra development time will almost certainly lead to a better game that you can sink hundreds of hours into with your friends. Keep an eye on official announcements in the coming months, as the devs have teased that big reveals are on the horizon.