If you’ve been eyeing the final, massive expansion for Ark: Survival Evolved that adds new biomes, tames, and endgame story content, you’ve probably wondered how much does ark genesis part 2 cost before you hit buy. I’ve bought this DLC across three different platforms for my own playthroughs and helped a dozen friends find the best deals over the last few years, so I’ve got all the up-to-date pricing info you need to avoid overpaying. This guide breaks down costs for every platform, bundle options, hidden fees to watch for, and easy ways to save cash without missing out on any content.
How Much Does Ark Genesis Part 2 Cost Per Platform?
As a standalone purchase, Genesis Part 2 has a standard base price of $19.99 across most major platforms, though some portable versions have a slight markup. Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation all list the standalone DLC for $19.99 at full price, while the Nintendo Switch version is often priced at $24.99 to account for portable optimization work. I picked it up for $4.99 during last year’s Steam Winter Sale, which is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for the standalone DLC.
If you don’t own Genesis Part 1 yet, you can also buy the Genesis Season Pass for a standard price of $34.99, which includes both Part 1 and Part 2 of the expansion. That saves you roughly $5 compared to buying both parts separately at full price. Standalone Genesis Part 2 purchases only give access to the Part 2 content, so if you haven’t played Part 1 yet, the season pass is almost always the better value.
PlayStation and Xbox players can also find the DLC included in various Ark game bundles on their respective storefronts, while Steam users can purchase it as part of the complete Ark collection if they want all released DLC in one purchase. Prices for these bundles vary based on what content is included, but they almost always offer a discount compared to buying each piece separately.
Extra Costs You Might Encounter With Genesis Part 2
The listed price for the DLC itself isn’t the only cost you need to factor in, especially if you’re a new Ark player. I made the mistake of buying the standalone DLC first when I was new to Ark, and ended up spending an extra $10 later when I realized I wanted Part 1 content too, so I always recommend mapping out all potential costs before you make a purchase.
You cannot play Genesis Part 2 without owning the base Ark: Survival Evolved game, so factor that into your budget if you’re a new player. The base game has a standard price of $29.99, but it goes on sale very regularly for as low as $4.99 during major seasonal sales.
Other common hidden costs you might run into include:
- Base Ark: Survival Evolved game purchase (required for all DLC access)
- Optional cosmetic Genesis Part 2 content pack for exclusive skins, emotes, and building pieces
- Console online subscription fees for multiplayer official server play (Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus)
- Additional storage space on your device, as Genesis Part 2 requires ~15 GB of free space to install
The cosmetic pack is entirely optional, and none of the content it includes gives gameplay advantages, so you can safely skip it if you don’t care about custom skins. Console players who only play single-player or private local servers don’t need to pay for an online subscription either, so that cost only applies if you want to play on public official servers.
Legitimate Ways to Save Money on Genesis Part 2
You almost never have to pay full price for Genesis Part 2 if you’re willing to wait a few weeks for a sale, as all major platform stores discount Ark content regularly throughout the year. Steam runs 50-75% off sales on all Ark DLC during its Summer, Winter, Black Friday, and Spring sales, which brings the cost of standalone Genesis Part 2 down to between $4.99 and $9.99.
Xbox and PlayStation stores run similar sales around holiday periods, and often offer extra discounts for Game Pass or PlayStation Plus subscribers. Last Black Friday, I picked up the Ultimate Survivor Edition for a friend for $19.99, which is cheaper than buying the base game alone at full price. Never buy third-party keys from unvetted sites, as many are stolen or region-locked, and you’ll lose access to the DLC if the key is revoked by the platform.
If you only plan to play single-player or co-op with friends, you can also take advantage of shared library features on Steam to access the DLC for free if a friend already owns it. If you game with friends, check if any of them own a shared Steam library that includes Genesis Part 2, as you can access it for free if they’re not playing. Humble Bundle also occasionally runs Ark bundle deals that include Genesis Part 2 for a fraction of the regular price, with part of the proceeds going to charity, so that’s another great option to watch for.
Is Genesis Part 2 Worth the Cost for Your Playstyle?
Even at full price, Genesis Part 2 is one of the most content-heavy DLCs Studio Wildcard has ever released for Ark, so it’s worth the cost for most players, but it depends on what you like to do in the game. If you’re a PvE player who loves story content, new tames, and challenging boss fights, you’ll get 50+ hours of playtime out of it at minimum, which makes even the $19.99 full price a great value. It has 12 new unique tames, multiple new biomes, and wraps up the entire main Ark story line for long-time players.
If you’re a PvP player who plays on official or high-rate community servers, Genesis Part 2 is basically mandatory, as many of the new tames and items are meta for raiding and base defense. You’ll be at a severe disadvantage against other players who have access to the DLC content if you don’t own it.
If you only play small, private modded servers that don’t enable Genesis Part 2 content, you won’t get any use out of the purchase, so check with your server admin first before buying. Casual players who only log on for a few hours a month to build bases might also find less value in it, unless you’re specifically interested in the new building pieces and tames it adds. I’ve put over 120 hours into Genesis Part 2 alone between PvE story play and PvP server raids, so for me, even the full $19.99 price was well worth it.
At the end of the day, how much does ark genesis part 2 cost depends entirely on where you buy it, what sales are running, and whether you already own the base game or other DLCs. If you can wait for a seasonal sale, you’ll almost always find it for less than $10, which is an absolute steal for the amount of new content it adds. If you’re eager to jump in right away, the standard $19.99 price tag is still fair for the dozens of hours of new tames, biomes, and story content you get. Just make sure you double check that you’re buying the right version for your platform, and avoid unvetted third-party sellers to keep your account safe.