If you’ve been hyped for the dinosaur survival sequel ever since its first cinematic trailer dropped, you’ve almost certainly wondered how much is ark 2 going to cost before it lands on your favorite platform. I’ve been following Studio Wildcard’s updates for years, and I’ve sorted through all the official leaks, pre-order listings, and historical pricing patterns for the original Ark to break down exactly what you can expect to pay, no guesswork required. You won’t find overblown rumors or fake leaks here—all the info below is based on confirmed industry standards and official statements from the dev team so far.
How Much Is Ark 2 Going to Cost for Standard Editions?
Based on the pricing of the original Ark: Survival Evolved and other modern AAA survival games, the standard edition of Ark 2 will almost certainly launch at $59.99 USD for all supported platforms, including PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Regional pricing will vary slightly, with UK players paying around £49.99 and EU players paying €59.99 for the base game. If you’re wondering how much is Ark 2 going to cost for cross-play access, you’ll be happy to know there’s no extra fee for cross-platform play between PC, Xbox, and PlayStation built into the base purchase.
The biggest exception to this base price is for Xbox users. Xbox Game Pass subscribers get day-one access to Ark 2 at no extra cost, as Studio Wildcard confirmed the game will launch directly into the Game Pass library just like the original Ark did. That means if you already have an active Game Pass subscription, you won’t have to pay anything upfront to play the full standard edition as soon as it releases. If you don’t have Game Pass yet, you can sign up for a $1 trial for the first month to play Ark 2 for almost nothing if you only want to test it out.
What Extra Do You Pay for Special and Collector’s Editions?
Like most AAA games, Ark 2 will have multiple premium editions for players who want extra content, and these will cost significantly more than the standard base game. When weighing how much is Ark 2 going to cost for the full experience, you’ll want to compare the price of the deluxe edition against buying the base game and season pass separately. The digital deluxe edition will likely be priced between $79.99 and $89.99 USD, and will include the base game, a season pass with 3 to 4 large DLC expansions, exclusive in-game skins for characters and dinosaurs, a digital art book, and the official game soundtrack.
Deluxe editions are only worth the extra cost if you plan to play Ark 2 regularly for 12+ months after launch. I made the mistake of buying the deluxe edition of the original Ark back in 2015, and I barely touched half the DLC that came with it, so I know first-hand how easy it is to waste money on extra content you don’t need. For players who want physical collectibles, a limited collector’s edition will likely be available for between $149.99 and $199.99, including a physical steelbook case, a vinyl figure of the game’s protagonist, a printed map of the Ark 2 world, and all the digital content from the deluxe edition. These collector’s editions usually sell out fast, so you’ll need to pre-order early if you want one.
Hidden Costs to Budget for With Ark 2
The upfront purchase price isn’t the only cost you’ll want to plan for if you’re going to play Ark 2 long-term. Most of these extra costs are optional, but they’re common enough that you should factor them into your budget if you want the full experience. Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus subscription for online play is the most common extra cost, as you can’t join public multiplayer servers without an active subscription on consoles. You don’t need a subscription for single-player or private PC servers, but most players join public servers to play with friends or compete in PvP.
You can easily avoid all these extra costs if you only plan to play single-player and don’t care about custom skins or private servers. But if you’re the type of player who wants to join a tribe and compete in large-scale PvP, you’ll want to set aside a small monthly budget for these extra costs.
How to Get the Best Deal on Ark 2
There are plenty of ways to save money on Ark 2 if you don’t mind waiting a bit or taking advantage of existing subscriptions. The best deal for most players is obviously the Xbox Game Pass offer, as you can play the full game for just $1 if you sign up for a new trial. Even if you stay subscribed long-term, Game Pass is cheaper than buying the base game outright if you play 2 or 3 new games a month.
Wait 2 to 3 months after launch if you don’t mind playing a bit later, as prices usually drop 20% to 30% during seasonal sales. The original Ark dropped to $39.99 just two months after launch, and you can often find it for $10 or less during Steam sales now. If you don’t care about playing on release day, waiting for a sale will save you a ton of money. If you do want to pre-order, look for retailer loyalty discounts: Amazon Prime and GameStop Pro members often get 10% off pre-orders, which cuts $6 off the standard edition price. Avoid third-party key sellers that offer prices 50% or more below retail, as these are almost always stolen keys that will get revoked from your account a few weeks after purchase.
Long-time Ark players may also qualify for an exclusive discount. Studio Wildcard teased a few years ago that players who owned the Genesis Part 2 DLC for the original Ark would get a discount on Ark 2, so make sure you check your account on Steam, Xbox, or PlayStation before you buy to see if you qualify for that offer.
At the end of the day, how much is ark 2 going to cost depends entirely on what edition you pick and how you plan to play the game. If you’re a casual player who only wants to try out the story and a bit of multiplayer, the standard $59.99 edition or a Game Pass subscription is more than enough. If you’re a long-time Ark fan who plans to sink hundreds of hours into the game and its DLC, the deluxe edition will save you money long term. No matter what you choose, make sure you only buy from official retailers to avoid scams, and don’t pay for extra features you won’t actually use.