If you’ve spent hundreds of hours taming dinosaurs, building fortified bases, and fighting off rival tribes in ARK: Survival Evolved, you’ve almost certainly seen teasers for the next entry in the franchise. It’s easy to get confused when studios release large expansion packs that feel like entirely new games, so lots of players are asking: is Ark 2 a DLC, or a full separate release? I’ve followed the ARK franchise closely since the first game launched in early access, so I’ve pulled together all the official details, developer comments, and pre-release leaks to clear up the confusion once and for all. You’ll walk away knowing exactly what Ark 2 is, how it connects to the original game, and whether you need to own ARK: Survival Evolved to play it.
Is Ark 2 a DLC, or a Full Standalone Game?
Let’s get the most straightforward answer out of the way first: Ark 2 is not a DLC for ARK: Survival Evolved. It is a full, standalone sequel built from the ground up on a completely different game engine, with a new story, new mechanics, and a brand new map that’s twice the size of the original game’s largest official map. Studio Wildcard first confirmed this back when the first trailer dropped, but misinformation still spreads fast in ARK fan groups, especially when people see crossover content between the two games.
That doesn’t mean there’s no connection between the two titles, though. If you own the Survival Ascended remaster of the original ARK, you will get access to exclusive cross-game cosmetic items when Ark 2 launches, but you won’t need to own any previous ARK title to download and play the full sequel. I’ve seen a lot of new players assume it’s a DLC because the original game has had so many massive expansions over the years, including Lost Island, Fjordur, and Genesis Part 2, all of which added dozens of hours of new content for a fraction of the price of a full game. But Ark 2 is a completely separate purchase, with a price point that matches other AAA open-world survival games.
Core Differences Between Ark 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved DLCs
To help you understand why Ark 2 isn’t a DLC, let’s break down the biggest differences between the sequel and the expansions you might have bought for the original game. First, Ark 2 is built on Unreal Engine 5, while all existing ARK: Survival Evolved DLCs run on the older Unreal Engine 4 that the original game launched with. That means the sequel has far better graphics, more dynamic weather, larger draw distances, and more realistic creature animations than any content made for the first game.
The entire gameplay loop has been reworked from the ground up too, with a focus on third-person combat, soulslike dodge and parry mechanics, and a new taming system that’s less grind-heavy and more focused on building trust with creatures instead of knocking them out. None of these core mechanic changes could be added to the original game via DLC, because they would break the existing gameplay that millions of players are used to.
The story of Ark 2 is also set generations after the end of the Genesis Part 2 DLC, following a new group of human survivors stranded on a completely new alien planet filled with never-before-seen dinosaurs and mutated creatures. You don’t need to have played any of the original game’s DLC to follow the story, though there are plenty of Easter eggs for long-time fans to find. When you compare that to even the largest ARK DLC, which usually only adds one new map and 10-15 new creatures, it’s clear that Ark 2 is far bigger and more ambitious than any DLC the studio has ever released.
What to Expect When Ark 2 Launches
Even though it’s not a DLC, Ark 2 will still have a lot of the features that made the original game so popular, plus plenty of new content to keep both new and returning players engaged. Based on official developer updates and playtest leaks, here’s what you can expect on launch day:
- A massive open-world map that’s over 70 square kilometers in size, with 12 distinct biomes ranging from dense tropical jungles to frozen mountain peaks and toxic alien wastelands
- Over 50 tamable creatures at launch, including classic ARK dinosaurs like T-Rex and Raptors, plus brand new mutated and alien creatures that have never appeared in the franchise before
- Full mod support from day one, with the same easy-to-use modding tools that made the original ARK one of the most modded games on Steam
- Full cross-platform play across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, so you can play with friends no matter what console they own
Studio Wildcard has also confirmed that they will release regular free content updates for Ark 2 after launch, as well as paid expansions that add new maps, creatures, and story content, just like they did for the original game. You won’t lose any of your progress or items from the original ARK when you switch to the sequel, though, since they are completely separate games. If you want to keep playing on your original ARK servers, you can do that for as long as the official servers stay online, which the devs have said will be for at least three more years after Ark 2 launches.
I’ve talked to a lot of tribe members who are worried they’ll have to abandon their years-old bases when Ark 2 comes out, but that’s not the case at all. You can play both games at the same time, and there’s no pressure to switch to the sequel if you’re still having fun with the original. Unlike a typical DLC that only adds new content to an existing game, Ark 2 is built to support the franchise for the next 10 years, with regular updates and expansions planned long after launch.
Should You Buy Ark 2 If You Already Own All ARK: Survival Evolved DLCs?
If you’ve already bought every DLC for ARK: Survival Evolved and sunk thousands of hours into the game, you might be wondering if Ark 2 is worth the extra cost, especially since it’s not a DLC. The short answer is that it depends on what you like about the original game. If you love the core survival loop, taming dinosaurs, and playing with your tribe, you’ll almost certainly love Ark 2, since it builds on all those elements while fixing a lot of the original game’s most frustrating bugs and grind points. If you only play ARK for the modded servers, you’ll be happy to hear that most of the biggest mod teams from the original game are already working on porting their most popular mods over to Ark 2 for launch day.
There’s no upgrade path for existing ARK owners, though, so you will have to pay full price for the sequel even if you own every DLC for the first game. That said, Studio Wildcard has offered exclusive pre-order bonuses for long-time fans, including early access to the game’s beta, exclusive dinosaur skins, and a free copy of the first expansion pass when it launches. If you’re on the fence, you can wait for the open beta to drop before you buy, to test out the new mechanics and see if you like the changes from the original game.
Don’t feel like you have to buy it on launch day if you’re still having fun with the original ARK: Survival Evolved and its DLCs, since the official servers for the first game aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. I’m planning to split my time between the original game’s modded servers and the new Ark 2 PVE servers with my tribe when it launches, and I know plenty of other players who are doing the same.
At the end of the day, the question of is Ark 2 a DLC comes down to how you define expansions for live service games. It shares a universe, core concepts, and plenty of lore with the original ARK: Survival Evolved, but it’s a completely separate, standalone game that you don’t need any previous ARK content to play. If you’re new to the franchise, you don’t need to play the original game or its DLCs to enjoy Ark 2, though you’ll get a lot more out of the story Easter eggs if you do. For long-time fans, it’s a fresh take on the franchise you love, with enough new features and content to feel worth the full price tag. Whether you pick it up on launch day or wait for a sale, you can expect the same chaotic, fun dinosaur survival experience that made the original ARK such a massive hit.