Vin Diesel might not even remember it anymore, but the head of ARK 2 has finally spoken openly about what is really happening with the game’s open world. Jeremy Stieglitz, co-founder of Studio Wildcard and creative director of the project, made it clear that Survival Ascended demands an enormous amount of attention.
Games announced many years before their release often face serious risks, as they can be canceled outright or, if they do arrive, fall into a spiral of complications, doubts, and development issues that ultimately affect the final product. In this context, Studio Wildcard is well aware that ARK 2, the dinosaur-filled open-world survival sequel starring Vin Diesel, was revealed far too early and now faces exactly these dangers. For this reason, Jeremy Stieglitz, the game’s co-founder and creative director, wanted to stress that the most recent delay to 2028 was decided only after considering every possible option.
Although we still do not know what ARK 2 will ultimately look like or how it will compare to ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended, the original title and its remastered version, this sequel has required extensive changes over time. Major adjustments to the graphics engine, the remastering of legacy content, and experimentation with new mechanics have all been necessary. Because of this, the American team has been forced to significantly extend its production schedule to ensure a solid game and avoid risks that could jeopardize the company’s stability.
Working on Survival Ascended Pushes ARK 2 into the Background
One of the main challenges lies in the decision to offer fans a substantial playable experience before the release of ARK 2, a choice that considerably divides the studio’s attention. In this context, updating ARK: Survival Ascended to Unreal Engine 5.7 has become the primary challenge, as it promises notable performance improvements. Stieglitz told WCCFTech that it is currently “the closest thing to a magic bullet we can find right now.”
According to Stieglitz, the game has gained between 40 and 50 percent in performance since its original release, yet it still does not reach the desired level on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Adapting the title for Nintendo Switch 2, the console that will finally launch the game, has proven particularly complicated, as the Japanese hybrid’s GPU limits frame rates and forces developers to explore solutions such as NVIDIA and AMD frame generation.
Beyond performance improvements for the remaster, Studio Wildcard has invested time in updating maps and content from the original game, from Scorched Earth to Extinction. A dedicated team focuses on improving design, aesthetics, and gameplay, and Stieglitz explained that these adaptation tasks for Ascended require months of testing. This is especially demanding given that more than 6,000 mods depend on the engine being reconfigured with each update.
At the same time, the studio has been working on entirely new content, including Lost Colony and Bob’s Tall Tales. These expansions were created to connect the story of ARK 2 with the original ARK universe, placing events a thousand years after Genesis and preparing players for a narrative and more primitive gameplay reboot of the next title.
Despite the delays, the team remains committed to delivering a product that lives up to expectations. According to Stieglitz, Studio Wildcard’s philosophy is to take the necessary time to launch a robust and fully playable game from day one, avoiding a rushed release that could compromise both the experience and the company’s stability. As a conclusion, the executive stated that “if you launch a completely new game and it fails, it could be the end of the company,” which is why every step is analyzed with extreme care.
Source: 3djuegos
