Fans of Ark: Survival Evolved on Xbox will be glad to know that the Unreal Engine 5 "reimagining" known as Ark: Survival Ascended is officially launching for Xbox Series X|S today following some recent unexpected delays.
Now that the game has passed certification on Xbox, the plan is to release for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S today (November 21st) at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT. The new official servers will go live a few hours after that launch.
"We appreciate everyone's continued support and understanding as we navigated the certification process for Ark: Survival Ascended on Xbox. We know it's been a long wait, but we're thrilled to finally confirm that the launch date has been set for this Tuesday, November 21st at 9:00 AM Pacfic.
To allow ample time for everyone to download the game, the new set of official servers will not go online until a few hours after the launch. This will sure everyone has a fair chance to join the game and experience Ark: Survival Ascended. The new official servers will also go online with bonus rates (for a period of time) to allow for everyone to catch up."
If you're still not quite what it is, Ark: Survival Ascended is essentially a ground-up recreation of the original Ark: Survival Evolved experience. Its worlds and artwork have been completely redesigned to take advantage of Unreal Engine 5, there are new advanced physics systems, quality of life improvements in "every area" and much more.
Ark: Survival Ascended is actually launching in early access form for now, which means it should be included as part of the Xbox Game Preview program. The goal is for the game to leave its early access state in late 2024, and then Ark 2 is also scheduled to arrive late next year as well.
We'll throw more details about Ark: Survival Ascended down below, along with some screenshots.
"Respawn into a new dinosaur survival experience beyond your wildest dreams… as ARK is reimagined from the ground-up into the next-generation of videogame technology with Unreal Engine 5! You awake on a mysterious island, your senses overwhelmed by the blinding sunlight and brilliant colors bouncing off every surface around you, the azure waters of a verdant Island lapping at your bare feet. A deep roar echoes from the misty jungle, jolting you into action, and you stand up – not afraid, but intrigued.
Are you ready to form a tribe, tame and breed hundreds of species of dinosaurs and other primeval creatures, explore, craft, build, and fight your way to the top of the food-chain? Your new world awaits… step through the looking-glass and join it!"