Studio Wildcard has confirmed that ARK 2 is currently targeting a 2028 release window, with players set to get their first meaningful glimpse of the sequel through a major update planned for late 2027. The update will arrive as part of a broader, multi-year roadmap for ARK Survival Ascended, positioning the existing game as both a testing ground and narrative bridge for the next mainline entry.
The update on ARK 2’s timeline was shared by Studio Wildcard co-founder Jeremy Stieglitz during Snail Games’ Investor Day presentation, held at the NASDAQ Marketsite in Times Square. Alongside the release window, the publisher outlined plans for the ARK franchise through 2027, including expansions, spin-offs, and new creation tools, while also highlighting an expanded relationship with actor Karl Urban.
According to Stieglitz, the studio’s two-year plan for ARK Survival Ascended culminates in a major expansion called Legacy of Santiago. That release is designed to serve multiple roles. It will advance the story toward ARK 2, while also introducing and stress-testing mechanics intended for the sequel within a live environment. The goal, he explained, is to reduce risk by refining technology and gameplay systems before committing them to a full standalone release.
ARK Survival Ascended itself represents the latest evolution of a franchise that began development in 2014 and first entered early access in 2015. Two years ago, Studio Wildcard rebuilt the game on Unreal Engine 5, effectively relaunching it as a new product. Since then, Snail Games has sold more than 4 million copies of Survival Ascended, with mod support playing a central role across PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.
User-generated content has become a defining feature of the current version of ARK. Players have created more than 5,000 mods since full platform-wide support was introduced, with total downloads exceeding 750 million. Stieglitz described modding as a core pillar of the game’s success, rather than an optional extra.
The next major expansion, ARK Lost Colony, launches this week and significantly expands the scope of the game. For the first time in the series, players will be able to recruit AI-controlled human characters into their tribes, while also facing computer-run enemy bases that can be attacked and looted. The vampire-themed expansion introduces more than a dozen new creatures, ranging from evolving fox companions to massive flying threats and laser-armed enemies.
Lost Colony also continues ARK’s push into cinematic storytelling. Its narrative is delivered through anime sequences produced by MAPPA, featuring Michelle Yeoh, alongside Unreal Engine 5 Metahuman cinematics starring Madeleine Madden, Auli’i Cravalho, and Karl Urban. Urban reprises his role as the survivor known as Bob, with players getting their first look at a newly modeled version of the character based on the actor’s likeness. That version of Bob will also appear in future downloadable content planned for 2026 and 2027.
Beyond Lost Colony, Studio Wildcard laid out a packed schedule extending through the end of 2027. This includes a renewed focus on ARK Survival of the Fittest, a competitive spin-off featuring up to 60 players and large-scale dinosaur battles. The mode will be taken over by Studio Siren, which will develop it as a fully supported esports-style experience.
Additional expansions are planned on a steady cadence, including the pirate-themed Bob’s True Tales Tides of Fortune, the ARK Genesis map release, Dragontopia, Atlantis, and the space-focused Bob’s True Tales Galaxy Wars. One of the most notable additions arrives in 2026 with the ARK World Creator, an in-game toolset intended to make content creation accessible without requiring external PC based software. Stieglitz compared its ambition to systems seen in Fortnite UEFN and Roblox.
The final quarter of 2027 is when players will encounter Legacy of Santiago, which Stieglitz described as a direct narrative prelude to ARK 2. The expansion will introduce several of the sequel’s planned combat and gameplay ideas, including more deliberate third-person melee systems, while allowing the studio to gather feedback and iterate in real time.
That cautious approach, Stieglitz said, reflects lessons learned from both the technical challenges of Unreal Engine 5 and the transition away from the original ARK Survival Evolved. In hindsight, the studio moved on from the older game too abruptly, leaving parts of the community frustrated. With Survival Ascended, the plan is to continue supporting the game for as long as players remain engaged, even as work on ARK 2 progresses.
As for ARK 2 itself, the team views 2028 as the intended release window, though its final shape remains flexible. A major variable is the involvement of Vin Diesel, who was announced as part of the project in 2020. While Diesel remains interested in the game, Stieglitz acknowledged that the amount of performance capture the studio can secure from the actor will directly influence the scope of the sequel’s narrative.
Studio Wildcard has prepared multiple versions of the story depending on how much time Diesel is able to commit, ranging from a heavily performance-driven experience to a more limited role. Regardless of that uncertainty, the studio says it has a clear long-term vision for ARK 2, with Legacy of Santiago serving as the final proving ground before the franchise takes its next major step.
