The upcoming survival game ARK 2 is set to be included in the Game Pass for 3 years. The information comes from a filing by publisher Snail Games to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
ARK: Survival Evolved is a very popular survival game and fans of the title are eagerly awaiting the sequel. Even though the release of ARK 2 has been delayed, there are now new interesting details available.
The ARK YouTuber GP found a filing by publisher Snail Games to the SEC that gives insight into agreements between Studio Wildcard, the developers of ARK 2, and Microsoft (via YouTube).
In June 2022, GP made headlines when he stated in a video that Studio Wildcard CEO Douglas H. Kennedy had informed him when there would be ‘plenty of new information’ available about ARK 2. When the info drop mentioned by GP occurred, there was only the release date trailer for ARK 2, which announced a delay along with the new Steam page.
If you haven’t seen the latest trailer for ARK 2 yet, we are embedding it here:
What information does the document contain? The document, which is also referenced in a report by the online magazine gamesradar.com, includes a sentence stating that ARK 2 will be included in the Game Pass for three years starting from its release (via sec.report).
You can read the relevant paragraph of the document here:
The company has also entered into a long-term title licensing agreement (‘Game Pass’) with Microsoft for a period of three years. The company recognizes deferred revenues and amortizes these revenues according to the terms of the respective contract. The agreement was originally entered into in November 2018 between the parties and is valid until December 31, 2021. The agreement was subsequently amended in June 2020 to extend the ARK 1 Game Pass indefinitely effective January 1, 2022, and to include ARK 2 in the Game Pass for three years upon release.
via sec.report
Furthermore, the document indicates that Microsoft paid $2.5 million to keep ARK: Survival Evolved in the Game Pass for the first half of 2022. Additionally, Microsoft is reported to have paid another $2.3 million to ensure that ARK 2 will be in the Game Pass at the time of the release of the survival title.
Alongside Microsoft, Sony is also mentioned in the document. Sony is said to have paid $3.5 million to include ARK: Survival Evolved as part of the PS Plus games in March 2022.
What do the new information mean for ARK fans? The information that ARK 2 will be included in the Game Pass is not new. However, ARK fans can look forward to the 3-year deal with Microsoft on Xbox and PC, as the subscription service allows players to test the game directly at release without having to purchase it at full price.
In contrast to ARK: Survival Evolved, ARK 2 will also feature cross-platform modding, making community-created mods available in ARK 2 on all platforms – even on Xbox consoles – and playable on unofficial servers. This was not possible in the predecessor ARK: Survival Evolved and makes the survival title even more appealing for ‘Game Pass’ subscribers.
Are there any new updates for PlayStation players? Unfortunately, there is currently no new information regarding ARK 2 for PlayStation players, and a release of the survival game for the PS4 or PS5 has not yet been announced. ARK 2 will be released exclusively for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
What do you think of the information? Do you believe Microsoft has made a good deal? Are you already looking forward to ARK 2 in the Game Pass? Feel free to let us know here on MeinMMO in the comments!
If you are still unaware of what information Studio Wildcard published about ARK 2 this summer and how gameplay will change, you can catch up on that on MeinMMO.
