Studio Wildcard released an official statement detailing the current status of ARK Survival Evolved (PC, PS4, Xbox). It addresses questions such as: “When will Ragnarok be available on PS4 and Xbox One? Will there be a server wipe at release?”
ARK’s Community Manager Jat published a statement on the current status of the survival MMO. The statement addressed questions that players have been waiting for a long time. Studio Wildcard has been working hard over the past few weeks to complete the CD version of ARK Survival Evolved.
According to the developers, this has caused some things to shift. This step is now complete, and Studio Wildcard has time to focus on other “troubled projects”.
The brief version of the statement is as follows:
- There will be no server wipe at release
- A new “PvP cluster network” will be introduced
- Consoles will receive PC dedicated servers
- The new PS4 patch will be released on Friday, July 21
- Ragnarok will come to PS4 and Xbox One on August 8
- ARK Survival Evolved is ready to be burned onto CD
- For modders: The new dev kit will be released today, July 19
Here comes the long version of the statement.
No server wipe at the launch of ARK Survival Evolved
In recent weeks, there has been hot discussion in the community about whether ARK Survival Evolved should have a server wipe at launch. This would mean that all dinos and structures would be deleted from the servers. The servers would be as if no survivor had ever set foot there.
Some were in favor of the wipe, while others opposed it. Studio Wildcard ultimately decided against the server wipe and instead will provide new servers. Originally, the wipe was even announced for ARK’s launch date on August 8, 2017.
Now there will be new official PvP multiplayer servers. The old early access servers will continue as legacy servers. Those who play on an old early access server can stay there even after release.
The legacy servers will continue to receive updates and will be maintained just like the new server cluster.
Additionally, Wildcard wants to remove the “ghost servers”. These are the servers where hardly any players are present. Approximately 10% of the servers with the lowest player counts will be repurposed by Wildcard. Once it is known which servers those are, the developers will secure and upload the save files. Those who wish can then use these for continuing gameplay.
ARK’s DLC Ragnarok comes to PS4 and Xbox One on August 8
Ragnarok is a free DLC map for ARK Survival Evolved, where it is particularly hard to survive. There are harsh weather conditions and dangerous creatures. PC players have been able to enjoy it for quite some time.
However, the release of Ragnarok on PS4 and Xbox One has been delayed three times. Understandably, some frustration has built up among console players. The new release date for Ragnarok on consoles is August 8, 2017. Along with the full launch, the new map will be available on PS4 and Xbox One. So it will take a while longer.
Studio Wildcard provided the following points as reasons for the late release date:
- The Ragnarok developers will be able to use the latest version of the dev kit. This allows them to implement the latest changes in ARK directly into Ragnarok.
- Wildcard wants to focus first on other aspects of ARK, such as server stability or crash issues. They want to ensure better performance for Ragnarok before the DLC map comes to consoles.
- Wildcard decided rather spontaneously not to conduct a server wipe. This also affects Ragnarok. The developers want to avoid that servers, which have only been online for a few weeks, become legacy servers.
Consoles will receive PC dedicated servers in ARK Survival Evolved
Also with the full launch of ARK Survival Evolved, consoles will receive PC dedicated servers. From August 8, 2017, the servers will be available to PS4 and Xbox One players.
The new PC servers for consoles offer the following advantages, according to Wildcard:
- No second console is needed to start a private server
- Players have access to all “configuration settings”, allowing customization of ARK
- Cross-ARK clusters are enabled, allowing travel between maps
- Backups of save files can be made
- Servers will have better performance
- Servers will support a higher player count, up to 100 users
The CD version of ARK Survival Evolved seems to have stirred things up quite a bit for Studio Wildcard. The chief developer was adamant about wanting the hard-copy version. You can find out why here.
