The Dino Survival MMO ARK: Survival Evolved celebrated its highest player counts in March. 157,355 players were online at the same time. This was not foreseeable in 2015, as ARK skillfully exploited the hype around Jurassic World.
This is how ARK started in 2015
It all started like this: ARK: Survival Evolved was released in Early Access on June 2, 2015, and skillfully rode the hype generated by Jurassic World.
The film Jurassic World, featuring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard in the lead roles, was released on June 11, 2015, and had dinosaur fans excited long beforehand with teasers and trailers. Just a month earlier, on May 11, 2015, Wildcard suddenly announced ARK: Survival Evolved. A dream for those players who were eagerly awaiting the film.
Until the cinema release of Jurassic World, enthusiastic dino fans first took a look at ARK and tamed the first dinosaurs. Wildcard skillfully capitalized on the hype surrounding the Jurassic Park sequel. However, the launch was anything but smooth, and the performance was catastrophic. Nevertheless, the survival MMO attracted over 80,000 players.
Not just a summer hit: Many thought the title would be a one-time summer hit that would quickly fade away. But far from it, as ARK is one of the most popular survival titles and continues to break records even today.
4 reasons why ARK is still booming in 2020
The previous record: The previous player record was set by ARK in November 2018 with about 106,000 players at the same time. On average, ARK does not go higher than 50,000 to 80,000 players at peak.
This is what’s happening now: However, with the Genesis release in February 2020, this has changed. ARK achieved a peak of 138,648 players that month, and on March 8, there were even 157,355. There are several reasons for this.
Genesis Release
Of course, the Genesis release on February 27 plays a significant role. With the update, cool creatures were introduced to the game along with many other exciting contents:
The first part of the new expansion has completely overhauled the core principle of ARK and introduced features that didn’t exist before.
- A voiced drone guides players through Genesis
- Many different missions, such as Dodo basketball, have been added
- Natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions or avalanches occur in the biomes
- Outer space or parts of the shattered moon as a new, unique biome
With these features, Wildcard managed to attract both old and new players. Veterans find a new challenge in Genesis, while new players finally have a clear task structure with the mission design.
The map may not please everyone, but ARK returns to the roots of survival with Genesis, which especially appeals to players looking for a challenge.
Free Weekend
Coinciding with the release of the Genesis expansion, there was a free Steam weekend from February 27 to March 2, 2020. PC players had the opportunity to try the base game for free and enjoy all the contents.
A free weekend is always great for convincing new potential players to try the dino survival. Those who had fun during this period and want to continue hunting dinosaurs probably acquired ARK.
Current Corona Situation
The current situation concerning the coronavirus also likely contributes to the high player numbers in March. Most of us are at home looking for something to do. Thus, Steam also managed to break a record for active users in March.
If you are also looking for a good activity, we have some ideas for you:
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Dinosaur are still cool
Even though ARK is increasingly moving towards science fiction and totally wacky creatures come into play, like the space whale, one thing remains the same: tons of dinos!
And it is precisely those that fascinate in ARK. No other game allows you to tame and ride prehistoric creatures. Anyone who has ever flown over the map on a giant eagle, the Argentavis, picking up hostile players from the ground only to drop them off somewhere else will not want to stop the fun anytime soon.
Mods are important: The mod support and the content created by the community also provide plenty of variety. Recently, we spoke with the creator of one of the most popular ARK maps, who told us that ARK would not be as popular as it is now without mods. The mods not only expand the game with small content like weapons, functions, or equipment but also with new dinosaurs or entire maps.
What was probably the biggest factor? The biggest factor for the high player numbers is likely the Genesis release hype that is slowly fading away. In the last two weeks, the player numbers have decreased again. During the last two weekends, peak player counts were “only” about 120,000.
Are you still actively playing ARK: Survival Evolved and have your own opinion about the high player numbers? Share it in the comments.
