ARK 2 – Survival game postponed until at least the end of 2024

According to a post on the official site, ARK 2 will no longer be released this year, but now at the end of 2024.
Although there was no fixed date for the release in 2023, but the fans had expected a release in Q3 or Q4 2023.

ARK 2 not before the end of 2024

So write the developers in their announcement about the postponement:

After careful consideration, we have decided to delay the sequel’s launch to the end of 2024, when it will still launch exclusively on Xbox, Game Pass, and Windows distribution platforms (Steam/PC).
We’ve put much thought into delaying ARK 2 for the betterment of the final product and the team’s well-being.

This news will be disappointing to many – we feel it too – but we’re confident this heavy decision is the right one.

Among the reasons for the postponement, Studio Wildcard cites difficulties with the handling of the relatively new Unreal Engine 5 as well as with the game design of ARK 2 itself:

We also recognize that ARK 2 has some pretty significant design changes from the original game, which may not make it as appealing to everyone (looking at you, Souls-like combat, primitive-only weaponry, and strict third-person mechanics – and an overall “very serious” tone), which is why we feel it is essential to provide players with a fully next-gen version of the original experience to ensure that fans can continue to enjoy the ARK they know for years to come.

It is also announced that there will be no new material in the form of gameplay, screenshots or other videos for ARK 2 in 2023.

Remastered version for ARK 1 announced

In addition to this postponement, the developers have also announced a remastered version for the predecessor ARK: Survival Evolved, which also ports the first part to Unreal Engine 5.
This version is scheduled for release in August 2023 and will be called ARK. Survival Ascended. It will include the base game, a reworked version of Survival of the Fittest, and all of the “non-canon” DLC maps.

There will also be an ARK Respawned bundle that includes both ARK Remaster and ARK 2. Also included is 1 month of closed beta access to ARK 2.
This bundle will be released with the remaster version.