The Unreal Engine 5 update of the highly popular dinosaur survival game ARK: Survival Evolved has been launched on Steam. Dubbed ARK: Survival Ascended, this release didn’t just touch up the title’s visual fidelity but various new and exciting mechanics as well. Including but not limited to photo mode, new map system and creatures, and even baby dinosaurs in the wild! Nonetheless, fans might be curious whether they can try ARK: Survival Ascended at no cost using their Game Pass subscription or not.
Is ARK: Survival Ascended Available On Game Pass?
ARK: Survival Ascended is not available on Xbox and PC Game Pass at the time of writing. Studio Wildcard itself has not said whether it has a plan to release the game on Microsoft’s subscription service. Right now, if you search for “ARK” on the Xbox App, you’ll only find ARK: Survival Evolved, along with its various bundles and DLC offerings. ARK: Survival Ascended is not listed in the “Play with Game Pass” or “Games for purchase” section.
That said, the highly-anticipated sequel, ARK 2, is planned to be released on Game Pass on day one. On 26 October 2023, ARK: Survival Ascended was also launched as an early access title on Steam for $40.49. With the console release catching up in November because of technical hiccups.
As such, there’s a possibility that Studio Wildcard is waiting until it is out of early access to add it to the Game Pass library. According to the Steam store page, the developer expects ARK: Survival Ascended to be out of early access at the end of 2024.
Still, some things considered, the release date of the full or Game Pass version of ARK: Survival Ascended could be delayed. Previously, Studio Wildcard promised to launch the Unreal Engine 5 current-gen remaster on August 2023. But it ended up soft launching only on PC two months later.
Jeremy Stieglitz, the company’s co-founder, on January 2023 via social media, also mentioned that the ARK remaster will be “completely free.” Nonetheless, two months later, the developer’s official site revealed that ARK: Survival Ascended becomes a paid release.
The ARK team was planning to sell the current-gen upgrade only through the ARK Respawned Bundle for Xbox Series S|X and PC players. Costing $49.99 and containing ARK 2 and Survival Ascended, the bundle will be available for one year, after which they will be sold separately. Meanwhile, PlayStation 5 players will be able to buy it as a standalone upgrade. All players will still have to buy the expansion pack DLCs with each release.
Even so, the idea was eventually scrapped following the fanbase’s outcry. In the end, all platforms can buy ARK: Survival Evolved‘s Unreal Engine 5 remaster as a standalone package and all DLCs built into it.
ARK: Survival Ascended will be available for Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam and Windows Store. It is currently playable as a Steam Early Access title.
