Ark: Survival Evolved is an action-adventure survival game set in an open world where players tame dinosaurs, build bases, and survive against the elements.
ARK: Survival Evolved is an action-adventure survival game developed by Studio Wildcard, released in 2017 after two years of early access. Players wake up stranded on a mysterious island filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures that can be tamed, ridden, and bred. The game blends survival crafting with creature collection and large-scale tribe warfare.
ARK's unique hook is its dinosaur taming system. Over 100 creatures can be knocked out, tranquilised, and tamed to serve as mounts, pack animals, guard dogs, or flying transports. The breeding system adds genetic traits, mutations, and stat inheritance, creating a metagame of its own. Players looking for similar survival experiences should also check out Rust for intense full-loot PvP without creature taming, or Palworld for a more accessible creature-collection survival game.
ARK: Survival Ascended is the Unreal Engine 5 remaster that serves as the current version of the game. It features dramatically improved graphics, cross-platform play, and modding support through CurseForge. Studio Wildcard has committed to supporting Survival Ascended alongside the upcoming ARK 2.
The Astraeos Mega Update in February 2026 introduced the Pyranthos landmass, a Greek Odyssey-inspired region with a tameable amphibious fortress creature and a five-headed Hydra boss. An Unreal Engine 5.7 upgrade is planned for spring 2026, delivering approximately 33% performance gains through new Nanite virtualized culling. Genesis: Part 1 arrives in April 2026, followed by Part 2 four months later.
ARK supports massive multiplayer servers with tribes competing for territory, resources, and dominance. PvP servers feature full base raiding, where attackers can demolish walls, steal resources, and kill tamed creatures. PvE servers offer a more cooperative experience focused on building and exploration.