Just after the PC Gaming Show, where he made a big announcement, I was able to talk with Jesse Rapczack Co-Founder and Co-Creative Director of Studio Wildcard about Ark: Survival Evolved. For those unaware, he announced an official mod, Ark: Primal Survival, where you will be able to play as the dinosaurs, build up a pack, mate with other dinosaurs, and more. Check out this article for more.
On to the interview. The talk beings with Rapczack expanding and explaining the new official mod a bit further, but the majority of our conversation was about the community of Ark and the game's future. The new mod was actually created because fans continually requested the ability to play as the dinosaur. With the new devkit, coming soon, everyone should be able to make their own using the new mechanics introduced in the official mod. Rapczack discussed many different things Studio Wildcard does to engage and foster the community of Ark by doing things like holding contests for mods, not to mention just the tons of feedback they receive as an Early Access title.
It seems Ark will stay in Early Access for a little while longer, but Rapczack mentions they would like to see Ark released in time for the holidays this year. As for what to expect in the future, Rapczack mentioned that the game isn't quite feature complete yet, and we should all be expecting more to come. He talked in a bit of detail about a new tech system that will open up more tools, items, and more for players in the later stages of the game. Rapczack said that they've always thought of Ark as taking you from a very primitive level, in terms of access to tech, to more of the sci-fi, which is where this new tech system will fit in.
Check out the below video for more info on Ark: Survival Evolved, its future, and more.
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