ARK; Survival Evolved was officially released back in August 2017, following multiple pre-releases of the game. Since then, the game has received a huge number of updates, including four separate DLC expansion packs, all available via the season pass for the game. Considering this it's fair to say that fans of the game have been treated to a wide variety of content over its lifespan.
Speculation is always bound to start building when The Game Awards comes around, with high-profile announcements regularly made throughout the show. Whilst we've seen trailers for the season update to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout , this reveal seemed to catch a lot of people by surprise, for several reasons.
NEWS
ARK 2 has been officially revealed at The Game Awards 2020 in a gorgeous new trailer for the game. Taking place within a vast and colorful jungle, synonymous with the original game in the franchise, Ark: Survival Evolved, a mysterious tribe can be seen defending themselves against a dangerous group of attackers, until an enormous T-Rex breaks up the fight, by causing havoc to both groups of adventurers.
To many viewers' surprise, Hollywood actor Vin Diesel also makes an appearance throughout the trailer, seemingly acting as the tribes' leader. Whilst information was little to go by regarding a story mode for the second installment within the franchise, his appearance may be hinting towards a more single-player focused narrative this time around.
Check out the full trailer below.
World Premiere of ARK II! A brutal new world of primitive survival! Continue @survivetheark's story of humankind's evolution in this next-generation sandbox survival experience! 🦕 #ARK2 #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/W8iHpLkOWf
Following this surprising announcement, a trailer was also revealed for ARK: The Animated Series , an expansion on the ARK universe. The series, labeled as an “ origin story ”, looks to focus on the dinosaur survival aspect of ARK as a whole. You can also check out the full trailer for ARK: The Animated Series below.
The ARK universe is expanding at #TheGameAwards. Check out the trailer for ARK: The Animated Series, an origin story based on @survivetheark's dinosaur survival adventure! 🦖 #ARKAnimated pic.twitter.com/NN7ydPOu4f
WHAT THIS MEANS
Adding a second game to the ARK franchise seems a surprising move from developer Studio Wildcard. Whilst it has been over three years since the official release of ARK; Survival Evolved, the studio has consistently improved and added to the game, refusing to allow the game to become stale. Along with this, Ark: Survival Evolved: Explorer’s Edition was recently added to Xbox Game Pass, increasing the potential for their player base to grow a huge amount.
Fans will now wait eagerly for more information surrounding the game. The inclusion of Vin Diesel could potentially be hinting at a more single-player focused narrative for the game, straying away from the multiplayer aspect the previous game seemed to encourage. On the other hand, Diesel's inclusion could be a marketing strategy from Studio Wildcard, utilizing a famous to generate some buzz around their surprising announcement.
No official release date has been confirmed for ARK 2 , however, fans can expect to see the game at some point in 2021.
XBOX Writer