Ark: Survival Evolved (stylized as ARK) is an open world action-adventure survival video game in development by Studio Wildcard in cooperation with Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, and Virtual Basement. It is scheduled for release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft
Windows, OS
X, and Linux in 2017. The game's early access began for
Windows in June 2015, for OS
X and Linux in July 2015, for Xbox One in
December 2015, and for PlayStation 4 in
December 2016. In the game, players must survive being stranded on an island filled with roaming dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, natural hazards, and potentially hostile human players.
The game is played from either a third-person or first-person view and its world is navigated on foot or by riding a prehistoric animal. Players use firearms and improvised weapons to defend against hostile humans and creatures, with the ability to build bases as defense. The game has both single-
player and multiplayer options.
Development began in
October 2014. The development team conducted research into the physical appearance of the animals, but took creative license for gameplay purposes. One of the game modes, Survival of the Fittest, was released as a free standalone game in March 2016. Egypt-based developer Instinct Games was hired to facilitate the game's development. Three DLCs (The Center, Primitive Plus, and Scorched
Earth) were also released.
