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ARK: Survival Ascended (usually shortened to ASA) is Studio Wildcard’s remake of ARK: Survival Evolved, rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. It is a survival game with cross-platform multiplayer, and its Steam listing still carries an Early Access label. Content has grown since launch, so the details that change most often (price, platform rules, which expansions you get) are the ones to check before buying.
What ASA is, and how it relates to Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved is the original game. ASA is not a sequel or a spin-off. Steam describes it as a rebuilt and redesigned version of that game, using Unreal Engine 5 and modern rendering technology. In practical terms, the remake changes the engine and presentation while keeping the survival gameplay players know from the original.
The store description does not benchmark visual quality or performance on any hardware. If frame rate or graphics on a particular machine matter to you, look for current performance coverage of the build you plan to play rather than relying on the “remake” label.
Release date and Early Access status
The Steam store page lists October 25, 2023 as the release date and continues to label the product Early Access. Its Early Access FAQ also says the developer once expected the game to stay in Early Access until the end of 2024. That was a forecast when it was written, not a record of what happened, so the current store label is the figure to rely on. Check the label on your storefront before describing the game’s status to anyone.
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- ARK: Survival Ascended has completely recreated and redesigned the artwork and worlds of ARK to take advantage of the latest in videogame technology, Unreal Engine 5, using high-end graphics features such as fully dynamic Global Illumination (“Lumen”), so that light bounces realistically of off surfaces and provides realistic reflections, and advanced mesh streaming (“Nanite”) of hundreds of millions of triangles for extreme detail.
- Advanced new physics systems such as dynamic water so that every creature creates waves, ripples, splashes, and bubbles as they move through fluids, and fully interactive physical foliage where every blade of grass, bush, and tree reacts to characters, explosions, projectiles, and physics objects.
- ARK: Survival Ascended includes access to all of ARK’s worlds, including Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, ARK Genesis Part 1, ARK Genesis Part 2, and more. The Island is released now, with the subsequent expansion worlds to be added at no additional cost on a regular basis.
- Thorough Quality of Life revamps in every area: redesigned User Interfaces, dynamic navigation for intelligent creature pathfinding, Wild Babies, Photo Mode, new Camera systems, new Map system, Tracking System, new Structures and Items, new Creatures, and much more.
- Cross-Platform Modding: Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser directly within the game! Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time ever across gaming platforms!
Platforms, multiplayer and modding
ASA is sold on PC storefronts, including Steam and the Epic Games Store, and on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. The Steam listing includes single-player mode and multiplayer modes, both online and local. Store listings describe cross-platform multiplayer and cross-platform modding, and Steam also describes a built-in way to download player-created content.
Those are broad claims. They do not establish which specific platform pairs share servers, which server types are included, or whether every mod and save feature works across every platform. Confirm the exact platform pair you plan to play with before promising a friend that you can join them. The Epic Games Store listing was not opened in full during the sources review, so treat its platform details as less directly verified than the Steam page.
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What was planned at launch, and what came later
The Steam Early Access description set out an original plan for the game. It listed:
- The Island as a launch map
- Official mod support
- Remade expansions and free maps
- Original story content tied to future DLC
That list records what was published at the time. It is not a current inventory, and it does not tell you which of these items are included in a given edition or on a given platform. Compare the exact content included in the edition you are considering.
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ARK: Lost Colony
Snail, Inc.’s 2025 annual report (Form 10-K) states that ARK: Lost Colony was publicly released in December 2025 as a full-size canonical expansion for ASA. The same filing mentions other ARK franchise releases. Those are separate products, so check the title and product listing before counting them as ASA content.
Live servers and announcements
Studio Wildcard posts ongoing server news on its official Steam news feed, including announcements about cross-platform Conquest servers. Server modes, transfer windows and events are time-limited. Read the most recent post before planning a session, because an older announcement may no longer describe how servers currently run.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the download figure means
Snail, Inc. reported in its 2025 annual filing that ASA’s inclusion in PlayStation Plus in May 2025 generated more than 8 million downloads and an associated uplift in DLC sales. This is a company-reported download figure tied to that promotion. It is not a count of paid sales, and it does not show how many people still play.
How to check the current details before you buy
- Open the ASA listing on your storefront (Steam, the Epic Games Store, the Xbox Store or the PlayStation Store) and note the current price.
- In the same listing, check whether the DLC you want is included in the edition you are buying or sold separately.
- On the Steam store page, scroll to the system requirements for your operating system and compare them with your hardware.
- Confirm the cross-play rules for your platform pair in the listing or in Studio Wildcard’s official announcements.
- Check Studio Wildcard’s official Steam news feed for current server announcements before planning a session.
Prices, requirements, compatibility and DLC availability vary by region and change over time, so treat any figure in this article as a point-in-time reference and confirm it on the storefront.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
