Ark: Survival Evolved's Genesis expansion gets another delay
Now expected in February.
Part one of Ark: Survival Evolved's two-part Genesis expansion, which was due to launch this month following a release date delay back in December, will now arrive on 25th February, according to its developer Wildcard Studios.
Genesis, which was first unveiled back in August last year, effectively forms Ark's second season pass, and will ultimately deliver the game's fourth and fifth paid expansions - following on from previous offerings Scorched Earth, Aberration, and Extinction.
Announcing Genesis' second delay on the Ark website, Wildcard wrote, "We're extremely sorry to push it back an extra month, but as we have been heads-down with the rest of the team polishing, balancing and putting the final pieces together, we really felt that the extra wait will be worth it both for the quality of the base game and the ambitious new expansion."
Although Ark started out as a dinosaur-themed survival game with a future-tech twist, Wildcard has leaned increasingly heavily on the sci-fi angle as its expansions have progressed, and there looks to be plenty in the way of exotic fauna and weird new technology in Genesis.
ARK: Genesis Part 1, as the next expansion is known, unfolds within a simulation world, which gives the studio the freedom to shove a bunch of disparate biomes together without needing to explain itself too much. There are ice regions rubbing shoulders with active volcanoes, vast underwater segments, a foggy bog, and even a low-gravity lunar biome that serves as a home to giant space whales known as Astrocetus.
As you might expect, the world is due to play host to a range of other creatures too - including expansion-specific variants of existing beasts and entirely new species. Previously, Wildcard has revealed the magma-spewing Lava Lizard, the Giant Turtle (which can be used as a foundation for a mobile water base), the grotesquely tentacular Bloodstalker, and the adorable ice critter Tiny, which can transform into a terrifying monster if it munches on Element.
Other new additions include the Tek Claw, Fishing Net, Cruise Missile Weapon, Shoulder Cannon, and, perhaps most interestingly, a fully voiced AI companion known as HLN-A. The latter will be used to disseminate missions and goals, set objectives, and serve as the conduit for Genesis' semi-directed story, which is a first for Ark.
Genesis' still-mysterious second instalment was initially due to arrive this winter, but it's unclear if that will be impacted by Part 1's numerous delays. Those willing to throw caution to the wind can pick up the Genesis season pass on Xbox One, PS4, or PC now for around £30.