When the release date for ARK: Survival Evolved was initially announced for August 8, alongside some rather tempting ARK: Survival Evolved collector's editions, fans who had picked up the game in its early access model were excited to see what the full release had in store. Unfortunately, gamers will be left waiting a little while longer, as the game's launch has been pushed back.

The news comes courtesy of developer Studio Wildcard, who took to the game's official community forums to announce that the release date for the full retail version of ARK: Survival Evolved has now been pushed back. The game will now see release on August 29, 2017, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, rather than the previously stated launch date of next week.

"As of today, ARK has completed its Gold Master and certification for retail release," explained Studio Wildcard. However, it turns out that this process took longer than the studio had initially expected, and so the game's release date has been delayed. "We're deeply apologetic for those who were negatively affected by the delay; it sucks, it wasn't what we had wanted, nor planned but where we currently stand," Studio Wildcard stated. "We wanted to address this sooner but did not want to make any statements until we were completely sure of what was going to happen."

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It's not just the full release of the game that has been pushed back, either, with this then having a knock-on effect for the game's upcoming Ragnarok DLC. The release date for Ragnarok will now match that of the full release of ARK, with the DLC set to launch on August 29. However, it's not all bad news, as Studio Wildcard has stated that "this extended time will allow further development of the map and you guys can expect a gigantic update, even bigger than we initially thought."

Although the community for ARK: Survival Evolved is a strong one, as shown by the impressive early access sales figures for the game across multiple platforms, there have certainly been a fair few teething problems for the title. Recently, some gamers have grown disgruntled over a large price increase for ARK: Survival Evolved, with a jump up to $59.99 displeasing some following the game.

Before long, however, ARK: Survival Evolved will be expanding further with another release. The virtual reality spin-off called ARK Park is set for a 2017 release itself, and the game's recent trailer made it look just like Jurassic Park. Hopefully, both games will be able to cement themselves as impressive works beyond this early promise.

ARK: Survival Evolved will now see full release on August 29, 2017, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with the Ragnarok DLC releasing on the same day.

Source: Studio Wildcard