Ark Survival Ascended’s Unreal Engine 5.7 improve is a “magic bullet” for efficiency and opens the door for brand new platforms

For Studio Wildcard’s co-founder and growth director, Jeremy Stieglitz, there is a “golden trio” of components that want to come back collectively to lure followers from its ageing however adored Ark Survival Developed over to the shinier, newer Ark Survival Ascended. First, put some Unreal Engine 5 glitz on basic Ark content material. Second, prepare dinner up and serve all-new expansions which can be solely out there in ASA – one thing it is lastly delivering on with Misplaced Colony, which launched this month. And thirdly, enhance efficiency. Ark’s by no means been the smoothest, most-polished of experiences, and so the hunt of constructing ASA a slick survival recreation that may assist new improvements with out taking steps again, performance-wise, is a crucial one. Whereas 2026 will convey lots extra upgrades and fixes to Survival Ascended, Stieglitz could be very enthusiastic about its improve to Unreal Engine 5.7 particularly. Why? Inside UE5.7 is a “magic bullet” change that ought to make drastic enhancements to ASA on PC – and will see it arrive on new platforms just like the Nintendo Change 2.

I have been chatting with Stieglitz within the wake of Misplaced Colony’s launch. It is a massively bold DLC that brings a number of new mechanics to Ark Survival Ascended, however there have been some efficiency and bug grumbles because it dropped. Trying by Misplaced Colony’s person opinions on Steam, this seems to be one of many major the reason why it sits on a disappointing ‘blended’ ranking. Whereas new additions and content material will at all times put new strains on a recreation, Stieglitz is aware of Studio Wildcard must do higher.

“[ASA] nonetheless would not run nicely sufficient,” he concedes. “The excellent news is it runs higher than it did at launch, not simply because folks have higher {hardware}, however like by any measure, folks can see that it runs like 40 to 50% higher on the identical {hardware} versus when it launched in October 2023. It is not adequate but, however higher than it was.

“So how will we get it to run [even] higher? Effectively, fortunately, Epic has already achieved most of that work. The newer model of the engine referred to as Unreal 5.7 runs so much higher than the previous model, Unreal 5.5. Sadly, we’re nonetheless on Unreal Engine 5.5 and upgrading these items is not trivial, however we’re already engaged on upgrading to Unreal Engine 5.7 and we anticipate to have that out by the tip of March 2026.”

Naturally, an engine improve ought to profit any frequently supported recreation, however one specific enchancment in UE 5.7 might be big information for Ark Survival Ascended.

“We have already received a number of the metrics, and that is going to lead to a few third [33%] efficiency profit […] It is humorous, as a result of a [big] space Epic has labored on for this new model the engine is on giant scale foliage. [You’ve seen that in] their Witcher demo and so forth. It actually instantly applies to what our recreation is doing. And I do know it sounds loopy, however from our preliminary exams, it largely is as near a magic bullet as you are inclined to get in videogames. It is like an choice. You flip it on, say, ‘Okay, [with] all of the foliage, the bushes, and bushes and stuff, I need to use the brand new technique of nanite tessellation and never the previous technique.’ And also you type of flip it on and, increase, your efficiency is manner higher. There are only a few drawbacks to it. There is no actual artifacts or overheads that now we have discovered up to now, and the efficiency is evening and day.”

Stieglitz says this engine improve goes to permit Studio Wildcard to assume greater and broader – he reveals to me that the developer is “at present exploring” a Nintendo Change 2 port.

“It is in energetic growth,” he says. “I can not inform you when it is gonna come out, as a result of there’s nonetheless some unknowns. However now we have builds on Nintendo Change 2, straight up, and it’s only doable due to that newer model [of Unreal]. In any other case it will be unattainable without end – [Survival Ascended] was not inside [viable] efficiency specs for that console, besides now the 5.7 nanite tessellation has a profound impression on how the sport runs. We began truly doing that work for Nintendo Change to see the place it was main, and it is so vital that we have type of prioritized getting that engine improve achieved as quickly as we will within the new 12 months, and debugging it, getting it out for launch on the present platforms.”

I jokingly ask if Tim Sweeney might be getting a Christmas card from Stieglitz this 12 months, because of the big potential this single Unreal Engine enchancment is bringing.

“Yeah, they undoubtedly have achieved some actually good work,” Steiglitz says. “And credit score to Epic for by no means resting on their laurels. They’re clearly in pole place on business expertise. It would be straightforward for them to get lazy, as different corporations have up to now who’ve some type of monopolistic expertise. It is simple to say, ‘Effectively, we’re so good, we needn’t enhance.’ However Epic has resisted, up to now, the tendency of business leaders to not proceed to advance the state of their merchandise – I do not know if that is going to remain that manner without end, however I credit score lots of it to Tim Sweeney’s technical management over there. Epic’s not an ideal firm. No firm is. However on that entrance, there’s so much to be [admired] about how they’ve operated over the past ten years or so.”

Make sure you look out for extra from my interview with Stieglitz, wherein we focus on Ark Survival Ascended’s newly revealed roadmap, which brings but extra authentic content material and main options to the sport.