Co-Founder Jeremy Stieglitz Addresses Server Problems and Stability Challenges in the Unreal Engine 5 Remake of Ark: Survival Evolved
During a recent livestream as part of Studio Wildcard’s Extra Life Charity Stream on Twitch, Jeremy Stieglitz, co-founder of the Ark developer, Studio Wildcard, openly addressed the persistent performance challenges plaguing the recently released Ark: Survival Ascended.
In a moment of candor, Stieglitz acknowledged, “The servers are ass. They run like ass. And their stability is ass. We need to improve it. It’s going to be improved.” This frank admission resonated strongly with the Twitch audience, evoking a mix of shock and admiration, with viewers expressing sentiments like “Wow truth,” “Facts,” and “Finally someone that gets it.”
Ark: Survival Ascended represents Studio Wildcard’s ambitious Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Ark: Survival Evolved. Despite a successful Steam launch, with over 600,000 copies sold on Valve’s platform within the first two weeks, the game encountered a slew of performance issues, reflected in its ‘mixed’ Steam user review rating of 58%.
Player discontent primarily revolves around problems such as crashes, server connectivity issues, and various bugs. Responding to concerns over cheating, Studio Wildcard temporarily withdrew the Windows PC version from PVP crossplay last month. The decision aimed to address issues like speedhacks and the ability to kill through walls, prompting Studio Wildcard to collaborate with Microsoft and anti-cheat software BattleEye to implement robust anti-cheat measures for the Windows version.
Stieglitz acknowledged the difficult decision, stating, “We apologize to our Windows players, but we feel this is the best course of action for the health of the game.” Despite the challenges faced, Studio Wildcard is committed to making substantial improvements to address performance and stability concerns, reflecting a dedication to the gaming community’s experience and the overall health of Ark: Survival Ascended.