Ark: Survival Evolved Split-Screen
By Dalton Cooper 26 December 2015
Studio Wildcard announces that the Xbox One version of Ark: Survival Evolved will have 2-player local split-screen support added in an early 2016 update.
As of today, Xbox One owners now have the opportunity to download and play the popular open world dinosaur game Ark: Survival Evolved thanks to the Xbox Preview Program. Studio Wildcard plans on supporting the game with numerous updates leading up to its full release in June of next year, and one future update for the game has already been detailed.
As announced by Studio Wildcard, an update coming to Ark: Survival Evolved in early 2016 will add 2-player local split-screen to the game. Split-screen can’t be combined with online play, but it will allow gamers to fully explore the world of Ark in couch co-op with a friend.
Studio Wildcard released this statement about split-screen in Ark:
“Many developers are abandoning split-screen local play, but we couldn’t stomach that for Ark! Friends and families can look forward to working together to survive the environment, tame its inhabitants and unravel the mysteries of the island–all from the same couch.”
Currently, split-screen is only confirmed for the Xbox One version of Ark. PC games traditionally forgo split-screen, even if the console versions of the same game have it, so it’s unlikely that the PC version of Ark will see split-screen support added. However, it’s reasonable to assume that the planned PS4 version of the game will indeed feature split-screen when it is eventually released.
In any case, it’s refreshing to see Studio Wildcard make the extra effort to include local split-screen in Ark. Split-screen is a feature that is beloved by many, and gives players more ways to enjoy their games. Unfortunately, more and more games appear to be abandoning split-screen, with Halo 5‘s lack of split-screen one of the more shocking offenders. Perhaps Studio Wildcard’s efforts will show that split-screen is a feature that many gamers appreciate, and hopefully it will inspire other developers to include it in their games as well.
So far, Studio Wildcard and Ark: Survival Evolved have both been very impressive ever since the game was revealed last year. The studio’s commitment to improving the game and doing right by the Ark community is apparent, and their efforts have resulted in Ark selling over 1 million units to date. With the game now available on Xbox One and coming to PS4 as well in 2016, expect Ark: Survival Evolved‘s popularity to continue to grow.
Ark: Survival Evolved is currently available for Xbox One as a part of the console’s early access program. The full release of the game is expected to be available in June of 2016.
Source: GameSpot
