ARK Survival Evolved veteran with 35000 hours chastises game after new update fiasco

ARK Survival Evolved was a dream brought to life, which the community has embraced since its inception in 2017 on Steam. However, in recent times, things have started to change. Following the AI trailer for the Aquatica DLC, the community got a rude awakening to the reality of things.

While ARK Survival Evolved is still a great game in many ways, veterans with hundreds (in some cases thousands) of hours of playtime are starting to revolt. One such player, going by the username lacenes, lashed out via a Steam review. With over 35,000 hours (35,202, to be exact) of in-game playtime, it's safe to say this is not a biased opinion. Here's more on the topic at hand.

"How do I get a refund!!" - ARK Survival Evolved veteran lashes out at developers

A refund after 35,000 hours? That's crazy! (Image via Steam)

On July 16, 2025, a day after the ARK Survival Evolved DLC "Aquatic" went live, the aforementioned user took to Steam to leave a scathing review. This is what lacenes had to say:

"I have enjoyed Ark for 35,000 hours, one of my favorite games to play with friends and family. I ran an ASM server w/mods for years until today. NOTHING works anymore. Server doesn't match, mods don't work, and all this is to force us to ASA."

One of the points of contention in the review is that they state that following the launch of the latest DLC, the game is broken. Servers don't match, mods don't work, and based on their perception of things, it's all being done with the intent of forcing players to shift to ARK Survival Ascended, which is the newer kid on the block. They continue by saying:

"I have that game as well, and it sucks. That is why we went back to ASE, and now you have managed to screw that up also. You had something great. Hope you don't choke on your GREED!!!"

The user ends their review by stating they want a refund. While the game itself might have an 84% rating on Steam, the DLC in question is at 13%. It's clear that the reviews are negative (for the most part) across the board. It's so bad that players have been wanting to roll back Ark Survival Evolved to the pre-Aquatica version on Steam.

Things have taken such a downturn for ARK Survival Evolved that many within the community want the ARK franchise to be sold to someone else, someone who would respect the playerbase and not use AI to fuel profit. Of course, this is not likely to happen, but given how things are progressing, the future is not looking all that good.

In retrospect, against all odds, ARK Survival Evolved is performing better than ARK Survival Ascended. Sitting at a 59% rating on Steam, it's easy to see why players enjoy the previous title. Despite the newer one running on UE5.5, fans are not impressed. While it can be argued that it's still a work in progress, it has been rather slow according to community feedback.

ARK Survival Ascended Ragnarok was a success in many ways, but with limited optimization, veterans of ARK Survival Evolved being frustrated, and the general state of things, there's a lot of ground to cover for the developers. While upcoming add-ons, such as the Megaraptor, will inject hype into the game, it's but a drop that has to fill a bucket.

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About the author

Matthew Wilkins is one of the top writers at Sportskeeda Gaming, having crossed 16 million views in just over three years. Matthew currently writes for Fortnite, MMO, and other sections as well. Speaking with developers of the Total War franchise and reviewing numerous AAA games have been key milestones in his career so far.

Matthew is a Communicative English Major, and his skills and experience have helped him dig deep in the world of esports and gaming journalism. He prioritizes accuracy and ensures nothing is second-guessed. Being connected to the community is an important aspect of his life, as it helps him keep track of credible insiders and leakers to be among the first to report on breaking news.

Matthew grew up playing video games, with Age of Empires serving as his gateway into the world. Currently, he leans towards real-time as well as turn-based strategy games, 4x, and similar genres, and frequently binge-plays solo or multiplayer titles on PC. His love for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Stellaris are unparalleled, matched perhaps only by Fortnite. Matthew is also a vocalist and performs a variety of genres like Glam Rock, Pop, Heavy Metal, and Rock when not writing.

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Edited by Ashmita Bhatt