ARK Survival Evolved vs Ascended: Which one should you buy as a new player in 2025?

When we think of taming dinosaurs, ARK Survival Evolved is the first game that comes to mind. The game provides a unique experience by mixing classic open-world survival with monster hunting. However, it was only a matter of time before it received a remake by the name of ARK Survival Ascending. This is where things get complicated, and as a new player, it’s easy to get confused about which one to choose as your first game.

There are many differences between the two, and this article will explain some important ones before suggesting which one to buy.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

How is ARK Survival Ascended different from Evolved?

ARK Survival Ascended and Evolved differences (Image via Studio Wildcard)

The core content of both games is the same, but ARK Survival Ascended is constantly adding new content on top of the existing one inside ARK Evolved. We have listed some of the major differences between the two games to help you decide which one to buy in 2025.

Game engine

While the original ARK Survival Evolved was developed with Unreal Engine 4, ARK Ascended is a full remake being developed with Unreal Engine 5. This results in a massive difference in the visual quality of both games. The new game looks much better and gives you a vague idea of what ARK 2 may look like due to the same game engine.

Content availability

The amount of content is where ARK Ascended loses, and there’s a good reason for this. ARK Survival Evolved contains a decade's worth of DLC updates, while Ascended was launched back in late 2023 and is still playing catch-up.

Quality of Life

Quality of Life is often very subjective, but if you ask others, many will agree that ARK Ascended takes the crown in this comparison. Along with better visuals, the game also improves upon a lot of in-game elements. These include UI improvements, inventory management, crafting, building, and small things that save time.

Official servers

If you are a fan of the MMO aspect of the game, ARK Ascended will become your final choice. After the game was released, the official server support for ARK: Survival Evolved ended. The only exception is the upcoming ARK Aquatica expansion, which is getting a limited-time server support on launch. But that too will also end in a few months.

Future content

ARK Ascended isn’t only bringing back the old content, but also adding new biomes and monsters. The recently released Ragnarok Ascended map is a good example. It included new islands to explore, along with the addition of fan-favorite creatures from other maps. On the other hand, ARK Survival Evolved doesn’t have plans for future content updates.

Pricing

Price is another department that favors ARK Survival Evolved. With heavy discounts during a sale, Evolved is much cheaper than ARK Ascended, and that’s before adding the cost of all the DLCs. Going with the latest means spending more money, even for the base game.

ARK: Survival Ascended vs. Evolved: Which should you buy?

ARK Ascended isn't perfect (Image via Studio Wildcard)

ARK Survival Evolved provides a more complete and stable experience, while Ascended brings a modern experience with better visuals. While there are positives and negatives to both, we recommend buying the latter.

Although the comparison between the two titles leads us to recommend ARK Survival Ascended, this does not mean the suggested game is perfect. For example, there are complaints regarding performance issues in the game, which may make you reconsider which game to play.

Meanwhile, if you do not care about multiplayer elements and just want to tame dinosaurs, ARK Survival Evolved may be a better option. This article is to provide an insight into each game’s differences, and the final decision of choosing what to play rests upon you.

Meanwhile, here are some of our ASA guides:

About the author

Mayank Singh Rathour is an MMO writer at Sportskeeda. He graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and has over two years of experience as an esports journalist.

Mayank was introduced to gaming at an early age and played Contra, Double Dragon, Castlevania, etc., on his Nintendo DS. When he was a little older, Counter-Strike — a title that majorly helped develop his passion for gaming — became his favorite pastime. Though he's played a bunch of games since then, his love of CS has remained strong. Shroud, a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro, is an inspiration to him. He's also a fan of series' esports scene, following teams like Vitality, NAVI, and The Mongols closely.

When Mayank has some free time, he plays basketball and helps people build PCs.

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Edited by Arundhoti Palit