Ark: Survival of the Fittest Heads to PS4 This Summer

Written by Brandon Hofer on April 21, 2016

News: PS4 is getting a new game this summer with Ark: Survival of the Fittest that is a multiplayer online survival arena game.

Studio Wildcard has revealed that Ark: Survival of the Fittest is making its way to PlayStation 4 this summer. ARK: Survival of the Fittest is a multiplayer online survival arena (M.O.S.A.) game that pits as many as 72 combatants against one another in spontaneous Hunger Games-style competitions within a closed battlefield, where a continually shrinking "ring of death" will push survivors into an epic final showdown with only one "Tribe" making it out alive.

"PlayStation gamers will now get the raw emotional sense of competitive satisfaction that PC gamers have been experiencing, as they wage war to survive and thrive," said Jesse Rapczak, co-founder, co-creative director, Studio Wildcard. "The simple addition of the practice mode means a lot, as PS4 gamers can hone their skills before jumping into the competitive wilds to form tribes, tame T-Rexes, and use everything in the ARK sandbox to fight it out. We don't call it Survival of the Fittest for nothing!"

Survivors can form one- to six-person tribes with the option to choose Unofficial (PC-hosted) and Official (Ranked) servers, and a variety of game-lengths and sizes in which to play. Players will start in the base forest environment introduced in the original ARK: Survival Evolved, with new environments and creatures introduced regularly as the game evolves. Dedicated eSport ranking, matchmaking, and tournament features make ARK: SotF readily accessible to all players. Each month 10 ranked players in each "Survivor League" will be awarded a cash prize corresponding to their ranked placement. Rankings for these elite titles will be visible in real time on SurviveTheArk.com.

Some of the key features for this game will include:

Offline practice mode, with optional split screen support

Action-packed core survival gameplay

30 plus creatures to tame and ride at beta launch, many more planned at full launch

Multiple game modes (Free For All, 2-Player Tribes, 4-Player Tribes, 6-Player Tribes)

Variable game configurations ranging from 30 minute “instant action” to three hour long “epic wars”

Top ranked players are listed dynamically on SurviveTheArk.com, as well as provided monthly prize packages

Game-changing tameable super creatures (Dragon, Giant Ape, Brood Mother)

Random “Evolution Events”

Arsenal of weapons, traps, armor, structures and other items from primitive to modern tech tiers

Robust Ranking, Tournament & Spectator Features

Custom painted “war banners” enable Tribes to show off their team spirit on flags across their army of dinosaurs, and are broadcast on the gigantic billboards during game events.

A custom soundtrack written by award-winning composer Gareth Coker of Ori and the Blind Forest

Ark: Survival of the Fittest is set to be released on the PlayStation 4 on July 19, 2016. ARK: SotF will be available through PlayStation 4's beta program and the development team will provide regular content updates to the game. PlayStation 4 players will have the chance to hone their skills in the all new, exclusive offline Practice mode. ElO rating, match-making, leaderboards and pro-tier monthly cash prizes will round out the eSports experience.

Will you be playing Ark: Survival of the Fittest? Tell us what you think below.