Ark: Survival Evolved Gets a Free to Play Spin-Off Game

David Gelmini |

Mar 16, 2016

As we eagerly count down the days until the June release date of the dino hunting game Ark: Survival Evolved, we’ve got a little something that should make the wait more bearable.

Launched this week on Steam Greenlight, Ark: Survival of the Fittest is a spin-off in which up to 72 players can duke it out until only one remains. It’s free to play, so don’t expect a terribly deep gameplay experience, but as a filler before the main course, I’m in.

Synopsis:
Welcome to ARK: Survival of the Fittest, the first ever M.O.S.A. – a Multiplayer Online Survival Arena – that Studio Wildcard designed for the burgeoning wild west of eSports. A spin-off from the most popular open-world Early Access game on Steam, ARK: Survival Evolved, ARK: Survival of the Fittest (SotF) pits up to 72 combatants in an action-packed struggle for survival where players are ultimately pushed into an epic final showdown where only one “Tribe” will make it out alive.

Survivors can form one- to six-person Tribes with the options to choose Unofficial 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 as the game evolves. Dedicated eSport ranking, matchmaking, REWARD, and tournament features make ARK: SotF readily accessible to all players.

Balanced for intense competition, contestants begin in a neutral staging area where they can communicate pre-game, strategize, or talk trash. After a countdown they dramatically descend from the sky onto the ARK in a circular formation via beams of light. There is a cache of valuable items in the center – do survivors dash for the goods and fight it out, do they run into the forest and hide, search for dinosaurs to rapidly build their army, or do they freeze up from the sheer terror of death? A continually shrinking “ring of death” forces contestants ever closer together over time. The hunt is on!

KEY FEATURES:

Free, action-packed core survival gameplay
30+ Creatures to tame and ride at Early Access start; many more planned at full launch
Multiple game modes (1v1, 2v2, 4v4, and 6v6)
One- to six-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 and are 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, and spectator features
Exclusive SotF cosmetic items that can also be used in ARK: Survival Evolved
Custom-painted “War Banners” enable tribes to show off their team spirit on flags across their army of dinosaurs and are also broadcast on the gigantic billboards during game events – just don’t draw anything offensive!
A custom soundtrack written by award-winning composer Gareth Coker of Ori and the Blind Forest