Studio Wildcard has announced that the official servers for Ark: Survival Evolved and its Ultimate Survivor Edition on Nintendo Switch will be shut down on August 31. The developer shared the news with "wistful hearts," thanking the community for their participation since the game's launch on the platform in 2018.
Since its release on Switch, Ark: Survival Evolved has garnered "over a million players." The Ultimate Survivor Edition, a remaster handled by Grove Street Games, is also included in the server shutdown. While official online play will end, the game's single-player modes and unofficial servers will remain accessible. This means players can still experience Ark, though the convenience and consistency of official servers will be lost.
Unofficial servers offer a pathway to continue online play, but they may present challenges in terms of setup and stability compared to the official infrastructure. Ahead of the server closure, Ark: Survival Evolved is currently available on the Nintendo eShop for $5, with the Ultimate Survivor Edition priced at $12.50. Both titles are playable on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 through backward compatibility.
Studio Wildcard is actively working on Ark: Survival Ascended, the latest installment in the series. However, this newer title is not currently available on the Nintendo Switch.