Ark: Survival Evolved paid DLC rustles feathers

Early Access title Ark: Survival Evolved is currently bearing the brunt of a player backlash after developer Studio Wildcard announced plans for the game’s first premium expansion.

The game arrived in Early Access in June 2015, where it remains. Despite being officially pre-release, however, the developer has in the meantime both announced, released and canned a free-to-play spin-off and released a console build.

And this appears to be the source of some frustration, with many saying that issues with the existing title should be ironed out before resources are spent on additional paid content.

It’s an Early Access game means the game is unfinished. It’s also unheard of to release a DLC that you have to pay for on an unfinished game,” cried one user. Now you release your new map and stamp it like "Hey, we ran out of money. Send us your money!" On that part that’s poor budgeting. But that’s how most people are seeing that.”

Another added: These devs have the audacity to release paid DLC when the game is still in Early Access. Too bad I can’t refund this game just out spite because of the devs stupid decisions.”

And another: The devs have basically abandoned the main game and released two paid DLC’s. The first one was made free after player uproar but is still marketed as a separate game, also in Early Access. The second one adds pay-to-win and costs more than I paid for the game. That’s the same game that was said to never get any paid DLC or in game transactions. Great.”

It goes on: Game’s still in early access and already released a paid DLC, resources could have been allocated to improving the base game instead. Shame.”

And on: To create separate DLC while not even having a completed base game? That makes no sense. The game continues to be a buggy and unoptimized mess, and while that can be forgiven because it is still in Early Access, having the devs go off and work on paid DLC instead of working on the base game is crazy. Imagine all that time spent on this new DLC that could have gone into fixing issues with the main game.”

Ark: Survival Evovled had until recently enjoyed a ‘Mostly Positive’ rating on Steam. Its recent rating now sits at ‘Mostly Negative’.

The DLC in question, the Scorched Earth Expansion, takes players to a brand new desert setting. A number of new creatures are offered, as are 50 new craftable items. Water becomes a sought after commodity, and the weather a new complicating factor. Scorched Earth is out now on PC and Xbox One and costs an additional 14.99.