Summary
- ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition surpassed 3 million downloads in just 3 weeks after its launch.
- The game faces mixed reviews but continues to rise in popularity on iOS and Android.
- Grove Street Games plans to add new maps and content to the dinosaur-infested world in the future.
ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition, the latest entry in the ARK franchise, has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing three million downloads within three weeks of its launch on December 18, 2024. This free-to-play mobile game, developed by Grove Street Games and published by Snail Games, is set in the same universe as the 2017 hit ARK: Survival Evolved. Players can immerse themselves in a survival experience where they collect resources, craft weapons, build settlements, and tame dinosaurs, echoing the gameplay of the console versions.
Despite receiving mixed reviews upon its release, ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition has shown strong performance, significantly outperforming the 2018 mobile port of ARK: Survival Evolved with a 100% increase in downloads. Snail Games announced this achievement on January 10, 2025, highlighting the game's rapid success. Grove Street Games is not resting on its laurels; the developer is actively working on expanding the game with new maps such as Ragnarok, Extinction, Genesis Part 1, and Genesis Part 2, promising an enriched gaming experience.
The game's popularity continues to grow on both iOS and Android platforms. As of now, ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition ranks 24th among adventure games on the iOS App Store and 9th in the top-grossing adventure games on the Android Play Store. Despite the mixed critical reception, the game boasts a 3.9 out of 5 rating based on 412 reviews on the App Store and a 3.6 out of 5 rating based on over 52,500 reviews on the Play Store. This launch marks another successful release for Grove Street Games, following their work on the improved Nintendo Switch port of ARK: Survival Evolved in 2022.
Looking ahead, ARK: Ultimate Mobile Edition is set to expand its reach to the Epic Games Store in 2025, offering players more options for where to play. Meanwhile, Studio Wildcard, the owner of the ARK IP, has shared an updated roadmap for ARK: Survival Ascended, hinting at future content updates. Fans are also eagerly awaiting news on ARK 2, which missed its anticipated late 2024 release window, adding to the anticipation surrounding the franchise's future developments.