Ark: Survival Ascended joining Xbox Game Pass for Scorched Earth release

Ark: Survival Ascended will be added to the Game Pass library on April 1, just in time for the release of the first expansion map.

The remastered title of Studio Wildcard’s Ark: Survival Evolved has endured plenty of issues in the first few months of its lifespan but is aiming to get back on track with the release of Scorched Earth—and the door has been opened for a flood of new players.

It was confirmed in a post on the Xbox Wire announcing the addition of Ark: Survival Ascended to the Xbox Game Pass library that the title will also be available to PC Game Pass players when it drops on April 1.

The addition to the Game Pass library comes as Scorched Earth finally lands as the first expansion map for Ark: Survival Ascended, with devs insisting the release was on track despite a “rocky few days.”

A roadmap shared previously has the Scorched Earth release penciled in for April 1, the same day Ark: Survival Ascended will join Game Pass, though the recent comments from the devs said the release would be “at the end of the month.”

It isn’t clear whether that means Scorched Earth will be arriving before the previously stated April 1 date, and if it is brought forward slightly, it would be good news for a player base that has dealt with continued setbacks—the biggest being the indefinite delay of The Center, which was originally slated for release in February.

Ark: Survival Ascended’s addition to Game Pass could provide a much-needed boost for the title, which has seen its player count drop beneath the title it was meant to replace, Ark: Survival Evolved, as many players have opted to remain with the old title.

That isn’t too surprising given the issues Studio Wildcard has encountered so far, particularly as Survival Evolved has 12 maps to choose from, which will be remastered and added periodically to Survival Ascended.