Will Ark Ever Be Free on Steam Again?
Yes – based on the success of 2022‘s weeklong promotion and analyzing industry trends, I speculate Ark: Survival Evolved will likely be free again on Steam at some point. However, there is no guarantee as multiple factors determine whether publishers choose to make their games temporarily free.
A History of Ark Free Promotions
Ark has frequently been included in various free giveaway events both on Steam and other PC platforms since its early access launch in 2015.
Notable examples include:
- Free on Epic Games Store for 1 week in June 2020
- Free on Steam 1 week in June 2022
- Free weekends on Steam tied to ARK 2 announcement
These represent major opportunities for new players to try Ark for the first time without paying. Temporary free access helps drive interest, social buzz and serves almost like an instant game demo.
Here is a quick timeline of major Ark free events over the years:
| Year | Free Promotion | Duration | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Free weekend | 3 days | Steam |
| 2018 | Free weekend | 4 days | Steam |
| 2020 | Free game | 1 week | Epic Games Store |
| 2022 | Free game | 1 week | Steam |
"We‘re blown away by the response so far and so happy to see old and new survivors enjoying ARK" said Studio Wildcard co-founder Jesse Rapczak regarding the 2022 Steam promotion.
The recurring history of free access shows Ark‘s publisher and developers are open to periodically making the base game free for limited times to boost players.
What Drives Major Game Giveaways?
The decision to make a paid game 100% free even for just 1 week represents a huge opportunity cost. Some of the key factors publishers weigh when considering large free promotions include:
- Increasing fan awareness – Free access lets many try a game for the first time and potentially get hooked. This builds the long-term player base.
- Promoting new releases – Free giveaways often coincide with announcing news like DLC, sequels or TV adaptations. They generate hype.
- Competing against rival titles – Offering free games pressures competitors who don‘t want to lose engagement.
- Testing multiplayer infrastructure – Publishers can monitor server loads during free weekends as essentially infrastructure stress tests.
- Acquiring customer data -Free promotions require users to create accounts and opt-in to marketing. This gives publishers valuable data and future advertising channels.
Underlying all these factors is a belief that temporarily losing direct game sales revenue will pay off via higher awareness, new customer acquisition and long-term spending.
Not all paid games pursue this model – steady evergreen sellers see less incentive to give the core game away. But for games like Ark with expansions and in-game purchases, free events align with broader business strategy.
How Ark on Steam Compares to Other Major Freebies
Looking just at Steam, Ark is in good company when it comes to major paid games flipped to temporary free status:
- Grand Theft Auto V – Free for 1 week in 2020 on Epic Games Store
- Civilization VI – Free for 1 week on Epic Games Store
- Borderlands – Entire series free at various promotions
- Batman – Arkham Asylum and Arkham City both temporarily free
As a best-seller since launch with continued DLC expansions planned, Ark has promotion opportunities comparable to these giant AAA franchises.
In fact, Ark‘s over 150k concurrent players during 2022 Steam free week exceeded all but GTA V:
| Game | Concurrent Players (Millions) |
|---|---|
| GTA V | 2.4 |
| Ark | 0.15 |
| Civilization VI | 0.12 |
| Batman: Arkham City | 0.05 |
The massive player spike confirms Ark‘s strong demand – even years after release many newcomers flooded servers once zero cost eliminated barriers.
Analyzing What Could Enable Future Free Ark Events
Given promotion history and success converting free access into dedicated new fans, I speculate more Ark free giveaways are likely if not guaranteed.
What could prompt Ark to return free on Steam for a future encore?
- Major DLC Launch – Around Genesis Part 2 in 2021 Ark had a free weekend. New expansion debuts could offer similar flash promotions.
- ARK 2 Marketing – Free access helps ensure current fan conversion to the sequel while attracting fresh players.
- Licensing Rights Expiration – If Studio Wildcard gets Ark rights back from Snail Games, celebrating independence with a free period aligns.
- Competitor Actions – If rival dinosaur survival games offer free access, Ark could respond in turn.
- Anniversary Events – Big milestone birthdays like 10 year coming in 2025 tend to come with special fan appreciation.
- Slow Sales Periods – Post-holiday slumps in January/February make ideal timing for giveaways to reinvigorate sales.
Essentially any excuse to generate press headlines and player buzz could merit flipping the switch on more temporary free access. And based on the long-tail popularity still going strong, the Ark team has incentive to focus on player acquisition even many years post-launch.
In Conclusion – Free Again in Ark‘s Future
While impossible to guarantee outright, analyzing the train of free giveaways both for Ark specifically and other paid games collectively, I believe it is highly likely Ark: Survival Evolved will return to a free promotion on Steam again.
Maybe not permanently, and many factors influence when exactly, but another limited-time 100% off event can reasonably be expected at some point. Probably coinciding with a DLC pack or tied to ARK 2 marketing based on past history.
For players interested in eventually trying this dinosaur survival game, keeping watch for announcements from Studio Wildcard is the best approach. Major news like acquisitions, TV shows, sequels or licensing deals could all come paired with temporary revival of the famous June 2022 free week.
What do you think? Could you see Ark on Steam offered free again? What promotion would entice you to finally try this classic dino adventure? Let me know in the comments!
