World Renowned Multi-Hyphenate Artist and Gamer Takes Leadership Role in Creative Platform Convergence for the Acclaimed Studio Behind ARK: Survival Evolved ARK II, Sequel to the Multi-Platinum Dinosaur Franchise, Announced with Major Moves To Expand Iconic Survival Universe
HOLLYWOOD, CA - December 14, 2020 - Video game publisher and developer Studio Wildcard debuted two world premiere trailers at the Game Awards 2020, announcing ARK II, a sequel to the popular dinosaur action-adventure game ARK: Survival Evolved, and “ARK: The Animated Series,” an original TV series based on the hit franchise - both coming in 2022. The Wildcard team also made headlines with the reveal that acclaimed actor and devoted ARK fan, Vin Diesel, will join the Studio Wildcard production team as the President of Creative Convergence.
Watch the ARK II World Premiere Trailer made with in-engine graphics and game assets using the latest Unreal Engine HERE:
ARK II thrusts players into a brutal new world of primitive survival against both beast and man, facing down the ever-present threats of hyper-realistic intelligent dinosaurs, aggressive alien fauna, and the exotic environments of an unearthly planet. Survivors will continue ARK's dramatic eons-spanning story of humankind's evolution, in this next-generation sandbox survival experience!
As Wildcard’s President of Creative Convergence, Diesel will act as an executive producer of ARK II, where he stars as Santiago, a fully rendered hero protagonist, as well as EP of the newly announced “ARK: The Animated Series,” where his character will cross over from the video game.
“I’m having a lot of fun playing ARK and also really excited to join the Studio Wildcard team to develop the story both in game and in the new animated series,” said Diesel.
“An immensely talented actor and producer, Vin is also an accomplished gamer who has played 1000’s of hours of ARK: Survival Evolved,” said Doug Kennedy, CEO of Studio Wildcard. “He understands the game intimately and is providing direct feedback to the development process. With last night's reveal of the ARK sequel and animated TV series, Vin will be involved with each as we look to expand the ARK franchise even further, now and into the future.”
Coming in 2022, ARK: The Animated Series chronicles the story of a mysterious primeval land populated by dinosaurs and other extinct creatures, where people from throughout human history have been resurrected. When 21st century Australian paleontologist Helena Walker awakens on the ARK after tragedy, she must learn to survive and find new allies, or die again at the hands of ruthless warlords -- all while trying to uncover the true nature of their strange new world.
Since its launch in 2015, ARK: Survival Evolved has sold over 20M units on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and amassed more than 40 million players worldwide across all major gaming platforms, spurring spin-off games and amassing a huge following of passionate fans. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, visit the Website at playark.com, and watch us tame and train leviathan dinosaurs on Twitch.TV.
ABOUT STUDIO WILDCARD
Founded in 2014 by industry veterans Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak, Studio Wildcard’s mission is to bring AAA quality to ambitious indie titles designed for core gamers. The studio’s hit title ARK: Survival Evolved has sold more than 35 million copies across all platforms. The team emphasizes direct communication with their active community, implements player feedback into its fast, iterative dev cycle, and provides tools to drive user-generated content. Studio Wildcard includes distributed developers across multiple continents, as wherever talented developers reside, Wildcard seeks them out! www.studiowildcard.com
ONE RACE FILMS / ONE RACE TV
One Race Films, founded in 1995 by writer, director, producer and actor Vin Diesel, has produced the five highest-grossing films in the “Fast” franchise — “Fate of the Furious,” “Furious 7,” “Fast and Furious 6,” and “Fast Five,” as well as “Fast & Furious.” He has directed “Multifacial,” “Strays” and “Los Bandoleros.” This past February, Sony released the ORF produced “Bloodshot,” also starring Diesel, and has previously launched multiple franchises in the action genre, including the science-fiction thriller “Pitch Black” and the two follow-up films, “Chronicles of Riddick” and “Riddick,” along with the hit “xXx" franchise. In addition to a thriving film production company, ORF launched One Race Television and gaming company Tigon Studios. ORTV has a first-look deal with Universal Television and is currently developing projects with NBC and Fox and in production with DreamWorks Animation on the Netflix original series “Fast & Furious: Spy Racers.” Tigon Studios has produced three critically acclaimed console titles including “Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay” and original property “The Wheelman.”