Ark: Survival Evolved is getting online and local split-screen on Xbox One

Ark: Survival Evolved is getting split-screen multiplayer both online and locally on Xbox One, developer Studio Wildcard announced in its upcoming patch notes.

The developer previously teased a two-player split-screen co-op mode exclusive to Xbox One in a report from Gamespot last month. At the time Studio Wildcard said split-screen would be local-only and exclusive to the Xbox One version.

We've since asked if this newly announced feature will come to other platforms and possibly support more than two players. We'll update should we hear back.

"Many developers are abandoning split-screen local play, but we couldn't stomach that for Ark!" Studio Wildcard creative director and co-founder Jesse Rapczak told GameSpot in December.

That all sounds well and good, though our Digital Foundry report the other day noted that Ark's current performance was very rough around the edges.

"By every measurable criteria Digital Foundry can attach to the game, it can often border on the disastrous," Digital Foundry contributor David Bierton wrote in his Ark: Survival Evolved analysis. "The optimisation challenge facing the developers here is immense though, and the technological issues surrounding the title are far from trivial based on both of our rounds of testing. Whether a stable, enjoyable experience can be delivered remains to be seen, but with gameplay concepts and ideas as strong as these, we certainly hope so."

Of course this poor early build performance hasn't stopped Ark: Survival Evolves from shifting over 2m copies on Steam Early Access, and it's now available on the Xbox Game Preview Programme.

Studio Wildcard still has half a year to get its game in order as an official release on PS4, Xbox One and Steam isn't expected until summer.

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