Vin Diesel Is More Involved With Ark 2 Than You May Have Thought
During the 2020 Game Awards, viewers were treated to an exciting trailer for Studio Wildcard's upcoming title, Ark 2. The trailer showed off towering dinosaurs, exciting action, a brand new animated series to accompany the game, and most surprisingly, Vin Diesel. The famous actor is not only going to play a role in the game, but he'll also take part in the development of Ark 2.
Initially, Vin Diesel was only going to voice the character of Santiago in Ark 2 and Ark: The Animated Series. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, the famed actor joined Studio Wildcard as the "president of creative convergence" and an executive producer. In a statement, Diesel expressed how grateful and happy he was about this new position.
"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," he said.
It also looks like the position was well-earned according to Doug Kennedy, CEO of Studio Wildcard. Apparently Diesel has put in "1000's of hours" into Ark: Survival Evolved, so he's pretty well acquainted with the series. Kennedy shared how much of a vital asset Diesel is to the production of the game.
"He understands the game intimately and is providing feedback to the development process," Kennedy said. "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."
Funny enough, this isn't the first time Diesel has helped take part in a game's development. Back in 2002, the actor founded Tigon Studios, a video game company that aided in the development of games starring Diesel. Tigon's projects included The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Wheelman, and Fast & Furious Crossroads.
Additionally, the Ark animated series that Diesel is also working on is currently in production. The show will consist of fourteen 30-minute episodes that offer some backstory to the dinosaur-ridden land that the protagonists find themselves in. Alongside Diesel, other actors that will star in the show include Elliot Page, Russell Crowe, and Michelle Yeoh.
Ark 2 currently doesn't have a release date. The game will apparently be much different from previous entries in the series, which focused on online multiplayer. Instead, Ark 2 will redefine this experience with a deeper focus on narrative, while still keeping its open-world sandbox roots.