ARK 2 Studio Co-Founders Say Vin Diesel’s Character Was Originally a “Nerd” Before Being Retconned

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It’s been public knowledge for a while that Vin Diesel is involved with ARK 2, even holding the title of “President of Creative Convergence.” However, details about exactly what he’s been doing to help develop the game were unclear. In a recent interview with PCGamer, Studio Wildcard co-founders Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak shared more information about Diesel’s role, the game’s story, and his long-time passion for the ARK series.

According to Stieglitz, Diesel was a very dedicated ARK player, particularly during the Survival Evolved era. He played for hundreds of hours, just like a professional ARK player. Diesel, along with his kids and partner, formed a skilled team, mastering all the maps, bugs, and exploits within the game. They had their own established tribe and were highly knowledgeable players.

According to Stieglitz, Vin Diesel’s work on ARK 2 has focused on developing the story of his character, Santiago, and how he integrates into the game’s plot. It’s notable that Santiago was initially envisioned as a more bookish character before Diesel joined the project.

Originally, the character of Santiago wasn’t envisioned as the type of person Vin Diesel usually plays. However, we adjusted the character’s backstory and personality to better suit him. We initially wrote Santiago as a bit of a geek, but realized that wouldn’t quite fit, so we reimagined him as a strong, capable, and still intelligent character who could handle himself in a fight.

We made a slight change to the character’s history, but it worked because the original concept included him being very interested in machines. It made sense, and he even helped us refine his backstory.

So, they haven’t actually done a ton of work on Vin Diesel’s character yet. It’s mostly been a little bit here and there – stuff for Genesis 2 and some teasers for ARK 2. They’ve also recorded a few lines for an animated series they’re planning, but that’s about it so far.

With the release of ARK 2 now delayed until 2028, many noticed Vin Diesel hadn’t said anything about it. When questioned, the studio representative, Rapczak, explained that Diesel chose not to comment.

Stieglitz explained that delays are common in Hollywood, with projects often being shelved for years, even decades. However, he doesn’t expect that to happen with ARK 2. They informed the studio that they wanted to prioritize Survival Ascended, and the studio was understanding and agreed.

Studio Wildcard originally planned to release ARK 2 in 2028, announcing the timeframe last December. According to a statement from the studio, they need time to master new technologies and gameplay features before the game is ready.

As a big fan, I heard from the team that making ARK 2 was a real learning process. They felt they needed to take things step by step to build the game they envisioned. It seemed smarter to them to gradually introduce new tech and gameplay rather than rushing out a complete ARK 2 right away. They wanted to make sure everything was just right!

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2026-03-13 18:41