Preliminary work on Ark: Survival Evolved began in October 2014.[4]: 7:38  Studio Wildcard, the Seattle-based team behind the game, co-opted Egypt-based developer Instinct Games to facilitate development;[7] Effecto Studios and Virtual Basement later assisted development.[2] When researching for information about the game's prehistoric species, the development team read "general audience books" and online articles, and sought assistance from friends who studied in the fields in biological sciences.[5] When creating the species and world, the team took creative license for gameplay purposes, although there is an in-game reason that the species have diverged from their historical counterparts.[5] Many of the development team members were inspired by dinosaur films such as Jurassic Park and The Land Before Time.[8]

The team added features to the game that would appeal to all players, as opposed to specific players of the survival genre, such as the ability to simply explore the island and compete against large bosses, as a reward for uncovering secrets of the island.[4]: 38:59  They also added an end-game for players to strive towards, as they felt that most survival games lack a final goal. They wanted to "provide a depth and scope that allows for the world to not just be a means to an end [...] but also a place to explore", said creative director Jesse Rapczak.[3]

The game, powered by Unreal Engine 4, contains "tens of thousands" of artificial intelligence entities, according to Rapczak.[6] It also features support for virtual reality (VR) gameplay; Rapczak, who has almost three years of experience with head-mounted displays, described the game as being designed with VR in mind from the beginning.[6]

The game was initially released through Steam Early Access for Microsoft Windows on June 2, 2015,[9] shortly before the theatrical release of Jurassic World later that month. Rapczak said that the game's release was scheduled to take advantage of the "dino fever" that was present with the film's imminent release.[10] The game subsequently received an Early Access release for Linux and OS X on July 1, 2015,[7] and through the Xbox Game Preview Program for Xbox One on December 16, 2015;[11] Initially Sony was not going to allow a PlayStation 4 release due to the lack of any type of early access program on the console, however a PS4 version was eventually released on December 6, 2016.[12][13] The final game launched on August 29, 2017, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One;[13] it was originally intended for release in June 2016,[7] but was delayed in April.[14] The game launched with support for Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR,[9] and the Xbox One version was released via the ID@Xbox program.[7] The standard version was released alongside an "Explorer's Edition", which included a season pass with three expansions, and the "Collector's Edition", which included a season pass as well as, a necklace, a map, a notebook, a development team poster, a wooden chest packaging, and the game's official soundtrack.[15] Android and iOS versions were released on June 14, 2018,[16] and a Nintendo Switch version was released on November 30, 2018.[17] A Stadia version was announced by Google in October 2020, originally scheduled for release in early 2021;[18] it was released on September 1.[19] An enhanced version of the game was accessible on Xbox Series X and Series S, featuring increased details, resolution, and draw distance.[20] Following the poor reception of the original Nintendo Switch release, Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition was announced as a new port rebuilt from the ground up, developed by Grove Street Games.[1] It was initially planned for release in September 2022, but was delayed to November 1, 2022.[21] A free upgrade was available for existing owners of the Nintendo Switch version.[22]

On April 1, 2023, Studio Wildcard announced a remaster titled Survival Ascended to be released in August 2023,[23] however this release window was then delayed until October 2023.[24] Survival Evolved's official servers were set to be shut down at the same time,[23] with the shutdown date being delayed until September 30, 2023, when Survival Ascended's release window was pushed back.[24] Unlike previously stated by the studio co-founder, the remaster would not be a free upgrade.[23] Survival Ascended was eventually released in early access for Windows on October 25, 2023,[25][26] Xbox Series X/S on November 21, 2023,[27] and PlayStation 5 on November 30, 2023.[28]