Ark: Survival Evolved Xbox One Getting Two-Player Local Split-Screen

In news that will surely please couch co-op fans, Studio Wildcard has announced that the soon-to-be-released Xbox One version of dinosaur survival game Ark: Survival Evolved will support local two-player split-screen. Online split-screen is not part of the developer's plans, only local.

Unfortunately, split-screen won't be ready for Ark's release tomorrow, December 16. Instead, it will come through an update sometime early in 2016. This feature will be exclusive to the Xbox One version, at least for the time being after its release, Studio Wildcard told us.

"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. "Friends and families can look forward to working together to survive the environment, tame its inhabitants and unravel the mysteries of the island--all from the same couch.

343 Industries caused quite a stir when it confirmed that Halo 5: Guardians would not include local split-screen, a beloved feature that was a staple of past games in the series. Local split-screen could be featured in Halo 6, however.

Ark's local split-screen feature is already up and running internally, and Studio Wildcard sent over some screenshots. Take a look at these in the gallery below by clicking on the thumbnails.

Although fans will have to wait until 2016 for Ark's split-screen mode, the Xbox One version will support another unique feature right out of the gate tomorrow.

Players can use a second Xbox One to host their own 50-plus player server. Of course, you'll need to have a second Xbox One for this, but as Rapczak points out, hosting a server would normally require "an expensive PC server and a lot of management headaches."

Xbox One players will also get special limited edition "Founder's content," such as skins and more. Check out this post for a full rundown of what to expect.

Ark's Xbox One version will cost $35 when it launches tomorrow through the Xbox Game Preview program. The full, finished game is slated to arrive in the summer of 2016 for a higher price, though people who bought the Xbox Game Preview version won't need to pay more at launch.

A PlayStation 4 version of Ark will also be released in summer 2016.

Ark was released earlier this year on PC and has proven to be a big hit. By Studio Wildcard's latest count, the game--which remains in an unfinished Early Access state--has already sold more than 2 million copies.