Editorial Standards

How we publish

These standards govern current ARK2.com news, explainers, guides, and updates. They are designed to make our evidence, uncertainty, and accountability visible to readers.

Source policy

We choose sources according to the type of claim being made. A release date needs a different level of evidence than a suggested taming route or a server preset.

Preferred primary sources

• Studio Wildcard announcements and patch notes.
• Official Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Epic Games Store pages.
• Official ARK community announcements and technical documentation.
• Current mod project pages and platform moderation documentation.
• Directly observed game, server, or configuration behavior when the test context is stated.

Secondary sources

Reputable reporting and maintained community references may provide context, timelines, or technical detail. When a secondary source is the only available evidence, we identify it and avoid upgrading its claim into an official confirmation.

Sources we do not treat as confirmation

Unattributed screenshots, retailer placeholders, copied social posts, search-result snippets, unsourced videos, forum speculation, and AI-generated answers are not sufficient evidence for a release date or official feature claim.

Confirmed, planned, unconfirmed, and opinion

Headlines and summaries should preserve those distinctions. An announced target is not written as a guaranteed launch date, and an absent platform announcement is not written as proof that a version can never exist.

Guide and testing standards

For guides affected by versions, platforms, mods, or server types, we aim to identify the relevant context. Configuration examples are starting points, not promises that one preset is ideal for every player.

• Commands and settings should be checked against a current reference.
• Destructive or save-affecting steps should include backup guidance.
• Mod advice should distinguish PC-only and cross-platform availability.
• Server guidance should separate launch arguments, GameUserSettings.ini, and Game.ini.
• Recommendations should explain tradeoffs instead of declaring one universal “best” choice.

Published, updated, and reviewed dates

The publication date shows when an article first went live. The modified date records a saved change. A visible reviewed or fact-checked date is used when the editor rechecks time-sensitive claims against current sources.

We do not change a review date merely to make an old article look fresh. A new review date should reflect a real check of the claims that are likely to change.

Material updates may include a new release status, platform announcement, shipped roadmap item, configuration change, major rewritten section, or corrected conclusion. Minor spelling and formatting fixes may update WordPress metadata without requiring a separate correction note.

Corrections policy

Readers can report a factual error, broken source, outdated instruction, attribution problem, or undisclosed conflict through the Contact and Corrections page.

We review the cited passage and available evidence. When a material error is confirmed, we correct the article and, where useful to the reader, explain what changed. Minor typographical, formatting, and clarity edits may be fixed without a formal note when they do not alter the meaning.

A correction request should include the page URL, the disputed statement, and a current source or reproducible test. Disagreement with an opinion does not automatically make the opinion a factual error, but mislabeled opinion should be clarified.

Automated and AI-assisted work

Automated tools may assist with research organization, drafting, formatting, link checks, spelling, code validation, or layout testing. Automated output is never treated as evidence. Factual claims must be checked against the sources cited or the stated test context.

The publisher remains accountable for what appears on ARK2.com. Pages should not invent quotes, credentials, hands-on testing, people, or first-party confirmations. When a tool cannot verify a claim, the claim should be omitted, qualified, or labeled unconfirmed.

Advertising, affiliates, and promotional relationships

Commercial relevance does not automatically make information unreliable, but hidden influence does. ARK2.com may link to third-party communities or services, including EliteArk. Promotional and sponsored links are disclosed in context or marked appropriately in the markup.

We do not allow payment, server relationships, free access, or affiliate potential to convert an unverified claim into a confirmed fact. Reviews and recommendations should explain the criteria that support their conclusion.

Copyright and attribution

ARK names, artwork, screenshots, and related intellectual property belong to their respective owners. We use existing site media and official references to identify and discuss the games. Source credit does not transfer ownership, and rights holders can use the contact page to raise a specific attribution or usage concern.