Ark: Survival Evolved

VS

Escape from Tarkov

Ark: Survival Evolved is a popular survival sandbox game released in 2017 and available on nearly all platforms. Its peak was several years ago, but it maintains a stable community thanks to official and community servers, modding, and occasional event content. While numbers have declined since launch, the game still sees tens of thousands of daily players across PC and consoles, especially due to its ongoing updates and active mod scene. However, it is not an MMO as it does not feature a single, large-scale persistent world—servers are capped and players are sharded.

Escape from Tarkov is a hardcore tactical shooter with survival and RPG elements, released in 2017 by Battlestate Games. Despite being several years old and not yet fully released as a 1.0 version, it retains a strong, dedicated player base due to its unique, high-stakes gameplay loop and regular content wipes. However, its niche appeal and high difficulty prevent mass market adoption, leading to a moderately sized but stable daily active player count.