Last week, Steam began hosting The Steam Awards with 12 different categories, each with five finalists to choose from. Categories that included The ‘Best Use of a Farm Animal’ Award and, included in it were – ARK: Survival Evolved, Blood and Bacon, Farming Simulator 17, Goat Simulator, and Stardew Valley. Unfortunately, due to a mishap in communication from the public relations team at Studio Wildcard – many community members went to social media to discuss their discontent.

“Head over to [The Steam Awards Finalist Page] on Thursday the 29th of December, as you’ll have the opportunity to come show your support for Ark by voting for us,” said Lead Community Manager and Associate Producer for Studio Wildcard, Jat Karunakaran. “If ARK wins the award, we will ensure that our fluffy friend quickly makes its debut on the ARK in the next major version update!”

Before the updated version was posted, a heated conversation between fans took place on an ARK sub-Reddit, as well as the comments section of the Steam Awards post before it disappeared.

“I don’t think I need to explain why this is bad. Bribing is bribing, and if someone wanted to vote for another game title they feel deserve it more,” said EyrionOfTime, original poster of the Reddit thread. “They are robbed of a new dino for a Early Access game they paid for and opted in to play/test the game as it’s created.”

Some took to Twitter, intent on letting the game studio understand the community’s resentment.

https://twitter.com/stevenicholls/status/814052849336336384

Only if you win the award though right? Or was that a major paragraph length typo?

— With or Without a Beard (@ScrumpyPiPUK) December 28, 2016

Within a day of the original post, the statement has since been deleted and replaced in an attempt to remedy the outrage. Instead, they have decided to “reintroduce” the Ovis Aries (sheep). Redditors have archived the post for all to see, however. In its’ place exists a reissued notice, one with a much different tone.

“We were encouraged by Valve to rally the Community to come together and vote in the upcoming Steam Awards. We thought what better way to do this than add a modern-day farmyard animal!

In our excitement, Ovis Aries was designed as a celebration of the nomination. We want to make it clear that regardless of whether ARK wins a Steam Award or not, Ovis [Aries] will be making its debut in the next major ARK version update”

However, bigger issues have been brought to the game studio’s attention – mostly in the form of server issues and crashes. Many players recurrently have trouble, but the problem isn’t being addressed. Studio Wildcard continues to release additional downloadable content. Similar complaints are littered across most of their Twitter posts, in large numbers.

What are you thoughts on Studio Wildcard’s handling of the Steam Awards? Do you think the community went too far? What is your stance on the issue? Let us know in the comments section below, we would love to hear from you.

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