The much-anticipated dinosaur survival game, Ark 2, which had sparked concerns about potential delays or cancellation, is back in the spotlight. Developer Studio Wildcard has unveiled a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended, titled Ark: Lost Colony, which serves as a bridge to the upcoming sequel.
Ark: Lost Colony marks the first original expansion pack for the Ark 1 remake, Ark: Survival Ascended. The reveal trailer, crafted by the renowned anime studio Mappa (known for Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man), features voiceover work by Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.
Studio Wildcard has promised that the expansion will include numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences produced by Mappa. Here's the official description:
In this new frozen world, players follow in the footsteps of legendary Ark survivor Mei Yin, on a soul-searching quest deep into the chilling heart of darkness to find answers to long-buried secrets of Ark’s past.
Ark: Lost Colony will present survivors with thrilling new challenges as they become the hunted in a vast occupied city, and gain access to powerful new kinds of character abilities, unique gear, building systems, and phenomenally exotic tames.
Will Survivors be able to face down the demons lurking in Arat Prime, and connect Ark's past and future?
According to Studio Wildcard's press note, Ark: Lost Colony "directly connects" the storylines of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions and sets the stage for the events of Ark 2.
Ark 2, powered by Unreal Engine 5, is the sequel to the highly successful Ark: Survival Evolved. Initially announced with a surprise Vin Diesel cameo at The Game Awards 2020, it was slated for a 2022 release but faced multiple delays, first to 2023 and then to late 2024. It is set to be an Xbox Series X and S console exclusive, available day-one on Game Pass, and also on PC via Steam and Windows.
As recently as December 2023, Studio Wildcard maintained that Ark 2 was on track for a late 2024 release. However, this did not materialize, causing concern among fans. The announcement of Ark: Lost Colony in March 2025 reassures fans that Ark 2 is still in development, though no new release window was provided.
More concrete details are available for Ark: Lost Colony. Pre-orders will begin in June 2025, with immediate access to exclusive preview gameplay content. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
