The long-awaited dinosaur survival game, Ark 2, has sparked renewed excitement among fans after developer Studio Wildcard unveiled a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended. This expansion, titled Ark: Lost Colony, is the first original expansion pack for the Ark 1 remake and serves as a bridge to the upcoming sequel.
The reveal trailer for Ark: Lost Colony, produced by the renowned anime studio Mappa—known for hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man—features stunning visuals and voiceover work by Michelle Yeoh, who returns as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series. Studio Wildcard has promised that the expansion will include numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences crafted by Mappa.
According to the official description, Ark: Lost Colony transports players to a new frozen world, where they follow the legendary Ark survivor Mei Yin on a quest to uncover the secrets of Ark’s past. Players will face new challenges as they navigate an occupied city, gain access to new character abilities, unique gear, innovative building systems, and exotic tames. The expansion also aims to connect the storylines of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions, paving the way for the events in Ark 2.
Ark 2, powered by Unreal Engine 5, is the sequel to the immensely popular Ark: Survival Evolved. Initially announced with a Vin Diesel cameo at The Game Awards 2020 and slated for a 2022 release, the game faced multiple delays, pushing its launch 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. Despite assurances as late as December 2023 that Ark 2 would meet its 2024 release window, no further updates have been provided, causing some concern among fans. The recent announcement of Ark: Lost Colony in March 2025 reassures fans that Ark 2 is still in development, though no new release window was given.
For Ark: Lost Colony, pre-orders begin in June 2025, with buyers gaining immediate access to exclusive preview gameplay content. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, with a price tag of $29.99 on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
