The highly anticipated dinosaur survival game, Ark 2, which had been rumored to be in jeopardy or even abandoned, has reignited excitement among fans following a significant announcement from developer Studio Wildcard. They've unveiled a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended, titled Ark: Lost Colony, which serves as a bridge leading directly into the narrative of the sequel.
Ark: Lost Colony marks the first original expansion pack for the Ark: Survival Ascended remake, and its reveal trailer, crafted by the renowned anime studio Mappa (known for hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man), features the voice of Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.
Studio Wildcard has promised that the expansion will include numerous cinematic anime sequences produced by Mappa. Here's the official synopsis:
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?
In their press release, Studio Wildcard stated that Ark: Lost Colony "directly connects" the storylines of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions and leads seamlessly into the events of Ark 2.
Ark 2 is a much-anticipated sequel powered by Unreal Engine 5, following the success of Ark: Survival Evolved. Initially announced with a surprise appearance by Vin Diesel at The Game Awards 2020, it was slated for a 2022 release. However, it faced delays, first to 2023, and then again to late 2024, planned as an Xbox Series X and S console exclusive with day-one availability on Game Pass, as well as on PC via Steam and Windows.
As of December 2023, Studio Wildcard continued to affirm that Ark 2 was on track for a late 2024 release. However, that timeline did not materialize, causing concern among fans. The recent announcement in March 2025 has helped alleviate those fears, although no new release window for Ark 2 was provided.
On the other hand, Ark: Lost Colony has a clear roadmap. Pre-orders will begin in June 2025, with immediate access to exclusive preview gameplay content upon purchase. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, with a price tag of $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
