"Michelle Yeoh Stars in Ark: Survival Ascended's Lost Colony, Prelude to Ark 2"

The highly anticipated dinosaur survival game, Ark 2, which had sparked concerns about potential development issues or even abandonment, is now confirmed to be actively in development. This assurance comes from Studio Wildcard, who have unveiled an exciting new expansion for the Ark 1 remake, known as Ark: Survival Ascended. This expansion, titled Ark: Lost Colony, serves as a bridge leading directly into the sequel.

Ark: Lost Colony is the first original expansion pack for Ark: Survival Ascended. The reveal trailer, crafted by the renowned anime studio Mappa—known for their work on Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man—features compelling voiceover work by Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.

Studio Wildcard has announced that Ark: Lost Colony will include several cinema-quality anime story sequences, crafted 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, seamlessly leading into the events of Ark 2.

Ark 2, powered by Unreal Engine 5 and a sequel to the incredibly successful Ark: Survival Evolved, was first announced with a surprise appearance by Vin Diesel at The Game Awards 2020, initially slated for a 2022 release. However, it faced multiple delays, first to 2023 and then to late 2024, planned as an Xbox Series X and S console exclusive, available day-one on Game Pass, and also on PC via Steam and Windows.

As of December 2023, Studio Wildcard maintained that Ark 2 was on track for a late 2024 release, but this did not materialize, raising concerns among fans. The announcement of Ark: Lost Colony in early 2025 reassures fans that Ark 2 remains in development, although no new release window for Ark 2 was provided.

For Ark: Lost Colony, more concrete details are available. 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, priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.