Ark: Survival Ascended Expansion Lost Colony Stars Michelle Yeoh, Leads Into Ark 2

The anticipation surrounding the dinosaur survival game Ark 2 has been reignited as developer Studio Wildcard unveils a thrilling new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended titled Ark: Lost Colony. This expansion not only breathes new life into the franchise but also serves as a bridge to the much-awaited 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 their work on Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man—features stunning visuals and voiceover by the acclaimed Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.

Studio Wildcard promises that Ark: Lost Colony will include numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences, further enhancing the immersive experience. Here's a glimpse into what the expansion offers, according to 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?

In their press note, Studio Wildcard highlighted that Ark: Lost Colony "directly connects" the narratives of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions, seamlessly leading into the events of Ark 2.

Ark 2, powered by Unreal Engine 5, is the highly anticipated sequel to the successful Ark: Survival Evolved. Initially announced with a Vin Diesel cameo at The Game Awards 2020, the game was slated for a 2022 release. However, it faced multiple delays, pushing its launch first to 2023 and then to late 2024 as an Xbox Series X and S console exclusive, with day-one availability on Game Pass and on PC via Steam and Windows.

As recently as December 2023, Studio Wildcard maintained that Ark 2 was on schedule for a late 2024 release. However, the absence of the game by that deadline raised concerns among fans. The announcement of Ark: Lost Colony in early 2025 reassures fans that Ark 2 remains in development, though no new release window was provided.

For Ark: Lost Colony, more concrete details are available. Pre-orders will commence in June 2025, granting immediate access to exclusive preview gameplay content. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, with the expansion priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.