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

The long-awaited dinosaur survival game, Ark 2, is stirring excitement once again after fans feared it might have been abandoned. Developer Studio Wildcard has reignited interest with the announcement of a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended, aptly named Ark: Lost Colony. This expansion serves as a bridge, leading directly into the narrative of the sequel.

Ark: Lost Colony marks the first original expansion pack for the Ark 1 remake, Ark: Survival Ascended. The reveal trailer, showcased below, is a stunning production crafted by the renowned anime studio Mappa, known for hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man. The trailer features voiceover work by the talented Michelle Yeoh, who returns to her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.

Studio Wildcard has promised that Ark: Lost Colony will include numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences, all created 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 release, Ark: Lost Colony "directly connects" the storylines of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions, paving the way for the events of Ark 2.

Ark 2, powered by Unreal Engine 5, is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the massively successful 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 multiple delays, first to 2023, and then again to late 2024 as an Xbox Series X and S console exclusive, available day-one on Game Pass, and 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. When that didn't happen, fans grew concerned. This recent announcement, coming in early 2025, reassures fans that Ark 2 is still in development, though no updated release window was provided.

More concrete details are available for Ark: Lost Colony. Pre-orders will begin in June 2025, with all purchases immediately unlocking exclusive preview gameplay content. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, and Ark: Lost Colony will be priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.