Michelle Yeoh Stars in Ark: Survival Ascended Expansion, Sets Stage for Ark 2

The dinosaur survival game Ark 2, which had sparked concerns among fans about potential delays or abandonment, is firmly back on track. Developer Studio Wildcard has unveiled a new expansion for the Ark: Survival Ascended, titled Ark: Lost Colony, which serves as a bridge to the much-anticipated sequel.

Ark: Lost Colony is the inaugural original expansion for the Ark 1 remake, Ark: Survival Ascended. The reveal trailer, crafted by the renowned anime studio Mappa (known for works like Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man), features voice acting by Michelle Yeoh, who reprises her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series.

Studio Wildcard promises that Ark: Lost Colony will include numerous cinema-quality anime story sequences 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?

In its press release, Studio Wildcard stated that Ark: Lost Colony "directly connects" the narratives of Ark's Extinction and Genesis expansions and sets the stage for the events of Ark 2.

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

Despite Studio Wildcard's assurances as late as December 2023 that Ark 2 would meet its late 2024 release window, the game did not launch as planned, raising concerns among fans. The recent announcement of Ark: Lost Colony in March 2025 should help alleviate these concerns, 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, granting immediate access to exclusive preview gameplay content. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, with Ark: Lost Colony priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC.