A new Ark: Survival Evolved expansion trailer from publisher Snail Games has been met with widespread condemnation from the Ark community due to its apparent overuse of generative AI imagery.
The trailer's release followed Snail Games' GDC announcement of "Ark: Aquatica," an in-house developed expansion map described as a non-canonical side story set underwater, with 95% of gameplay taking place beneath the surface.
The response has been overwhelmingly negative. Popular Ark YouTuber Syntac, with over 1.9 million subscribers, summed up the general sentiment in a top comment on the trailer: "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." Other viewers echoed this sentiment, using words like "pathetic" and "embarrassing" to describe the trailer. The AI-generated imagery is heavily criticized, with examples including erratic fish movements, grotesquely deformed hands, a levitating octopus in front of an inconsistently rendered shipwreck, and human feet morphing into flippers.
Studio Wildcard, the original developer of Ark: Survival Evolved, swiftly distanced itself from the project, clarifying on social media that it is not involved in Ark: Aquatica's development. They reaffirmed their commitment to Ark: Survival Ascended, Ark 2, and the upcoming Ark: Lost Colony expansion, slated for release later this year.
Following delays from its previously announced late 2024 release, the future of Ark 2 had been uncertain. However, Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that development continues, and revealed Ark: Lost Colony as a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will serve as a prelude to the sequel.
Michelle Yeoh, star of Ark: The Animated Series, reprises her role in the Ark: Aquatica trailer.
