A new trailer for the Ark: Survival Evolved expansion from publisher Snail Games has drawn fierce criticism from the Ark community due to its use of substandard generative AI imagery. The trailer was released following Snail Games’ GDC announcement of their "in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica." This expansion is described as a non-canonical side story set in an ambitious underwater environment, where 95% of the gameplay occurs beneath the surface.

Irish YouTuber Syntac, a prominent figure in the Ark community with over 1.9 million subscribers, expressed his dismay, stating, “This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves.” His comment tops the feedback on the Ark: Aquatica trailer, echoing the sentiments of other viewers who described the trailer as “pathetic” and “embarrassing.” The trailer features various AI-generated anomalies, such as fish that blur in and out of existence, a grotesquely deformed hand holding a spear gun, a levitating octopus in front of an ambiguous shipwreck, and human feet that transform into flippers.

In response, the original developer of Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard, quickly clarified on social media that Ark: Aquatica is not a product of their team. They emphasized their commitment to the development of Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2, and announced the upcoming release of Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that sets the stage for the sequel.

Amidst uncertainties surrounding the previously planned late 2024 release of Ark 2, Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that work on the dinosaur survival sequel is ongoing. They also introduced Ark: Lost Colony, which will bridge the narrative into the sequel.

Adding to the trailer's intrigue, Ark: The Animated Series star Michelle Yeoh reprises her role.