Fans ofArkhave been waiting for news aboutArk 2for a while, but it’s hard to imagine anyone thinking an update would come as the result of an AI controversy surrounding the series' first installment,Survival Evolved. AI is a pretty touchy subject, so the trailer in question was delisted pretty quickly after it originally went up. However, Studio Wildcard still took the opportunity to give an update on its next game.
Ark 2has remained largely nebulous for over four years, with hardly any news since its announcement in December 2020.Ark: Survival Ascended, a remaster ofSurvival Evolvedwith all its expansion packs included and being released regularly, was launched in the meantime. However, work is apparently not done onSurvival Evolved, as a new expansion calledAquaticafrom a different studio was announced via a bizarre, AI-generated trailer.
Ark 2 Got A Small Update From Wildcard
We Know Ark 2 Is Still Being Developed
Wildcard Studios finally broke its months-long silence with a cryptic update. The studio confirmed in a post on the officialArk: Survival AscendedX (formerly Twitter) account that it was not working onArk: Aquatica,and that the reins had been handed off to another studio called Snail Games USA. This may seem strange to tweet about, but it was likely toconfirm that the development had been handed off and that recent trailer was legitimate. Said trailer was delisted, but can still be found onSnail Games USA’s YouTube channel.
The tweet alone caused a bit of confusion, especially with the trailer now delisted, as it was previously unknown that Snail Games was developing a newSurvival Evolvedexpansion. However, this word from Wildcard does clear up a few things:
Snail Games' involvement inLost Colonywas already known, but it’s interesting to see the series become even more of a collaborative effort, and doubly so that it’s resulting in the first new content forSurvival Evolvedin years. The AI announcement trailer is concerning, though, and only adds to the series' troubles alongsideArk 2’s mysterious development.
Ark: Survival Evolved Aquatica Trailer Controversy Explained
A Trailer That Gave Little, But Took A Lot
The reveal ofArk: Aquaticaand a project outside ofArk 2could have been handled a lot better. The tweet only caused confusion, and clearly the AI has angered fans, causing theArk: Aquaticatrailer to be delisted. Its entirety is a series of brief shots showing off underwater environments, all of which appear to have the telltale signs of AI video generation – stiff and unnatural movements, texture inconsistency, odd-looking body parts like hands and feet, etc.
Comments immediately pointed out the over-utilization of AI-generated content. The comments under the trailer have a point; it doesn’t look like gameplay or conventional CGI at all. It has a stylized and unrealistic bright look that tends to be what AI generators put out. The biggest issue is likely that AI may have been used for the whole trailer, butanother issue is the lack of information the trailer gave.
The trailer gives no concrete gameplay or development updates. Instead, it seems like it’s a proof of concept without any of the details of the game. It’s not something that should have been shown to fans waiting for more information. There is a voice-over, but it gives no real idea of what the whole concept is about, instead just waxing poetic about howArkhas been around for a while.Aquaticais clearly going to focus on marine life, but there’s absolutely no further information.
Wildcard Is Making Ark 2 & Has Nothing To Do With Aquatica
Wildcard Distanced Itself From The New DLC
Studio Wildcard, the original developer of theArkfranchise, is focused on the development ofArk 2, andSurvival Ascended’s ongoing support. Despite the recent controversy, it’s important to understand that Studio Wildcard seemingly didn’t have any part in making this new trailer; it’s a product of Snail Games USA.Studio Wildcard’s efforts are outside this new expansionand any questions or issues should go straight to Snail Games USA. This is also just a day after thetrailer forArk: Lost Colonywas released.
We know very little aboutArk: Aquatica, and it seems to have no bearing onArk: Survival Ascended, and is not a product of Studio Wildcard. The above tweet made it clear that Studio Wildcard is not taking responsibility forAquaticanor its trailer, but it’s still a very odd saga. For now, any concrete details onArk 2will have to wait, as usual.
