"Ark Fans Criticize Expansion Trailer's AI-Generated Content"

A new trailer for the Ark: Survival Evolved expansion from publisher Snail Games has sparked significant backlash within the Ark community due to its heavy reliance on what appears to be poorly executed generative AI imagery. The trailer was released following Snail Games' GDC announcement of their "in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica." The studio touts this expansion as a non-canonical side story set in an ambitious underwater environment, with 95% of the gameplay occurring beneath the waves.

The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. Irish YouTuber Syntac, a prominent figure in the Ark community with over 1.9 million subscribers, slammed the trailer, stating, "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." His comment is the most upvoted on the Ark: Aquatica trailer. Other viewers echoed his sentiments, describing the trailer as "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The trailer showcases numerous issues, such as fish that blur in and out of existence, a grotesquely deformed hand gripping a spear gun, a levitating octopus in front of an ambiguous shipwreck, and human feet morphing into flippers, among other glaring AI-generated anomalies.

In response, the original developer of Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard, quickly distanced itself from the controversy. The studio clarified on social media that Ark: Aquatica is not a project being developed by their team. They reiterated their focus on "Ark: Survival Ascended & Ark 2," and expressed excitement about bringing "Ark: Lost Colony" to fans later this year.

Amidst uncertainties following a missed late 2024 release window for Ark 2, Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that development of the dinosaur survival sequel is ongoing. They also announced Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended, which will serve as a lead-in to the sequel.

Adding a familiar face to the mix, Ark: The Animated Series star Michelle Yeoh reprises her role in the trailer, providing a link to the broader Ark universe.