Ark: Survival Ascended Expansion Lost Colony Stars Michelle Yeoh, Leads Into Ark 2

Ark 2, the highly anticipated dinosaur survival sequel, is back on track! Developer Studio Wildcard recently announced Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for the Ark: Survival Ascended remake that directly sets the stage for Ark 2.

This first original expansion pack for Ark: Survival Ascended boasts stunning visuals. The reveal trailer, produced by the acclaimed anime studio Mappa (known for Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan, and Chainsaw Man), features Michelle Yeoh reprising her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated Series. The expansion promises numerous cinema-grade anime story sequences.

The official description paints a thrilling picture: "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?"

Studio Wildcard confirms Ark: Lost Colony directly connects the storylines of Ark’s Extinction and Genesis expansions, leading directly into the events of Ark 2. This serves as welcome news, especially considering Ark 2's previous delays.

Ark 2, the Unreal Engine 5-powered sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved, was initially announced in 2020 with a planned 2022 release. Subsequent delays pushed the release to late 2024, as an Xbox Series X|S console exclusive (day-one on Game Pass), and on PC via Steam and Windows. While a new release window for Ark 2 wasn't provided, the announcement of Ark: Lost Colony reassures fans that development continues.

Ark: Lost Colony pre-orders begin in June 2025, granting instant access to exclusive preview gameplay. The full release is scheduled for November 2025, priced at $29.99 for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.