The newly released trailer for the Ark: Survival Evolved expansion from publisher Snail Games has sparked significant backlash within the Ark community. The trailer, unveiled following Snail Games’ announcement at GDC of its "in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica," has been heavily criticized for its use of what appears to be generative AI imagery. Snail Games positions the expansion as a non-canonical side story set in an "ambitious underwater setting" where 95% of the gameplay occurs beneath the water's surface.
The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. Irish YouTuber Syntac, a prominent figure in the Ark community with over 1.9 million subscribers, condemned the trailer, stating, "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." His comment has garnered the most attention on the Ark: Aquatica trailer, reflecting the sentiment of many viewers who have described the trailer as "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The trailer is filled with telltale signs of AI-generated imagery, such as fish that blur in and out of existence, a grotesquely misshapen hand holding a spear gun, a floating octopus in front of an indecisive shipwreck, and human feet morphing into flippers.
In response to the controversy, the original developers of Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard, have clarified on social media that they are not involved with Ark: Aquatica. They reaffirmed their focus on the development of Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2, expressing excitement about the upcoming release of Ark: Lost Colony later this year. This statement comes amidst uncertainty about the future of Ark 2, which missed its previously planned late 2024 release window, though Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that the project is still in active development. Ark: Lost Colony is set to be a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended and will serve as a lead-in to the sequel.
Adding to the trailer's appeal, Michelle Yeoh, known for her role in Ark: The Animated Series, reprises her character in the Ark: Aquatica trailer.
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