A new Ark: Survival Evolved expansion trailer from publisher Snail Games has been heavily criticized by the Ark community for its apparent overuse of generative AI imagery.
The trailer, released following Snail Games' GDC announcement of their "in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica," depicts an underwater setting where 95% of the gameplay takes place. Snail Games describes it as a non-canonical side story.
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly negative. Popular YouTuber Syntac, with over 1.9 million subscribers, summed up the general sentiment with his top comment: "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." Other viewers echoed this sentiment, describing the trailer as "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The AI-generated imagery is readily apparent, with examples including flickering fish, a grotesquely deformed hand, a levitating octopus in front of an inconsistently rendered shipwreck, and human feet morphing into flippers.
Studio Wildcard, the original developer of Ark: Survival Evolved, has swiftly distanced itself from Ark: Aquatica, clarifying on social media that they are not involved in its development. They reiterated their commitment to Ark: Survival Ascended, Ark 2, and the upcoming Ark: Lost Colony expansion, slated for release later this year.
Following delays to its previously announced late 2024 release, the future of Ark 2 had been uncertain. However, Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that development continues, and Ark: Lost Colony will serve as a prelude to the sequel.
Michelle Yeoh, star of Ark: The Animated Series, reprises her role in the trailer.
