The gaming community of Ark: Survival Evolved has erupted in outrage over a newly released trailer for the expansion Ark: Aquatica by publisher Snail Games. The trailer, which followed Snail Games' announcement at GDC of their "in-house developed new expansion map," has been heavily criticized for its use of what appears to be low-quality generative AI imagery. The expansion is set in an ambitious underwater environment, with 95% of the gameplay occurring beneath the surface, and is described as a non-canonical side story to the Ark universe.
Prominent Ark-focused YouTuber Syntac, with over 1.9 million subscribers, lambasted the trailer, stating, "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." His comment is currently the most upvoted on the Ark: Aquatica trailer. The backlash from other viewers has been equally fierce, with many calling the trailer "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The trailer showcases various AI-generated anomalies, including fish that blur in and out of existence, a grotesquely misshaped hand holding a spear gun, a levitating octopus in front of an ambiguous shipwreck, and human feet morphing into flippers.
In response to the controversy, the original developers of Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard, have quickly distanced themselves from the project. They clarified on social media that Ark: Aquatica is not being developed by their team, emphasizing their commitment to Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2. They also announced their excitement for the upcoming release of Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will serve as a lead-in to Ark 2.
The future of Ark 2 had been uncertain since missing its previously planned late 2024 release window, but Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that development is ongoing. Additionally, Ark: The Animated Series star Michelle Yeoh reprises her role in the trailer for Ark: Aquatica.
