Despite some hope for a late release this year, the sequel toARK: Survival Ascendedis still nowhere to be seen. While the years of delays have started to cause some understandable worries,it seems the developers are beginning to prepare players for the upcoming release ofARK 2. While the official release is still a ways off,ARK: Survival Ascended’s newest expansion aims to start connecting the original game’s story to its long-awaited sequel.
Even though the sequel will contain all the classic features that made the original survival game stand out with its unique environments and gameplay mechanics likechallenging dinosaur-taming, it’s aiming to take a new direction for the franchise. WithARK 2putting a much greater focus on delivering a story-driven narrative gameplay experience featuring named characters and even a big-budget actor like Vin Diesel, it’s likely a difficult transition for some players to get used to. Thankfully, this upcoming expansion will play a vital role in this transition,withARK: Lost Colonyhelping players get caught up to speed with the setting of the sequel while introducing them to the story-driven format in a familiar context.
Bridging The Gap Between The Story Of ARK 2 And The Original
While the exact details of the upcomingARK: Lost Colonyexpansion haven’t been revealed yet, there’s still plenty to unpack in the latest post on X by the officialArk: Survival AscendedXaccount.While the post states the story will take place between the events of theExtinctionandGenesisexpansions, the fact that it will also lead into the sequel means it could have an even larger scope than expected, which will likely tie up any loose ends with the previous storylines.
Another exciting fact is that certain cutscenes will feature animated sequences from MAPPA, the legendary studio that brought the final season of Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Chainsawman to the silver screen.
Based on the timeframe of the expansions, there’s reason to believe thatLost Colonywill take players to the world of Arat Prime, exploring the events and characters players already know in even more detail.In terms of what to expect gameplay-wise,Lost Colonyis introducing new ice and snow-covered tundra for players to explore, facing off against newly themed dinosaurs,and potentially even exciting new weapons as used in the trailer by the survivor Mei Yin.
While cutscenes have been a growing part ofARKgames for years, adding entirely animated segments by such an esteemed studio is something to look forward to in the new year while players wait for any updates onARK 2’s release date.
ARK 2 Still Doesn’t Have A Precise Release Date
The Experimental Sequel Is Still A Long Way Off
Given thatARK 2was originally announced to launch in 2022, nearly half a decade ago, it’s understandable why many in the community are frustrated by the lack of news. All the claims over new features like revamped combat and greater fidelity have likely extended development time significantly, especially if the developers plan to iron out more of the bugs that have plagued the franchise since its inception.
WhileArk: Survival Ascendedwas intended to tie players over to the sequel while addingplenty of new features, it didn’t receive the most positive reception from fans or new players alike.
Ark: Survival Ascended- Everything Included In The New Extinction Ascended & Wasteland War Update
Ark: Survival Ascended’s Extinction update is here, along with the Wasteland War DLC. Here’s what the new map, creatures, and game mode include.
Despite fan backlash,Ark: Survival Ascendedhas received a plethora of updates since its launch in 2023, with evenmore DLC coming in 2025. Even ifithasn’t achieved the same colossal success as the originalSurvival Evolved, it’s still the closest thing fans will get to a sequel for some time.
Even without a concrete release date forARK 2,there’s still hope that theARK: Lost Colonyexpansion is the first step in preparing players for a smooth transition into the upcoming sequel in the new year.
