The newly released trailer for the Ark: Survival Evolved expansion, Ark: Aquatica, from publisher Snail Games has sparked intense backlash within the Ark community. The trailer, unveiled following Snail Games’ announcement at GDC about their new expansion map, has been criticized for its heavy reliance on what appears to be low-quality generative AI imagery. Described by Snail Games as a non-canonical side story set in an ambitious underwater world where 95% of the gameplay occurs beneath the surface, the trailer has not been well-received.
Irish YouTuber Syntac, a prominent figure in the Ark community with over 1.9 million subscribers, expressed strong disapproval, stating, "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." His comment, reflecting widespread sentiment, currently holds the top spot on the trailer's comment section. Other viewers have echoed his sentiments, describing the trailer as "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The trailer features numerous instances of AI-generated anomalies, such as 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 developer of Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard, has distanced itself from the project. The studio clarified on social media that Ark: Aquatica is not being developed by their team. Instead, they emphasized their commitment to Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2, and announced the upcoming release of Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will serve as a precursor to the sequel.
The future of Ark 2 has been uncertain since it missed its previously planned late 2024 release window. However, Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that development is ongoing. Additionally, the trailer for Ark: Aquatica features Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role from Ark: The Animated Series.
