A new trailer for the Ark: Survival Evolved expansion, Ark: Aquatica, released by publisher Snail Games, has sparked intense backlash from the game's community. The trailer, unveiled following Snail Games' announcement at GDC about their in-house developed expansion map, showcases an ambitious underwater setting where 95% of the gameplay occurs beneath the surface. However, it has been heavily criticized for its use of what appears to be low-quality generative AI imagery.
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 the sentiment of many fans, is currently the most upvoted on the trailer's video.
The community's reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, with viewers describing the trailer as "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The trailer is filled with noticeable AI-generated errors, such as fish that blur in and out of existence, a grotesquely deformed 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 and emphasized their focus on Ark: Survival Ascended and Ark 2. They also announced excitement for the upcoming expansion, Ark: Lost Colony, set to release later this year, which will serve as a lead-in to Ark 2.
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 and shared details about Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended.
Adding to the trailer's appeal, Ark: The Animated Series star Michelle Yeoh reprises her role, bringing a familiar face to the new expansion.
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