A new Ark: Survival Evolved expansion trailer from publisher Snail Games has been met with overwhelming criticism from the Ark community due to 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 has been overwhelmingly negative. Popular Ark YouTuber Syntac, with over 1.9 million subscribers, summed up the general sentiment in a top comment: "This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves." Other viewers echoed this sentiment, labeling the trailer "pathetic" and "embarrassing." The trailer is filled with noticeable AI artifacts, 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, swiftly distanced itself from the project, clarifying on social media that Ark: Aquatica is not being developed by their team. They reaffirmed their commitment to Ark: Survival Ascended, Ark 2, and the upcoming Ark: Lost Colony 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. They also unveiled Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will serve as a prelude to the sequel.

Michelle Yeoh, star of Ark: The Animated Series, reprises her role in the trailer.