Ark: Survival Ascended's first expansion recruits the studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen for some flashy, anime cutscenes
Oh, and yes, Ark 2 is still happening, just so you know
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It seems like no matter where you go, Mappa is right there, ready and waiting with an anime something-or-other you weren't expecting. This time, you'll find the studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen in Ark: Survival Ascended, of all places, specifically in its first expansion pack Lost Colony. Studio Wildcard revealed a teaser of the expansion yesterday, set to be released November this year, showing off one of "numerous" anime cutscenes that it will feature focusing on the character Mei Yin.
If you couldn't recognise her voice from all the grunting she does in the trailer, Michelle Yeoh is reprising her role as Mei Yin from Ark: The Animated series, and she'll be joined by Madeleine Madden as Helena Walker from the show too. The expansion will also include Moana's Auli'i Cravalho as Meeka, that little kid hanging out with Vin Diesel in Ark 2's reveal trailer. And yes, Wildcard wants you to know that her presence alongside Extinction, Genesis, and Lost Colony "leads into the events" of the sequel. Wildcard has been pretty quiet on Ark 2 since its announcement in 2020 outside of a few delays, so this at least marks some sign of life.
Lost Colony will feature the kind of additions many expansions do like new abilities, gear, building systems, things like that. Story wise you're being hunted by, uh, demons, it seems, which there appeared to be a taste of in the teaser above, in a "vast occupied city" called Arat Prime, the "birthplace of the Arks."
Ark 2 itself has been delayed numerous times, and was technically meant to come out last year, but considering Wildcard released a content roadmap earlier this year that featured plans for Survival Ascended all the way up to December 2026, and nothing for its sequel, you're probably safe to place a bet on it taking a while longer.