Ark: Survival Evolved Fans Lash Expansion Trailer Filled With AI-Generated Slop
A new Ark: Survival Evolved expansion trailer from publisher Snail Games has been resoundingly condemned by the Ark community for being filled with evidence of appalling generative AI imagery.
The trailer was released in the wake of Snail Games’ GDC announcement of its “in-house developed new expansion map, Ark: Aquatica”. The studio describes the expansion as a non-canonical side story to Ark in “an ambitious underwater setting featuring 95% of gameplay taking place beneath the surface.”
“This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves,” wrote Irish YouTuber Syntac in response to the trailer. This statement from the popular Ark-oriented video creator, who has over 1.9 million subscribers, is currently the top comment on the Ark: Aquatica trailer.
Comments from other viewers are unanimously and similarly negative, decrying the trailer as “pathetic” and “embarrassing.” The trailer is rife with traces of AI slop, including schooling fish blurring in and out of existence, a hideously deformed hand clutching a spear gun, a levitating octopus floating in front of a shipwreck that doesn’t know whether it’s a rock or not, human feet that morph into floppy flippers, and more.
For its part, original Ark: Survival Evolved developer Studio Wildcard has immediately distanced itself from the discussion, clarifying on social media that Ark: Aquatica is not being being developed by its team, and that “Studio Wildcard remains entirely dedicated to the production of Ark: Survival Ascended & Ark 2, and we’re excited to bring Ark: Lost Colony to you later this year!”
Since missing its previously planned late 2024 release window the future of Ark 2 has been unclear amongst fans, but Studio Wildcard confirmed this week that development on the dinosaur survival sequel is continuing. It also revealed Ark: Lost Colony, a new expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended that will lead into the sequel.
Ark: The Animated Series star Michelle Yeoh reprises her role in the trailer.
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.
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