Studio Wildcard has announced "Lost Colony," the first expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended, featuring anime cutscenes created by Mappa, the acclaimed studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen. Set for release in November 2023, the expansion will showcase the character Mei Yin through stylish animated sequences, marking an exciting collaboration between the survival game and the renowned anime production house.
Lost Colony Brings Anime Style to Ark Universe
In an unexpected but thrilling crossover, Ark: Survival Ascended is embracing anime aesthetics with its upcoming "Lost Colony" expansion. Studio Wildcard has partnered with Mappa, the animation powerhouse responsible for hit series Jujutsu Kaisen, to create multiple anime cutscenes that will enhance the narrative experience of the game.
The expansion, scheduled to launch in November 2023, will put a spotlight on the character Mei Yin through these specially crafted animated sequences. This marks the first major content expansion for Ark: Survival Ascended since its release on November 21, 2023.
What Can Players Expect from Lost Colony?
While Studio Wildcard has been relatively tight-lipped about the full scope of the expansion, they have released a teaser that gives fans a glimpse of what's to come. The collaboration with Mappa studio represents a significant artistic direction for the franchise, potentially adding a new dimension to the game's storytelling approach.
The focus on Mei Yin, a key character in the Ark lore, suggests that Lost Colony will delve deeper into the game's narrative universe. Fans of both anime and Ark: Survival Ascended have expressed excitement about this unique crossover between gaming and anime.
Mappa Studio's Growing Gaming Presence
This collaboration marks another step in Mappa's expansion beyond traditional anime series. Known primarily for their work on Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man, the studio has been increasingly involved in gaming-related projects.
The studio's distinctive animation style, characterized by fluid action sequences and expressive character designs, seems well-suited to bring the prehistoric-meets-futuristic world of Ark to life in animated form.
Release Timeline and Availability
Lost Colony is scheduled for release in November 2023, approximately one year after the launch of the base game. While specific platform details haven't been confirmed, it's expected to be available across all platforms that currently support Ark: Survival Ascended, including PlayStation 5, PC (Microsoft Windows), and Xbox Series X|S.
As November approaches, Studio Wildcard will likely reveal more details about the expansion's gameplay features, additional content, and exactly how the anime cutscenes will be integrated into the overall experience.
The Evolution of Ark
Since its original incarnation as Ark: Survival Evolved, the franchise has continually pushed boundaries in the survival game genre. The remake in Unreal Engine 5 brought significant visual and performance improvements, and now this collaboration with Mappa represents another innovative step for the series.
For fans of dinosaur-taming action and anime aesthetics alike, the Lost Colony expansion promises to be an intriguing addition to the ever-expanding world of Ark.