Studio Wildcard has revealed Ark: Survival Ascended's next major expansion, ARK: Lost Colony, coming November 2025. The DLC will continue Mei Yin's story following the events of Extinction, taking survivors to the dangerous urban landscape of Arat Prime. Pre-orders begin June 2nd, 2025, priced at $29.99, with immediate access to exclusive preview content.
ARK: Lost Colony Continues the Saga in Hostile Urban Setting
The next chapter in the Ark: Survival Ascended story has been unveiled in Community Crunch 450, with ARK: Lost Colony set to bridge the narrative gap between ARK Extinction, Genesis, and the upcoming ARK 2. This full-sized expansion will transport players to Arat Prime, a massive occupied city where the hunters become the hunted.
The teaser trailer showcases protagonist Mei Yin's journey following the events of Extinction, with the urban setting providing a stark contrast to previous ARK environments. Players can expect new creatures, items, structures, and narrative elements when the expansion launches in November 2025.
Pre-orders for Lost Colony begin June 2nd, 2025, with immediate access to exclusive preview content for early adopters. The expansion will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC for $29.99. Steam users can already wishlist the DLC.
ARK: The Animated Series Part 2 Preview Released
Fans of ARK's expanding universe have another treat to look forward to with the release of a preview for ARK: The Animated Series Part 2, featuring Russell Crowe as Kor the Prophet. The series, which follows paleontologist Helena Walker (played by Madeleine Madden) in a mysterious primeval land, will continue later in 2025.
The star-studded cast includes Michelle Yeoh, Gerard Butler, and Vin Diesel, with Part 1 currently streaming on Paramount+. The animated series expands on the rich lore of the ARK universe, providing deeper context to the game's mysterious narrative.
What's Happening in the ARK Community?
Community Crunch 450 also announced an Astraeos-themed community contest running from March 14-25, 2025, with winners to be revealed on March 28. Participants can enter in three categories: Screenshots/Vistas, Builds, and Art, with all submissions required to feature Astraeos themes.
Prizes include the ARK: The Animated Series Cosmetic Pack (valued at $14.99), with grand prize winners receiving additional rewards such as a Fantastic Tame and featured artwork on Discord. All submissions must be made through the Official ARK Discord.
Game Updates and Limited-Time Events
Studio Wildcard has teased upcoming roadmap updates, including news on an Unreal Engine 5.5 upgrade, with more details promised next week. In the meantime, players can take advantage of several limited-time events:
- Temporary "Expire" servers available until March 24, 2025 (10am PST/1pm EST)
- Weekend bonus rates active until Monday, March 24:
- PVP/PVE: 2x Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding
- Small Tribes: 4.5x Harvesting, Taming, Experience + 4x Breeding
- ARKpocalypse: 5x Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding
Community Content Showcase
The Community Crunch highlights exceptional fan contributions, including creator videos, artwork, and screenshots. Featured videos include LolsAtLance's comprehensive Greek base building guide and ClickTockClock's tutorial on taming a Skyshroud Drakara.
Fan artists showcased include wyvernadas, cascadingcaramel, Panoptos, Nilona, DragonWolf, Cayyruzius, and FlawlezFalcon, with impressive artwork ranging from dino dossier drawings to TEK Stego designs. The community screenshot gallery features stunning in-game photography from ARKLove9, alexj_21, 7467a, frozen_soap, and crazylablady.
For those looking to engage with the ARK community, official channels are available across Twitter, Discord, Reddit, and other platforms. The official wiki remains an invaluable resource for both new and veteran survivors.