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ARK: Lost Colony is the first completely original expansion created specifically for ARK: Survival Ascended. Unlike earlier ASA maps, which were remastered from Survival Evolved, Lost Colony introduces an entirely new location, story progression, creatures, building tools, and RPG-style systems. The expansion launches on December 18, 2025, on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, and requires the base game.
What Is ARK: Lost Colony?
Rather than being just a new map, Lost Colony shifts ARK toward a more narrative-driven experience. It introduces a story campaign with cinematic sequences, enemy factions, and lore exploration set within Arat Prime. The gameplay is expanded with new progression systems, creature evolutions, and late-game building and technology that affect how players engage with survival, exploration, and tribe development. It also serves as the final chapter that leads into the events of ARK 2.
Setting: Arat Prime
Arat Prime is a snow-covered, abandoned megacity filled with:
- Ruined futuristic infrastructure buried under ice
- Underground laboratories and industrial vaults
- Element-infested zones and bio-mechanical horrors
- Corrupted enemies beyond dinosaurs including humanoid variants, experiments, and demons
The tone is a mix of gothic sci-fi, survival horror, and post-apocalyptic ruins, marking ARK’s darkest setting so far.
Story and Characters
Lost Colony follows Mei Yin Li, voiced by Michelle Yeoh, on her final journey into the heart of Arat Prime. The story is delivered with fully animated cutscenes by MAPPA, the studio behind Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and Jujutsu Kaisen.
This story officially connects:
Extinction → Genesis → Lost Colony → ARK 2
Confirmed Character:
| Character | Role / Details |
|---|---|
| Mei Yin Li | Main protagonist, voiced by Michelle Yeoh |
| The Lost King | Antagonist (name unofficial), voiced by Keith David |
The expansion finally reveals how civilization fell, how the ARKs were created, and the origins of Element corruption.
New Gameplay Systems
Lost Skill Tree (RPG-style progression)
A new universal progression system unlocked via Milestones (combat, building, exploration, breeding).
Skill Points can be spent in 3 branches:
| Branch | Focus |
|---|---|
| Beast Mastery | Mount combat, breeding, imprinting, tame buffs |
| Wayfarer | Mobility, survivability, traversal tools |
| Utility | Harvesting, crafting, tribe support, base efficiency |
This system already exists in ASA (Expansion Pass owners) but will fully expand only with Lost Colony.
Cursed Gear Tier
A new equipment tier linked to Element corruption and Arat Prime enemies. No full stats have been revealed yet, but it is confirmed to be:
- Late-game progression
- Craftable through Arat Prime resources
- Linked to story combat and endgame encounters
Creatures Confirmed So Far
Veilwyn
- Support creature that specializes in aura-based buffs
- Provides defense, mobility, healing, or speed boosts
- Has two evolution forms coming with Lost Colony
Malwyn
- A weaponized evolution of Veilwyn
- Designed for target debuffs, execution, and battlefield control
- Described as a ruthlessly efficient elimination mount
- First preview of Arat Prime bioengineering
Solwyn
- Light-aligned evolutionary variant of Veilwyn
- Thematic counterpart to Malwyn, focused on protection rather than corruption
- Expected to specialize in support, restoration, or defensive aura abilities
- Presented as the “light in the darkness” within Arat Prime’s hostile environment
Ossidon
- Massive frost-based beast, originally engineered through Element mutation
- Uses cryogenic mucus and freezing attacks
- Two major evolutions/forms coming at map launch
- Currently spawns in cold biomes on Ragnarok, Valguero, and The Center (pre-launch)
Gloon
- Floating aberrant entity tied to Element corruption
- Appears amorphous, unstable, and partially ethereal
- Specializes in debuffs, area denial, and psychological pressure
- Strongly associated with horror-themed encounters within Arat Prime
- Expected to interact with corruption mechanics and cursed gear systems
Aureliax
- High-altitude, levitation-based entity observed above frozen regions
- Exhibits dual-alignment behavior, reacting differently based on player actions
- Can either empower or punish survivors, depending on interaction
More creatures, bosses, and Element-mutated enemies are confirmed but unrevealed. Wildcard is heavily teasing horror-style designs, humanoid enemy types, and story-based bosses.
Expansion Pass vs. Full DLC
| Feature | Expansion Pass (Now) | Lost Colony DLC (Dec 16) |
|---|---|---|
| Drakelings | ✔ | ✔ |
| Veilwyn | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lost Skill Tree | ✔ | Full System |
| Template Hammer | ✔ | ✔ |
| TEK Bunker | ✔ | ✔ |
| DarkTek/Thrall cosmetic set | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ossidon early access | ✔ | ✔ |
| New map (Arat Prime) | ✘ | ✔ |
| Story campaign & cinematics | ✘ | ✔ |
| Creature evolutions | ✘ | ✔ |
| Cursed gear tier | ✘ | ✔ |
| Endgame enemies/factions | ✘ | ✔ |
It’s more than a new map, Lost Colony marks the point where ARK starts to shift into what’s coming next. The focus moves from remastered content to original storytelling, new progression systems, and worldbuilding that connects directly to ARK 2. It introduces mechanics and creatures designed not just for survival, but for long-term evolution of the game’s universe.
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