This may just be the biggest week ever if you're an Ark fan, and not only because Ark 2 has got a new launch window

This week was always destined to be one of the most important in Ark's history. Lost Colony, the new DLC for Ark Survival Ascended, is the first totally original, full-size expansion that Ark fans have had in years. It tees up the narrative for Studio Wildcard's ambitious sequel, Ark 2, but with that project nowhere near launching, I was wondering how it would fill the upcoming void. Well, to add to the frenzy, a new roadmap for the next two years of ASA has been revealed, containing more all-new, original expansions. Oh, and top it all off, Studio Wildcard has now set a new Ark 2 release date window.

Right, let's start with Lost Colony. After some last-minute delays, the new expansion is now finally live for Ark Survival Ascended players, and it's by far and away the most significant DLC that the dinosaur game has received to date. Mostly supported with remasters of Survival Evolved expansions, this sees Wildcard flex its creative muscles for the first time in a long while. Not only is it a narrative glimpse at what's to come in Ark 2, but it's a gameplay one too. New features, such as the NPC thralls that you can recruit to fight alongside you, are also destined for the eventual sequel, but are being rolled out early so the community can get to grips with them.

Lost Colony also features a star-studded cast, with many of the big names from the Ark animated series reprising roles. Alongside previously announced names like Michelle Yeoh, The Boys star Karl Urban now lends his likeness (as well as his voice) to iconic character Bob. As for the expansion's more prehistoric characters, over a dozen new beasts can be found across the new Arat Prime map, from the psychedelic Gloons to the "flying fortress" that is the Gigadesmodus.

Ark Survival Ascended's Lost Colony expansion is live right now, costing $29.99 / £29.99. However, in a wild turn of events, this highly anticipated DLC is probably the third-most exciting bit of Ark news this week.

The first big revelation is a new roadmap for ASA, which tees up what's ahead in lieu of Ark 2, which Studio Wildcard told me earlier in the year was still a long way off. I wondered if the pushback to Ark 2 would result in more original ASA content to keep fans on side, and I've been proven right. Over the next two years, seven key content drops will arrive.

First up is a reimagining of Survival of the Fittest, a janky but promising PvP spinoff experience that's been in the Ark community for years. This is being handled by Studio Sirens, a separate team from Studio Wildcard. Later in 2026, a new pirate-themed Bob's Tall Tales DLC will drop. Following that in Q3, a new tool called Ark World Creator will be integrated into ASA. While there's already a healthy modding scene, especially in the first game, Survival Evolved, this is an in-house UGC feature in the same vein as something like Fortnite Creative. 2026 will then end with an all-new expansion called Dragontopia.

2027 is just as significant. Another original expansion, Atlantis, will seemingly see things head beneath the ocean waves. Another Bob's Tall Tales DLC will arrive, this time titled Galaxy Wars, which leans on spaceship battles. Then, the grand finale of this roadmap - Legacy of Santiago. Yet another all-new expansion that will lift the lid even more on Ark 2, and similarly to Lost Colony, will get some of its gameplay innovations out in the wild, too.

"While the logos are placeholder, the intentions are very much set: we have a multi-year plan to build out huge gameplay additions and canonical narrative expansions for Ark Survival Ascended, in addition to tons of free maps, creatures, and features," Jeremey Stieglitz, Studio Wildcard's development director, says in a quote provided exclusively to PCGamesN. "And as you may be wondering, yes, Ark Legacy of Santiago is going to be a test-case for many of the features and designs we intend to incorporate in Ark 2. Ark Survival Evolved's lifecycle lasted a good ten years, and our hope is to see ASA grow into that milestone as well. We're grateful for the Ark community's continued perseverance, and we look forward to evolving the game we love with them for years to come."

As if a new expansion and a stacked roadmap wasn't enough, there's a third development to talk about. Speaking to the Epic Games Store blog in an interview, Stieglitz says that its Studio Wildcard's "intention" to launch Ark 2 in 2028. While that is somewhat assumed with Legacy of Santiago not coming until the end of 2027, it's good to finally get confirmation of Wildcard's internal expectations for the sequel.

One word of caution, however, for all of Wildcard's future plans - the studio has become notorious for delays and pushbacks on its content, as was evidenced by Ark 2's mysterious absence before things started to get cleared up this year, and the nudges that Lost Colony just received. While Studio Wildcard does good work, I'd wouldn't be shocked if at least a couple of these release windows got shifted. Still, this week has been an extraordinary one in the world of Ark, and Lost Colony is only a small percentage of the reasons why.