Ark: Survival Ascended is adding new content later this month in a crossover you never would have imagined.
Animated Explorer notes are being added on March 31 that will tell the story of one of the first Ark explorers, with some familiar voices lending their talents to the game.
The Boys star Karl Urban plays the role of Bob as he shares his stories with Meeka, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho—who voiced the titular character in Disney’s 2016 hit Moana.
Players can recover animated Explorer Notes to uncover Bob’s “larger-than-life” saga as his “pivotal role” in Ark’s history unfolds, which could tie into the Ark animated series coming to Paramount+.
Explorer Notes are already a recognized feature in Ark: Survival Ascended, with over 100 to collect on The Island that offer experience bonuses when found, and more are coming as part of Scorched Earth when it releases on April 1.
Developer Studio Wildcard hasn’t announced how many animated Explorer Notes there will be to find but artwork showcased suggests they are here to stay, as several maps are teased in the background of the image.
It’s clear from the same artwork that Scorched Earth is a big focus of the new Explorer Notes, however, as it shows off the new Oasisaur and trains that will be exclusive to the Frontier Adventure Pack, a paid piece of DLC revealed in December 2023.
Studio Wildcard could use the animated Explorer Notes to explain the story behind the paid DLC and why exactly these new features have been added. They weren’t available in Ark: Survival Evolved, and the notes could explain why players get access to technology like trains and vehicles.
We’ll know more about the secrets told in the animated Explorer Notes as the countdown to the release of Scorched Earth, the first additional map for Ark: Survival Ascended, edges closer.
