The gaming community is in uproar following the disastrous launch of Ark: Aquatica, the newest DLC for Ark: Survival Evolved. What was supposed to be an exciting expansion has instead become a cautionary tale about rushed game development.

Released on July 15, this underwater-themed DLC promised to revolutionize the game with expansive aquatic biomes. However, players quickly discovered the update rendered many existing saves unplayable, reset game settings, and caused compatibility issues with popular mods. The situation became so severe that developer Snail Games had to roll back to a previous version while working on fixes.

Community reports paint a grim picture:

• Players spawning into empty maps
• Significant performance drops
• Issues affecting even those who didn't purchase the DLC
• Complete incompatibility with certain hardware configurations

The problems extend beyond technical glitches. The DLC's trailer faced accusations of using AI-generated content, which developers initially denied before admitting some AI elements were present. This controversy, combined with the gameplay issues, has resulted in 'Overwhelmingly Negative' reviews on Steam.

While Studio Wildcard focuses on ARK 2 development, the current situation raises questions about resource allocation. The studio recently announced Ark: Lost Colony, a 2025 DLC meant to bridge storylines between existing expansions and the upcoming sequel.

This debacle serves as a stark reminder of the challenges in live game development. As the team works to fix Aquatica, the community waits to see if this beloved survival game can recover from what many are calling its worst update ever.