Ark: The Animated Series surprise drops first 6 episodes with stacked cast

The first six episodes of Ark: The Animated Series have been made available after a surprise drop, revealing a cast stacked of talent.

Based on Studio Wildcard’s Ark: Survival Evolved, the series will have 13 episodes in its first season—six of which are now available to watch exclusively on Paramount+.

Madeleine Madden provides the voice for the main character, Helena Walker, joined by Jeffrey Wright, David Tennant, Russell Crowe, Gerard Butler, Michelle Yeoh, and more.

The series also includes Vin Diesel, who is also set to star in Ark 2 later this year, capping off a stacked cast that instantly grabs the headlines—and the hope will be that the stealth drop of the series provides a much-needed spark of life into the franchise after a tough few months for Studio Wildcard.

Ark: Survival Ascended, a remaster of the original title, has seen its player count on Steam plummet well below its predecessor, with many players opting to remain on the original title rather than jumping over to the revamped version.

A move to join Xbox Game Pass in April was announced on March 19, opening the doors to new players ahead of the release of Scorched Earth—the first expansion map for Ark: Survival Ascended that swaps the lush, tropical environment of The Island for a barren, desert landscape.

There is no news on whether Ark: The Animated Series will continue beyond its initial season, and it has also not been revealed when the final seven episodes of the first series will launch, other than a tease for “later this year.”

The addition to Paramount+ sees the streaming platform become somewhat of a hub for gaming-orientated series, joining the Halo live-action series that first aired in 2022.