Free to play fantasy MMO RPG Lost Ark got a bit too happy with its banhammer over the weekend, with lapsed players taking to the game’s Steam page to complain that they’d been banned for no reason other than inactivity. Players, or at least former players, of Lost Ark left more than 1300 negative reviews of the game on Saturday, and more than 1000 on Sunday. They claimed they’d received bans that appeared on their Steam profile without actually logging into the game recently.
]]>Free to play fantasy MMO RPG Lost Ark has shared a sneak peek at the new classes and raids coming to the game up until the end of the year. Following on from September introducing Lost Ark’s very own Iron Man in the form of the Machinist advanced class, expect two more classes to arrive between now and the start of 2023, taking the roster to 21. October is all about raids though, and this month sees the arrival of the limited-time Mystic Abyss raid.
]]>Fantasy MMO RPG Lost Ark introduces its next advanced class on September 28th, the Machinist, and he has a certain smug, goateed high-tech familiarity to him. Think of the Machinist as the Aldi equivalent to Marvel’s Tony Stark, Iron Man. He’s still packed to the circuit boards with machine guns, lasers and drones, even if he is an own-brand alternative to the Armoured Avenger.
]]>Free to play MMO action RPG Lost Ark is getting a round in today, as the game’s Arktoberfest event begins. An in-game celebration of all things Bavarian that’s riffing on the actual Oktoberfest, Arktoberfest runs until October 3rd. It’ll bring themed festival foods to the game, along with some staggeringly well-balanced beer steins. Arktoberfest is the first big event to come to Lost Ark in the West that wasn't in the original Korean and Russian version of the game.
]]>Free-to-play Korean MMO Lost Ark is getting a new update, Under The Arkesian Sun, on August 24. This update welcomes Legendary Pet status, with useful perks that can buff your max HP, and a new spot in the Stronghold called the Pet Ranch.
]]>Looking for the best Destroyer build in Lost Ark? The gravity hammer-wielding Destroyer is now available in the western release of Lost Ark, bringing along a unique, burst-damage-focused playstyle. Destroyer is one of the slowest classes in Lost Ark, with long, chunky animations. The payoff is worth it though, as he slams his hammer down for massive AoE damage that is perfect for any fight. Get everything you need to start hammering away at Lost Ark’s endgame with this Destroyer guide.
]]>The ‘Destined For Destruction’ update for fantasy action RPG Lost Ark arrived last week but it appears to have introduced a bug that makes the cursor stick to part of the UI and prevents clicking. Reddit user Sagezu was flummoxed by the bug over the weekend and shared their woe at crashing out of Lost Ark’s first Legion Raid, Valtan, which arrived as part of the May update. Judging by the comments, many other Lost Ark players were encountering the same bug.
]]>The May update for Amazon Games and Smilegate’s multiplayer online action RPG Lost Ark introduces a new class this week that really enjoys smashing things up: the Destroyer. The ‘Destined For Destruction’ update also brings a brand-new Guardian Raid, Deskaluda, which looks like a dragon made out of Victorian iron fencing and ooze-green Dulux. Axe-wielding goat lad Valtan arrives this month to finally incorporate team-based Legion Raids into the Western version of Lost Ark too.
]]>Lost Ark is in an interesting position. It's an MMO hack-and-slasher which made its enormously popular western debut earlier this year, but which has been out in South Korea since 2019. That means that there's a wealth of already existing endgame content that its developers need to decide when its appropriate to bring across to the western release.
They have decided that time is: this month.
]]>Need the best Glaivier build in Lost Ark? The Glaivier is Lost Ark’s polearm wielder, swapping between AoE and single target-focused stances to adapt to the situation at hand. Like the Gunslinger and Deadeye, the Glaivier can cycle through multiple skill bars, making for a high-APM playstyle
Whether you’ve just boosted up a Glaivier with your knowledge transfer or powerpass, or you're starting the main campaign for the first time, this guide is here to help. Below we'll walk you through our recommended skill levelling, engravings, awakening skills, and other key information in order to help you put together the best possible Glaivier build in Lost Ark.
]]>Smilegate’s formerly mega-popular RPG Lost Ark receives its April update, the dramatic sounding Battle For The Throne Of Chaos today, bringing with it a new class, continent and a rewards system for those who love the grind.
Glaivier is the new advanced class and she’s proper into orchestral djent judging by the trailer. The Glaivier features two skill sets, Focus and Flurry, linked to one of the ridiculously huge pointy sticks she wields: spear for fast attacks in Focus and glaive for sweeping hits in Flurry. Smilegate say a successful Glaivier can maximise their effectiveness by building up energy with one skill set for a stat boost when swapping to the other. It looks like she can really tear things up with superfast twizzles and dazzly stabbiness.
]]>Mike Frazzini, the head of Amazon Games, is leaving over a decade after helping found the megacorp's video games division. Hey, it's probably good to go out on a high, having finally found success with New World and Lost Ark after years of failures and cancellations. A prior report claimed he was part of why it took them so long to do anything, mind.
]]>Looking for help with the Necromancer’s Origin Abyssal Dungeon boss mechanics in Lost Ark? Necromancer’s Origin presents the first true challenge in Tier 1 of the Lost Ark endgame, combining wipe mechanics and soft enrage timers that will make any MMO veteran sweat. Necromancer’s Origin is more representative of the challenges to come than Demon Beast Canyon, but if you and your group can handle it, you can take on anything. If you and your team need a hand with the mechanics, or if you want to help your matchmade group survive, this guide is here to help.
]]>Need a hand with Lost Ark’s Demon Beast Canyon Abyssal Dungeon? The Abyssal Dungeons are the primary group content in Lost Ark’s endgame, presenting challenging boss mechanics that require teamwork and coordination. The first Abyssal Dungeon you will take on in Tier 1 is Demon Beast Canyon, available at Item Level 340. This dungeon is your introduction to more challenging four-player content, and while it isn’t as tough as later dungeons, you will still need an understanding of the boss mechanics to take it on. If you and your group need a hand figuring out the Hideous Scarkril fight, this guide will help.
]]>This article contains spoilers for Lost Ark's main questline.
Lost Ark is a very silly game, but not in the way it initially seems. For its first 15 hours or so, Smilegate's ARPG is like someone described Lord of the Rings to the developers through a door, an overblown yet generic riff on Western fantasy tropes with overdesigned yet underwritten characters, all of whom talk about the game's plainly ridiculous lore with the gravity of a neutron star. The game's ignorance of its own absurdity is funny, but the story itself is not much fun.
This begins to change once you approach level 50. After completing the continent of East Luterra, Lost Ark suddenly explodes in scale. It gives you a ship, and sets you off on a massive globetrotting adventure, with around a dozen other continents to explore, and dozens more tiny islands, each with their own little questlines. Your first destination across Lost Ark's ocean is an island called Tortoyk (pronounced like "Tortoise", but with a K), and it's here where the game stops pretending to be a serious high-fantasy adventure, revealing itself to be something much more entertaining.
]]>Trying to figure out how Engravings work in Lost Ark? Engravings are a core component of Lost Ark’s endgame character building. While they are first introduced around level 27-30, Engravings won’t typically become part of your loadout until after level 50. There is a multitude of ways to acquire and activate Engraving effects, but the system is a little confusing at first glance. If you’re having trouble parsing Engravings and getting your build set up, this guide is here to help.
]]>Trying to figure out the Powerpass in Lost Ark? The Powerpass is one of Lost Ark’s two methods of boosting characters straight to level 50, and the best part is that you’ll receive two of them for free. However, it's a little unclear when these become available and how they function. If you’re trying to unlock your Powerpasses or aren’t sure when to use them, this guide will help.
]]>Need the best Deadeye build in Lost Ark? The Deadeye is the male counterpart to the Gunslinger, swapping through an entire arsenal of weapons and skills to take on Lost Ark’s many foes. While the two classes have a lot of surface-level similarities, they ultimately play quite differently. If you aren’t sure which class is for you or have started up your Deadeye and need a build, this guide is here to help.
]]>Looking for the best Sharpshooter build in Lost Ark? The Sharpshooter is Lost Ark’s resident archer class, wielding a mechanically augmented compound bow to battle foes at range. What Sharpshooter lacks in AoEs he makes up for with excellent mobility and powerful utility skills that will help drop bosses fast, both solo and in a group. If you’re looking to get into the Sharpshooter class, this guide will help you get started.
]]>Looking for the best Lost Ark Scrapper build? The Scrapper is Lost Ark’s truest brawler, dueling demons and StarCraftian supersoldiers with nothing but her trusty gauntlets. As the Scrapper, you must live and breathe in the thick of the fight, making up for extremely limited range with beastly damage. Scrapper is tough to master but can match or beat any of Lost Ark’s classes in the right hands. If you’re up to the challenge, this guide will help you get started as the Scrapper.
]]>Need the best Soulfist build in Lost Ark? Have you ever found yourself looking through a fantasy RPG’s class list, skimming the rows of post-Dungeons and Dragons archetypes, and wondering to yourself, “what if I could be a Super Saiyan instead?” Well then, your oddly specific prayers are finally answered in the form of Lost Ark’s Soulfist. This martial arts master mixes close-up brawling techniques with ranged energy attacks, firing beams, bullets, and bombs at her foes. The Soulfist is a master of poking from range before diving in for the kill, crushing enemies with style. If you’re looking to get started in Lost Ark’s endgame with the Soulfist, this guide is here to help.
]]>Looking for the best Shadowhunter build in Lost Ark? The Shadowhunter is Lost Ark’s resident half-demon, swapping between deadly blades and an amped-up demon mode to unleash terror on her enemies. This powerful class can do it all, with tons of ways to pull enemies in and then blow them away. If you’re just getting started with the Shadowhunter, this guide is here to help.
]]>Need the best Lost Ark Wardancer build? The Wardancer plays foil to the Striker class, sharing an identity gauge and the bulk of their skills. However, don’t get the two twisted. Awakening skills, Engravings, and more differentiate the two classes and push them into fundamentally different playstyles. If you’re torn between the two or have already started with the Wardancer and need build advice, this Lost Ark Wardancer build guide can help.
]]>What is the best Bard build in Lost Ark? When it comes to finding teammates to enjoy the MMO part of MMORPG Lost Ark, the Bard is the uncontested belle of the ball. The best support character in the game by quite a margin, the Bard's healing powers and shields are second to none, and she's the most-requested class by players seeking to match with new party members. Choosing to play as the Bard is a smart move, therefore, if you're looking to quickly hop into team activities; and if you enjoy playing support characters, she's an interesting one to master.
]]>Looking for the best Striker build in Lost Ark? The nimble Striker is one of the most mobile classes in Lost Ark, zipping around the battlefield with his wide array of movement skills. While his smaller AoEs can make for slower leveling and Chaos Dungeon clears, his top-tier mobility and excellent single target damage make Striker a valuable DPS in a variety of endgame PvE content. Plus, his ability to outmaneuver foes makes for excellent PvP gameplay. If you’re interested in the Striker but aren’t sure where to start, this guide will help.
]]>Looking for the best Artillerist build in Lost Ark? Sure, Lost Ark may be a fantasy MMO with many standard fantasy warriors and spellcaster types. Sometimes though, you just want a giant Gatling cannon that shoots missiles and laserbeams. If you want to bring some sci-fi weaponry to the fantasy battlefield, Artillerist is for you. This cannon-wielding damage dealer is another top class on our tier list, boasting some of the most powerful AoE damage abilities in the game. If you’re anxious to start blasting, our guide to the Artillerist can help.
]]>Need the best Gunlancer build in Lost Ark? Another tier list topper, Gunlancer is one of the fastest-clearing classes in Lost Ark. Packing huge AoE damage, powerful team buffs, and the best defensive utility in the game, Gunlancers have a place in every party. The class has some unusual quirks, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be blasting through mobs with ease. This guide will equip you with everything you need to level to 50 and start tackling Lost Ark’s endgame as the Gunlancer.
]]>Grey is in. Don't take it from me, take it from the Carpet Man. I had to buy new carpet recently, and Carpet Man told me that the only shade of carpet anyone wants nowadays is grey, resting one hand on his hip and the other on a pile of pile. He seemed weary, but livened up as I picked through some beige.
Eventually I decided on corn, a warm yellow to keep things light and breezy. To both my relief and, I think, the relief of the Carpet Man, it wasn't grey. The shade that, for whatever reason, most people like to walk on. One that tires Carpet Man and reminds me of Lost Ark, an MMO that's supremely popular for some reason. No matter how chic it may be right now, I can't see it being a permanent fixture in my life.
]]>Looking for the best Lost Ark Berserker build? The Berserker is one of the most powerful classes in Lost Ark and sits comfortably at the top of our tier list. This greatsword-wielding behemoth crushes foes with massive bursts of AoE damage, easily ripping through trash mobs and bosses alike. Berserker’s abilities have some long wind-ups and cooldowns, but when they land they’re devastating. This guide will break down the Berserker’s skills, leveling, engravings, and more to help you progress through Lost Ark’s vast endgame.
]]>What is the best Paladin build in Lost Ark? The Paladin is one of only two dedicated support classes in Lost Ark, and as such, he's often in-demand when it comes to teaming up with other players in this MMORPG. Like every member of the Warrior base class, the Paladin earns a high spot on our Lost Ark classes tier list, thanks to impressive attack and defence stats that make him suitable for sub-DPS duties in addition to providing protection for the rest of his team.
]]>What is the best Sorceress build in Lost Ark? A recent addition to Lost Ark's character class line-up in the South Korean version, the Sorceress is rumoured to be designed to provide an accessible entry-point for Western players in the EU/NA release. It's unsurprising, therefore, that she's proving a popular choice of starting character. Despite being a literal squishy wizard with her low defences and HP, she really does have a lot going for her - to the extent that we've described her as a solid A Tier character in our tier list.
]]>Despite Friday's wonky launch, Lost Ark become the second-most-played game on Steam ever over the weekend. The free-to-play action-RPG hit 1.32 million peak concurrent players on Saturday, narrowly pushing it past the all-time peaks of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2. Well, 1.32m were in-game, but they might not have been playing. Server problems continued after launch with long queues for some. Publishers Amazon say they're working on it, including planning to create a whole new extra European server region.
]]>Frankly I feel a bit odd writing a post that amounts to “14-year-old rendering tech works better than 20-year-old rendering tech”, but Lost Ark – 2022’s biggest surprise hit so far – has only recently come around to the benefits of DirectX 11. While it’s the default rendering option in the western version that launched last week, the original South Korean version went years with just DirectX 9 to its name, and the press build that I used for performance testing (and Ed is using for his review-in progress) remains locked to DX9. Despite the fact that, as I’ve confirmed from testing the release build as well, DX11 provides a tidy performance gain over its predecessor.
]]>Update: A tweet on the Lost Ark Twitter account says that "all deployment issues have now been resolved" and that Lost Ark will launch at 2:15pm PT / 10:15pm GMT. This tweet was sent at 2:15pm PT. Players were still experiencing issues with missing characters after downloading the new patch, however, and so servers have been taken offline "to get this resolved."
An earlier tweet from the Lost Ark account said that as compensation for the delays they "will add 3 days of Crystalline Aura to all players who log in to the game between launch and 9 AM PT [5 PM UTC] on 2/13 as a small thank you."
]]>What is the best Deathblade build in Lost Ark? The Deathblade is one of Lost Ark's most intriguing character classes, with a popularity that belies a surprisingly low base damage stat. Perhaps it's the Deathblade's cool appearance that gets so many players past her shortcomings; after all, how many times in life do you get the chance to wield three swords at once?
]]>Whenever a game like Lost Ark comes out, it shows the public is still hungry for something that looks and sounds and plays even a tiny bit like Diablo. Lost Ark does provide what is the crudest part of the appeal of something like Diablo - i.e. a thousand chittering enemies flying at you at once as you vaporise them with minimal clicking - but I wouldn't say it's a lovingly crafted version of it. Like the difference between the Wicked Witch in Snow White and a Halloween costume in a plastic bag labelled Legally Distinct Evil Magic Stepmother. But there are also things I appreciate about Lost Ark in general, and its version of [flaps hands] whatever this is.
In the spirit of Lost Ark's slightly older (one might even say dated?) sensibilities, I'm going to break it down like I'm reviewing the game in a 90s game mag, separating the game into its constituent parts - just as one can remove the egg from a cake after baking it. Although I should make it clear I'm not doing our proper Lost Ark review. That honour falls to Ed, who is more plugged in to modern MMORPGs than I am. I'm just here to talk about how Lost Ark does and does not compare to Diablo - specifically Diablo II, because that's the best one.
]]>Want to know how to make a guild in Lost Ark? While you can enjoy Lost Ark as a solo player, no MMO is complete without a guild system. In Lost Ark, the guild system allows you to team up with friends on your server to complete quests, earn guild XP, and purchase rare materials and items in the guild shop.
Below, we'll explain everything you need to know about Lost Ark guilds, including how to make a guild, how to leave a guild, how many players can join a Lost Ark guild, and a breakdown of weekly guild quests.
]]>What is the best Lost Ark Gunslinger build? The Gunslinger is one of Lost Ark's best character classes, coming right at the top of our tier list, and is a strong contender for the best PvE DPS class in the game. Gunslingers wield three guns, and with their boosted crit rates and extremely high movement speeds, they're one of the nimblest classes in the game. Taken together, when built right, it's an extremely deadly combination.
]]>Want to know how to level up quickly in Lost Ark? Lost Ark introduces players to the wonderful fantasy world of Arkesia, with plenty of lore and side quests to explore as you make your way through the adventure. However, being an MMO, most players want to ignore all of that and reach the max level in Lost Ark as quickly as possible. Fortunately, we're here to help with our Lost Ark leveling guide.
Below, we'll cover everything you need to know to level up fast in Lost Ark, so that you can reach max level quickly and get into endgame content to earn the best gear.
]]>Lost Ark is a new free-to-play MMORPG that is notable because a) it is a hack 'n' slash grind that makes it a bit like a free version of Diablo, b) I have no idea what is happening at any given point in time while playing it, instead drowning in a soup made of words like 'destiny', and c) the player characters look like they work at a sex dungeon. Specifically work at, rather than participate in. They serve drinks and clean wipe-down sofas for minimum wage, and they don't particularly want to be wearing a latex catsuit, but here we are.
For example, I'm pretty sure my gunslinger character works at a steampunk cowboy themed erotique parlour. I actually quite enjoy her attack style, a sort of hyper-aggressive DPS that allows her to switch between three different gun stances (pistols, shotgun and rifle). The dual pistols in particular come with a load of crowd-control AOE attacks like explosions and spinning bullets firing smaller bullets, or something. And while there is some kind of story involving demons and a war and bits of stone (something something destiny), my gunslinger's quest is, currently, the single-minded pursuit of a pair of trousers.
]]>Want to know whether you can change servers in Lost Ark? Like many MMOs, Lost Ark asks you to select a server when creating your character. The server you choose is extremely important, as friends must select the same server to play together. However, as Lost Ark’s player count continues to explode, you might struggle to get into the same server without experiencing long queues and wait times. With that in mind, many might be wondering whether they can change servers in Lost Ark, so that they can transfer characters to team up with friends later on.
Below, we'll cover whether you can change servers in Lost Ark and what to do if you're struggling to play with friends at launch.
]]>Want to know the Lost Ark release time? So does everyone else. Launch issues caused the action RPG to be delayed just minutes before its intended launch times earlier today. Amazon now say they've fixed Lost Ark's "deployment issues", however, and the game is rolling out. We've got revised launch times for you below.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about the Lost Ark release time, plus we'll explain how to pre-load Lost Ark so that you can play it as soon as it launches for free, and how much space you'll need for the download.
]]>Will Knowledge Transfer be available from launch in Lost Ark? Lost Ark lets you have multiple characters associated with your account, allowing you to experiment with the different classes and subclasses, and build different characters for different activities. The cherry on top of this tasty arrangement is that you don't have to manually level each of these characters up from nowhere: instead, once you've levelled up your main, you can give your alts a boost thanks to the game's Knowledge Transfer system.
]]>What is the best character class to play as in Lost Ark for PvE and PvP after the April update? When you first create a character in Lost Ark, you'll be tasked with picking a class from a list of seven options, and you'll notice that classes in this game are gender locked: Warriors are always male, while Assassins and Mages are always female. Martial Artists and Gunners have both male and female versions for you to choose from, but they're still separated out in character creation, since all subclasses in the game are available to just one gender.
]]>When does the Legends of Lost Ark Twitch Drops series begin? Lost Ark's European and North American release is being published by Amazon Games, so naturally there are Twitch Drops taking place before the game's even properly out. Beginning alongside the head-start access launch for people who pre-loaded the game, the Legends of Lost Ark Twitch Drop series will run from February 8th to March 1st, 2022.
]]>Update! I’ve been playing around with Lost Ark’s final release version, and it runs even smoother in DirectX 11 mode than in DX9; the review build I used for initial testing was locked to the latter. The Very High preset, for instance, averaged 87fps on a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and 1080p resolution – on the DX9 review build, it averaged 73fps.
]]>In last year's hands-on with free-to-play action RPG-inspired MMO Lost Ark last year, I thought it had potential if you could survive the early slow burn. Having since returned to it for a few weeks, my thoughts remain largely the same. For all its flashy combat and fun moments, the sheer grind to reach its promised endgame may prove too much for many.
]]>After needing seven years and several failed starts to successfully launch a game of their own, Amazon Game Studios are perhaps cautiously turning to other developers for their next. Today they announced a release date of February 11th for Lost Ark, the Diablo-y action-RPG first released by Smilegate in South Korea in 2019, which Amazon will publish in Europe and the Americas. Might be alright? It'll free-to-play, anyway. Check out the new trailer from The Game Awards below.
]]>Lost Ark is a free-to-play action RPG-inspired MMO that came out to great acclaim in Korea back in 2018. Now, Amazon Games are bringing its flashy, Diablo-like combat to the west in the form of a closed beta later today, and we've had an early sneak peek at it. Of course, what with Amazon's own MMO New World now settling into its third month, not to mention Final Fantasy 14's Endwalker expansion looming on the horizon, Lost Ark arrives at a busy time for fervent EXP grinders. The big question, then, is whether Lost Ark’s Diablo-y formula can do enough to compete with the already well-established MMO juggernauts. Judging by my few hours of hands-on time, I’m thinking it might, but only if you’re able to embrace its slow burn.
]]>If you're looking for an entire second life, we're here to judge. We're only here to serve, which is why we've curated a list of the best MMOs and MMORPGs on PC right now. There's many a massively multiplayer experience to find out there these days, running the gamut from fantasy to sci-fi and... well mostly those two things, but you can still build a little you and live in a whole new world, make virtual friends to share your life with, engage in huge battles against massive enemies, and spend your evenings on raids to grind out levels. Some of the games on this list are tried and true classics that have stuck around for the long haul, and some are newer entries, but all offer deep worlds that you can disappear into.
]]>If you can't beat 'em, localise 'em. That might be Amazon Games' new motto, since after multiple failed attempts to make a game of their own, they've decided to instead publish existing Korean MMO Lost Ark in the west. There's a trailer for the massive action RPG below - and, in fairness, it does look flash.
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