Lost Ark is finally releasing in the NA and EU regions! To celebrate this milestone, Amazon has posted the full launch’s release notes, noting changes between theClosed Beta.
Lost Ark: Full Launch Release Notes Detail Changes to Classes, Dungeons, Raids & More
Lost Ark’sHead Start will belaunchingvery soon, on February 8th at 9 AM PST. We discussed therest of the launch details, including discussions on Founder’s Packs before. However, Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG have given us the full list ofchangesbetween theClosed Betaand the full retail launch.
There is quite a lot to unpack here, including a lot of Roster, Dungeon, Raid updates as well as various improvements and quality of life features.Character Creationis getting two new things: the Striker and the Sorceress advanced classes. We also have some details on the Westernization that Amazon Games have done to make the game more accessible for the NA and EU audience.
We bid youwelcome to Arkesia, traveller!
New and Improved Lost Ark Features
Things for New Players
First up we have a newchallengeimplemented fornewer playerscalled the “Welcome Challenge”. This set of optionalsidequestsis intended to teach players of various game mechanics that gradually increase in difficulty. The Welcome Challenge will become available to new characters once they reach the first major town,Prideholme.
In the beta, the account’s overall level used to be called the “Expedition Level”. This will be renamed now to “Roster Level”. The maximum level will also be increased from 100 to 250.
The Sorceress Class
Unfortunately, fans of theSummonerduring the closed beta will be somewhat disappointed. Magic users will instead be able to play as aSorceress, another of theMage’sadvanced classes. This new class makes use of powerfulelemental skills, such asPunishing Strike,Frost’s CallandDoomsday.
We found that theSorceressis an extremelyenjoyable class to play. It has high DPS and is very beginner-friendly.
The Striker Class
TheMartial Artistis also getting another advanced class, TheStriker. This character is adept at unleashing devastating aerial combos after hitting his enemies quickly. Strikers make use of a variety of punches and kicks, such asTriple Fist,Sky Shattering Blow,Lightning KickandStorm Dragon Awakening.
High Quality of Life
Minor things have been updated such as the User Interfaces for the Guild and Store menus. We can also be more confident in a harmonious playing environment as Amazon Games has implemented a feature for reporting negative messages and character names. Automated systems are also being added to ensure that nobody goes against the player code of conduct.
The friend’s list is also receiving a nice little tweak as well. Instead of just adding specific characters as a friend, you may now add entire accounts to your list. This way, you can see which character your friend is currently playing.
Multiple Presets are also being implemented, which will enable players to easily set up custom loadouts for a lot of the game’s features. Some of the presets that players will be able to set are forequipment,skills,gemsand cards.
Lastly, on the technical side DirectX11 has been added to the game and will be the default setting. DirectX9 will still be available to players whose computers cannot handle the more modern API.
Westernization and Other Features
The Power Pass or Adventurer’s Path
The Power Pass is a powerful and valuable system implemented into Lost Ark so that you can easily level up an alternate character. Players will be given a total of two Power Passes for free, upon fulfilling the following conditions:
When the player completes theMain Quest(Ealyn’s Gift) from North Vern, a single Vern Power Pass Token will be provided via in-game mail.
After using the first Power Pass, a second Power Pass will be granted to players via in-game mail.
Using a Power Pass Token will unlock The Adventurer’s Path. This will essentially shorten the level-up journey from level 10 to 50. Players will still be able to fully learn their class though, as the game will ensure to teach you the specifics of that playstyle.
Lost Ark’s In-Game Store
Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG has worked together to ensure that the in-game microtransaction shop is in line with the expectations of the NA and EU regions. Specific item lists and prices weren’t mentioned, but everything will be available during the Head-Start launch.
It was mentioned, however, that random or chance-based items purchased from the store will clearly display the chances of receiving certain items. This is much like the Gacha system thatGenshin Impact’sWish system uses.
Dungeons, Raids and Other Activities
There are also newdungeonsand raids to explore. For instance, new continents such as Yorn, Feiton, and Punika, the last of which is Tier 3 content, will be added to feature severalChaos Dungeonsand Chaos Gates. Players will need tosail their shipsto reach their respective islands. They will be able to do co-op with friends
You will also get the chance to play newAbyss DungeonsandGuardian Raidssuch as the Ark of Arrogance and T3 Dark Legoros, to name a few. But that’s not all. With the introduction of the Shadespire Tower in Closed Beta, the Fatespite from floors 1-50 will also be added. Both of these are accessible when you visit any major city. Last but not least are new Cube instances, similar toDiablo’sGreater Rift, specifically the Elite and Dimension Cubes.
Scheduled Activities
When it comes to some activities such as Field Bosses, Chaos Gates, and Ghost Ships, you’re able to either refer to the newly added Procyon’s Compass, one of the icons below your minimap, or the Calendar, located at the top left side of the screen. These specific activities will be available from 10 AM to 5 AM the following day.
Note that you will only gain one reward per day for the Field Boss and Chaos Gate activities. Ghost Ship activities will only let you earn one reward per week. In case you drop out of the game or otherwise are unable to complete any of these, don’t worry. You will still have a chance to gain their respective rewards.
Next, you will have access to the Adventure Island 3-4 times a day as long as you take note of the schedule in your Calendar. But on weekends, you can participate in 2 groups of Adventure Islands, improving the chances of getting more rewards, both permanent and repeatable. Permanent rewards include Island Tokens and Skill Runes while repeatable rewards come in the form of Gold, Silver, Card Packs and Pirate Coins.
The Stronghold
Rather than limiting fast-levelling to the Power Pass, players will have another chance for the rest of their characters to catch up using the Stronghold’s Knowledge Vault, which is available from North Vern to Feiton quests. What this does is to transfer the progress you have made from one character to the next but doing so isn’t straightforward. To use this feature, you will have to reach level 50 and complete the following quests:
Transferring knowledge isn’t done instantaneously so you have to wait for several hours since you’re able to only transfer 1 continent per batch. Remember that once you have initiated the process, there will be no way of cancelling it so you need to be absolutely certain about who will receive this benefit. Furthermore, if you use this, you will not be able to apply the Power Pass for that same character.
Lost Ark Twitch Drops
As previously confirmed, the first week of launch will feature a Twitch Drop campaign. There will be a race between NA, LA and EU streamers to reach certain endgame content goals. Be sure to catch our live stream on the officialFextralife Twitch Channel, as we’ll be taking part in the Lost Ark drops campaign and giving away Founder’s Packs!
Viewers can earn drops if they watch a total of 4 hours of Twitch Streams from February 8 at 9: AM PST to February 28 at 12 AM PST.
To get a head start on Lost Ark, be sure to check out our detailedLost Ark Wikifor a bevy of information on the game. We also have a lot of guides, includingCharacter Creation Guides,Beginner Guides, as well as starting advice for thePaladin,GunslingerandDeathblade.
For more news, check outThe Wolf Among Us 2 Reveal Event is Happening February 9thandAchilles: Legends Untold the Isometric Souls-Like Moves to Open Beta.
