While we have beencriticalof Amazon’s handling ofLost Arkover the last couple of years in the west, that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking steps to assure their player base is treated well. They have been more active as of late to accommodate players in the west for the quickened rate of content, along with the difference in culture we have in terms of how we play the MMORPG.
We were all waiting for the events of the LOAON yesterday to transpire before Amazonrevealedtheir plans for Lost Ark, and they certainly came out the door swinging with a number of the changes announced at the Korean event coming to the west day and date.
How to Get Tier 4 Gear in Lost Ark
Gear up for another couple of years of raids!
By far the biggest update we will see from a quality of life standpoint, December 18 will mark a phenomenal update that will hopefully bring some life back into the MMORPG. Specifically, we are talking about the various new quality of life improvements and Solo Mode additions that will be added here.
For Solo Mode, both Thaemine and Echidna will be given a Solo Mode version that will allow players to progress through the various systems without much trouble from the community. Gatekeeping remains still a strong force in the party finder, and while Amazon has implemented some surprisingly good elements, such as the Mokoko Bootcamp, if someone doesn’t have to go through the pressure of raid anxiety, then they can do it solo. In addition, new items will be added to the Solo Mode vendor, and new buffs will be added to the mode.
Massively, both Elixirs and Transcendence will be changed for the better. Elixirs will become a lot more simplistic and easier to get your desired results, ensuring you aren’t sitting at the vendor hours on end just to ensure your character is up to snuff. Additionally, Transcendence has been completely reworked from a massively RNG card-game-board-game mini-game into a simple linear path board game where you roll a 4-sided die to progress. This will be huge for not only new and returning players, but existing players, as well.
Finally, there will be a new PVP season, an “Icy Breakthrough” honing and raid event and a prologue to Aegir.
We are nearing Lost Ark’s third anniversary, and because of this, Amazon is planning a little surprise for fans with the “Festa of Arkesia” anniversary island, where you can get exclusive rewards. If it’s like the past events, expect some free skins and goodies that should go a long way.
But more importantly, the long awaited Brelshaza rematch we’ve all been waiting for is coming in January. The two-gate raid will feature an ice golem for the first boss, and Brelshaza herself for the second. This is considered one of the more difficult raids in the Korean version, although we will be getting some of the quality of life improvements that have been implemented since its initial inception.
It looks like it will be just as difficult as in Korea, but Amazon and Smilegate are bringing a new system called Frontier. This will start the raid as it was in the east, and week-by-week will whittle down the difficulty, from damage output and HP requirements, until it’s significantly easier. This is a perfect balance the game needs, as it lets those who want to get in right away and have a challenge do so, and makes the homework the following week a lot easier.
While there are no new raids in February, there is one big surprise to be found. At the Winter LOAON this year, Smilegate announced two new classes coming to Lost Ark, one of them being the Specialist class, Wild Soul.
This is essentially a Druid class where the Yoz character will be able to transform into an adorable little fox or a comical bear. This has some very flashy animations that definitely fit more with the Specialist classes, but we still would have loved to have seen a more traditional Druid class. Regardless, we’ll be getting our hands on this spiritual class in the February update, alongside an exciting new progression event that, if it’s like the one Korea is getting on December 18, will be massive for getting the class up to tier 4.
March and Onward
Unfortunately, past February, not a lot is known what we will be getting. There will be the next Music Box of Memories added, but outside of that, it’s still a mystery. With that said, we are slowly creeping up on Korea’s progression, and with the next Kazeros raid coming next month, we wouldn’t be surprised if that came in April or May.
Regardless, the outlook for Lost Ark does look a little light, but the few things we are getting a pretty significant, with a ton of quality of life improvements next week, a new raid in January, and a new class in February.
Smilegate Announces New Lost Ark Classes, Raids
Winter LOAON has taken place, and with it comes a slew of new announcements for the MMORPG.
