Every now and then, I get a weird urge to play Lost Ark. One of the first games I ever reviewed, it’s one that I look back on with a warm fondness. I loved its dynamic class system, Diablo-style gameplay, and beautiful world, but as of late Arkesia has felt a little bit quiet. I’ve struggled to clear some of its content due to long queue times resulting from a distinct lack of players. Following a recent broadcast discussing upcoming changes to the Korean version of the game, there’s been concerns about gold changes and the infamous ‘T3 deadzone,’ which has consistently prevented progression. As rumors bubble, Smilegate has addressed all of this and more, and the response has been largely positive.
The vast majority of the changes revolve around progression. It’s no secret that the new player experience in Lost Ark is pretty daunting, with myriad materials needing to be collected, various different weapon and armor tiers, and, of course, the honing system. Smilegate has taken aim at several of the MMORPG‘s core systems, with the aim of “easing the progression cost for new and returning players.”
Nerfs include changes to advanced honing, with a 50% decrease in the materials required between levels one and 20, as well as a 20% cut to the amount of silver and shards required for tempering stages one and two. Armor and weapon transcendence costs have been slashed, meaning you’ll be able to boost your character’s power level at a faster pace.
But that’s not all. The infamous T-3 Honing Deadzone, which sits between level 1580 – 1620, means that more-casual players’ progression effectively grinds to a halt as the demand for resources suddenly skyrockets. Smilegate calls it a “pain point,” and notes that changes are coming in the future. “We will continue to support rosters that are challenged by this dead zone, with more materials and books through the various events we have planned.
The gem system, which improves abilities and slashes their cooldowns, is also under the microscope, with Smilegate noting that it “creates barriers to both character progression and playstyle flexibility. Our goal is to create an environment where players can freely enjoy their favorite classes without unnecessary restrictions.” This may imply that the system will be scrapped entirely, or completely reworked, but those adjustments are coming further down the line.
The response to these changes has been unanimously positive, with comments simply stating “W,” and “this is so good.” As a player who finds herself taking significant breaks, these improvements definitely make the prospect of coming back a lot more attractive.
It’s not all good news, however, as the team also confirms that it’s ending Lost Ark’s French and German localization with the game’s May update. “After careful analysis of player language preferences, we’ve discovered that German and French localizations are currently being utilized by a much smaller portion of our community than anticipated,” it writes.
“Therefore, beginning with the May update, we will cease supporting German and French localizations and reallocate resources to the remaining languages to support the increased localization demand. The game will transition to English voice-over and text for players who previously selected German or French.”
Lost Ark’s April update is set to drop mid-month, meaning it’s just around the corner. With all of these changes making progression easier and the new Wildsoul class continuing to thrive, now might just be the time to strap on your armor and return to Arkesia.
If you’re looking for something similarly sprawling and equally as cost-effective, check out our list of the best free MMOs. Or, if it’s the hack-and-slash action that drew you to Lost Ark, here are some other games like Diablo.
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