Amazon Game Studios announces MMORPG Lost Ark for release in North America and Europe this year
Amazon Game Studios has announced that MMORPG Lost Ark will launch in North America and Europe in 2021 for PC platforms. The game's official website has opened, where interested players can sign up to participate in a beta test this summer, ahead of a full launch later this year. The MMORPG's written and spoken dialogue will be localized into English, French, German, and Spanish.
Lost Ark is a free-to-play action MMORPG developed by Smilegate RPG currently available in Korea, Japan, and Russia. Lost Ark is set in the world of Arkesia, in which players seek out the titular Lost Ark in order to save Arkesia from a looming demonic threat.
Amazon Game Studios had previously announced plans to localize an MMORPG from Smilegate, and Smilegate had previously announced intentions to localize the game into English as far back as 2018, so the official localization announcement of Lost Ark was all-but-concrete before today's full confirmation.
In speaking with media ahead of the unveil, Amazon producer Matthew Huston and program manager Oliver Smith detailed the game and its upcoming localized launch. Lost Ark will feature 14 hero classes at launch, and the game's "Tripod" skill system gives flexibility to any class by letting players decide how to customize skill selection. The game will also feature various sorts of dungeon zones, PvP colosseums, harvesting/crafting skills, as well as the ability for players to customize their own personal island home.
A trailer, description, and screenshot set can be found below via Amazon Game Studios. Lost Ark will be free-to-play, and Smith stated that certain purchasable packs will be made optionally available to those interesting in buying them, but specifics will be given at a later time.
Game Overview
LOST ARK is an award winning massively multiplayer online action role-playing adventure game, and one of Korea’s most popular online games, developed by Smilegate RPG. Lost Ark takes players on a journey in a world that has descended into chaos to find the fabled shards of the Lost Ark. As players explore the wilds of Arkesia, from sailing beautiful oceans to delving into dark dungeons, they will customize their buildout in one of 14 classes available in the Closed Technical Alpha, including unique skill combinations, skill progression, and their personal style. Lost Ark spans a massive world brimming with dark and wondrous fantasy, filled with secrets for players to discover alone or with friends..
Feature Highlights
Explore a Cinematic Main Campaign and Ample Side Content: Players become the first travelers to Arkesia and must traverse a realm overrun by demonic forces to battle their way to the coveted Lost Ark. During their epic hunt for the missing Ark, players can also explore the beautiful cities throughout Arkesia and get to know their inhabitants as players complete side quests, enjoy mini games and more.
14 Classes to Start: The powerful Warrior, the damage dealing Gunner, the brutal Martial Artist, the powerful Mage and the ruthless Assassin – each of the six main classes can be further specialized, creating an additional nine advanced subclasses. In the closed alpha technical test, players can choose between these 14 class types, each of which can be tailored to individual play styles to explore dungeons, raid enemies and reap the rewards of their conquests.
Evolving Combat System: Lost Ark features the Tripod System which offers ARPG-style and customizable combat by mixing skills. First, players will take a base skill and level it up by selecting upgrades, which in turn changes the appearance and function of the skill. The more a player levels a specific skill, the deeper into the Tripod System they can go, unlocking more powerful upgrades as they progress. Lost Ark offers a variety of class masteries that players can adapt and evolve as they make further skill choices.
Gotta Have That Gear: Lost Ark features expansive regions to explore by land and sea, and these continents offer new challenges and dungeons that hold rare treasures. There are a multitude of ways to discover gear, notably crawling through a variety of dungeon types solo or with a team. Life Skill Dungeons empower adventurers to perfect their character’s play style to reveal limited resources. Treasure Map Dungeons challenge a player group to go in search of a treasure dungeon, which reveal special quest objectives and increased rewards upon completion.
Personalized Player Strongholds: With Strongholds, players can stake their personal claim on Arkesian soil, build a settlement on their own island, craft decor, and even expand to include green grass and beachfront property for up to 50 guests and friendly NPCs to cohabitate with.
PvP Modes: For competitive players, PvP modes in the Colosseum present new ways to test their mettle against other heroes in Lost Ark. Closed arena Duels offer opportunities for individual players or 3-person teams to go head-to-head, and coming later this summer, Open World PvP will challenge players to battle for control of individual islands.
*Amazon Games is publishing Lost Ark in Canada, Mexico, United States, Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guernsey, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
