Heroes of Arkesia,
Since our September update we’ve continued working alongside Smilegate RPG to prepare for Closed Beta and launch, including integrating functional systems into the game, testing new builds, and more. With all of these updates falling into place, we’re going to need your help making sure everything is running smoothly — and that means it’s almost Beta testing time! While we eagerly await the November 4th start, here’s a look at what we’ve been working on over the past month, and what you’ll experience very soon.
Closed Beta
Closed Beta will run from November 4th to November 11th with servers in North America and Europe.
If you paid attention to our previous Closed Beta date announcement, you may notice we’ve added a few extra days. We’ve heard player feedback about the original length of the Beta being too short, and in response we have extended the Beta period to cover a full week. While this adds on just a couple of extra days, we hope that having more time to play will help you experience some of the newly added content found below.
During the Closed Beta you will be allowed to share, record, and broadcast any Closed Beta content and gameplay you wish so long as you follow our Content Usage Policy. However, please be aware that this is a Beta and not the final version of Lost Ark you'll see at launch. There will be changes and updates between Closed Beta and launch that may cause captured content to be inaccurate or out of date. If you are a content creator and are interested in joining the Lost Ark Creator Program, you can learn more on our Creator Program page.
Closed Beta Focus & New Testing Content
The primary focus of the Beta test will be on the technical aspects of the game such as server stability, tech integrations, and large scale bug testing, but you’ll also find a host of new content that you can experience and help us test.
You’ll begin seeing some of these changes at the beginning of your Beta adventure, starting with the all-new Prologues. These Prologues are designed to provide insight to the background of your character’s class while speeding up and standardizing the tutorial phase of the game. This is especially helpful if you want to try your hand at more than one class (like the newly added Martial Artist Advanced Class Striker!).
Once you’re in game, you’ll have new ways to decide how you want to spend your time, whether that’s taking it easy farming in your Stronghold or sailing off to far away lands. And it’s not just new islands that have opened up — the entire continent of Rohendel, and dungeon contents up until the Phantom Palace will be open to explore and progress through.
If power-leveling to endgame is how you play, we’ve got you covered. Level caps will increase to 55 for Character Level and 100 for Expedition Level. You’ll get to test more Abyss Dungeons, Chaos Dungeons, and Tier 2 Guardian Raids. Plus, we’re also making the Power Pass available for the duration of Closed Beta. The Power Pass is a tool that will allow you to boost a new character straight to level 50 after you have already reached level 50 on another character. This will give you the opportunity to take a second character straight into the more advanced content if you decide you want to switch up your playstyle.
We’ll also be opening up the Arkesian economy for testing, including the in-game shops. While we won’t be allowing any real-money purchases during this time, we will be granting each Beta tester 40,000 Royal Crystals to use during the Beta to test shop functionality. We’ll also provide more information on Lost Ark’s monetization model and systems prior to Beta, so keep an eye out for more details. In terms of new tech that needs to be tried and tested, the Closed Beta will include in-game options for voice chat, as well as new accessibility features such as photosensitive and colorblind modes. We’ll be looking for tons of feedback on these systems during the Beta, so if you give any of them a go, be sure to let us know what you think.
How To Participate
To join in on our Closed Beta, you can sign up for a chance to be a tester on our website, or purchase a Founder’s Pack for guaranteed access. We’ll be sharing more details about Beta and a full list of content changes towards the end of the month to make sure everyone is primed and ready to explore Arkesia. Keep an eye out!
Discord & Forum Launch
The week prior to Closed Beta, we’ll be launching our official Lost Ark forums and a space within the Amazon Games Discord. Each platform will be a place for the community to come together and talk about all things Lost Ark.
For those looking for a place to ask questions, leave feedback, and have long-form discussions, the forums will be your go to. If you’re instead just interested in chatting about Lost Ark with other players or looking for folks to group up with, the Discord will be the community space for you to do so! Keep an eye out for invitations to those spaces later this month.
We’ve come a long way in the past few months, and we can’t wait to share Lost Ark with you all during Closed Beta. Make sure to follow our social channels and PlayLostArk.com to stay up-to-date as we move into Closed Beta and beyond. Here’s where you can find us:
We look forward to adventuring with you in Arkesia soon!
