With Lost Ark, a long-awaited action RPG MMO awaits us in 2021. We tell you everything you need to know about EU release, pre-order, classes and more
After almost a year of unconfirmed rumours, Amazon Games finally brought certainty during E3 2021: The Korean action role-playing MMO Lost Ark will be released in Europe this year.
All important information on the EU version of Lost Ark
Release: When will Lost Ark be released?
According to publisher Amazon Games, Lost Ark will be released in Europe in autumn 2021. An exact date has not yet been announced, even though 31 December 2021 is given as the release date on Steam. However, this is exclusively a placeholder.
Beta: Can you play Lost Ark earlier?
Shortly after Amazon Games announced that Lost Ark was finally coming to the West, a first alpha test started. This took place in the period from 11 to 16 June 2021 on Steam and initially had to contend with massive server problems.
Further tests are to follow in July. This could be the start of the closed beta. You can already register for this via the official homepage of Lost Ark. If you are not lucky with the beta key allocation, you can alternatively buy a pioneer bundle, which guarantees access to the closed beta phase. You can read more about this in the following section
No open beta planned: As an employee of Amazon Games announced in the Steam forum, no open beta phase is currently planned. After the closed beta, which starts in July, any progress made will be deleted and the game will go straight into early access for the release version.
Price and editions: How much does Lost Ark cost?
Free2Play with ingame shop: Lost Ark will be released as a Free2Play title and will therefore be playable for free. There will be no subscription fees as with World of Warcraft. However, there will be an ingame shop for whose content you will have to pay with real money. It is not yet known what microtransactions you can expect. However, it is certain that cosmetic customisations such as skins, mounts, pets and outfits will be on offer.
According to the developers, however, you will be able to earn all game-relevant items without investing money, as they revealed to us in an interview:
Optional Premium Subscription: It is not officially confirmed yet, but 30 days of crystal aura are included in the pioneer bundles on offer. This is presumably an optional subscription service, as other MMOs such as The Lord of the Rings Online or Elder Scrolls Online have already established. The crystal aura provides you with various bonuses that guarantee faster progress in the game – such as faster research and crafting or an increased level speed.
Editions: Currently, three different Founder Packs are offered on Steam and on the developer homepage.
Silver Bundle (25 Euro)
– Guaranteed access to the beta
– Three days pre-release access
– 1,000 Royal Crystals
– Exclusive pet
– 30 days crystal aura
– Silver pioneer title
– Silver storage box
Gold Bundle (50 Euros)
– Guaranteed access to the beta
– Three days pre-release access
– 1,000 Royal Crystals
– Exclusive pet
– 30 days crystal aura
– Pioneer Gold Title
– Gold storage box
– Exclusive avatar
– Additional character slot
Platinum Bundle (100 Euro)
– Guaranteed access to the beta
– Three days pre-release access
– 7,000 Royal Crystals
– Exclusive pet
– 30 days crystal aura
– Pioneer platinum title
– Platinum Supply Chest
– Exclusive avatar
– Additional character slot
– Exclusive Pioneer mount
– Platinum Welcome Chest
System requirements: Is my PC sufficient for Lost Ark?
In order for Lost Ark to run smoothly on your computer in minimal details, you will need at least the following system:
Required Hardware
– Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
– Processor: Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3
– Memory: 8 GB RAM
– Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 / AMD HD6850
– DirectX: Version 9.0c
– Network: Broadband internet connection
– Disk space: 50 GB available disk space
– Despite the opulent graphics, the recommended system requirements are still comparatively moderate:
Recommended Hardware
– Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit only)
– Processor: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
– Memory: 16 GB RAM
– Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
– DirectX: Version 9.0c
– Network: Broadband internet connection
– Disk space: 50 GB available disk space
