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2024 Roadmap Part 1



Heroes of Arkesia,

We’re excited to share the first part of the 2024 roadmap, which includes the major planned content pieces arriving in Arkesia in the first few months of 2024. Join Product Manager Andy Lin, Head of Editorial Henry Stelter, and Community Manager Roxanne Sabo for our team’s video update.

The roadmap content discussed are highlights we know players are eagerly awaiting, but the roadmap is not a comprehensive list of every change arriving in Arkesia over the next few months, and could change. As we approach each month, more details will be shared. There will be plenty of other quality of life (QoL) updates, balance tuning, adjustments to support new and returning players, and unique events. Stay tuned to our website and social channels for future release notes including the full list of new content, cosmetics, balance changes, events, bug-fixes, and more included in our major monthly updates. With that, let’s dive in.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The normal written roadmap can be found below.
January


[h3]Brelshaza Inferno[/h3]
The most difficult version of Legion Raids, the Inferno difficulty is all about proving you’re among the best of the best in Arkesia, and earning the accompanying prestige. Rather than chasing the normal rewards of gear, materials, and everything else you’d receive in a Legion Raid, Inferno rewards instead showcase your victory with titles, achievements, Stronghold Structures, and more! The Inferno difficulty of Brelshaza will require Item Level 1560, and as a piece of equalized content, a full build set-up in the Book of Coordination.
February


[h3]Second Anniversary Celebration[/h3]
To celebrate the anniversary in game, we’ll have a number of fun in-game anniversary events for players to enjoy, with rewards to match. Players can take part in celebrating Lost Ark’s 2nd Anniversary at the Arkesia Festival. Each week of the festival there will be a new co-op quest for players to participate in, keeping things fun and fresh as you earn tokens to trade in for valuable rewards. In addition to the Arkesia Festival, we’re still fleshing the full details of an additional event that will take players on a trip down memory lane and lead them to earn rewards by re-experiencing some of the most iconic pieces of Lost Ark content.
[h3]Valtan Extreme[/h3]
Valtan will return, ready for vengeance from all the card runs in a new, challenging version of the raid. There are two versions of Valtan Extreme - Normal at item level 1580, and Hard at item level 1620. There are first-time-clear rewards that will be given upon clearing 2 Gates, along with rewards as you re-clear. Each roster can enter the raid once every 2 weeks, with gate progress bound to the character that cleared the 1st Gate.

March


[h3]Breaker Class[/h3]
The new Breaker Class was just teased at LOA ON, but we’re super excited to bring it to the West in March. It’s a male version of the Scrapper, built around relentlessly bashing enemies. Breaker is a force to be reckoned with, using his Heavy Gauntlets, mobility, and combos to deal massive damage. The Breaker will arrive with progression events, including a Super Mokoko Express Event and Event Powerpass.
[h3]Light of Destiny - Story Quests[/h3]
The Lost Ark’s location is getting closer to being revealed. Sacria is beginning to investigate the events that have occurred in Pleccia. As the situation grows more unpredictable, it will be up to you to face the chaos as you follow your path. The Light of Destiny update will reveal the location of the Lost Ark, which will actually bring us closer to the end of Story Chapter 1. It will be a story that answers some of the most important questions of the journey to find the Lost Ark after Voldis, and brings you to a new location.
[h3]Thaemine Prelude[/h3]
Thirain, the King of Luterra, swore on Vanquisher that he will always protect the people of Luterra and Arkesia, as they have ever since the emergence of Chaos Gates. However, suspicious events are occurring in Luterra. Experience a new line of story quests that lead into the Thaemine Legion Raid. The prelude will require Item Level 1520.

April


[h3]Thaemine[/h3]
After the events of the prelude, track Thaemine to his Dark fortress for a war between Light and Darkness. Thaemine is the most powerful of the Legion Commanders, he once conquered half of Petrania alone, long ago. After facing Kazeros, he accepted the role of the Legion Commander of Darkness. Now, the loyal knights imbued with Thaemine's dark blessings rush to Arkesia, leading demons from other Legions. Thaemine is an 8-player Legion Raid, with Normal Mode requiring Item Level 1610, and Hard Mode will require 1630. Normal has 3 Gates and Hard has 4 Gates. Players can get rewards every 2 weeks from Hard Gate 4. There is no special difficulty for Thaemine Raid.

Thaemine will be releasing at the difficulty it was originally released at in Korea, with a difficulty patch following after players have had a chance to attempt.
[h3]Transcendence Gear Progression System[/h3]
Similar to Elixirs arriving later this week, Gear Transcendence is a new system in which players can reinforce and improve their gear’s basic effects by using ancient power sealed within ruins. This will manifest through increased damage and defense, with some special abilities for both DPS and Support playstyles. The crafting materials used in Transcendence can be acquired from the Thaemine Legion Raid.
The Road to Thaemine progression event will also arrive in this update, helping players progress toward the raid and other endgame content.
[h3]Vescal Guardian Raid[/h3]
Vescal is a new 1630 Guardian Raid that will release alongside Thaemine. Long ago, Vescal chose to be consumed by chaos, following the footsteps of Varkan. Vescal is a Chaos Guardian who hunts enemies by using sound waves. After returning to Arkesia by crossing over from another dimension, he is ready to find and hunt his prey, mercilessly. He needs to be stopped before his angry screech overwhelms Arkesia. Like other Guardians, you will be able to clear once a day for increased rewards.


We’re excited to witness players experience the unique events, explore new story quests, and prepare for the challenging experiences awaiting in the new raids over the coming months. In the meantime, stay tuned to our website, social channels, and the release notes for the full list of new content, store updates, events, bug-fixes, and more over the coming months.

Head over to YouTube to let us know your thoughts on the video component of the Roadmap, and if you’d like to see this type of content heading forward.

We’ll see you in Arkesia!

December Twitch Drop & Creator Spotlight



Heroes of Arkesia,

A Winter Chamkuri Mount Selection Drop accompanies the Voldis Wonderland Update, available for members of the Lost Ark Creator Program to enable on their channel. There are two Drops, each with their own watch time. Unlike tiered drops, watch time for each drop is earned simultaneously.
Drop 1 - 2hrs - Amethyst Shard x1000
Drop 2 - 6hrs - Winter Chamkuri Selection Chest
  • Icy Chamkuri Mount
  • Rudolfie Chamkuri

Make sure to head over to Twitch and watch your favorite Lost Ark content creators to earn the drops before they end on January 9.
[h2]Creator Spotlight[/h2]


Looking for creators to watch as you earn your Twitch Drops? The featured content creators are members of the Lost Ark Creator Program— learn more about them below!
[h3]Rayina[/h3]
Twitch Channel
Hi! My name is Rayina and I am a Lost Ark Streamer! Started this game when it came to NA almost 2 years ago now and made my community join me. We are still just as addicted as we were when we first started. Honestly, I owe this a lot to this game. I grew so much on Twitch, met many new friends, but I also ended up meeting my fiancé thanks to Lost Ark. I don't offer many educational tips about the game, but I do offer some laughs and a good time.
[h3]Baker[/h3]
Twitch Channel
Hi Guys, I'm Baker and I've streamed mainly Lost Ark for almost 2 years now. I play on the EU Region and do a lot of raids and projects like the “Fate Ember Research” or Gold Earning Challenge (Corpa Week) together with my amazing community. I've also been working closely with Amazon Games and new players as a "Mokoko Mentor" on the Jump-Start servers and welcome anyone in stream who has questions. I'm a Striker main but play way too many classes because I love a variety of playstyles and the uniqueness of every class. Come by if you want to enjoy chill vibes with us.
[h3]MycaPlays[/h3]
Twitch Channel
My name is Myca and I’ve been streaming Lost Ark since launch, almost 2 years now. I strive to create a positive and helpful streaming community that everyone feels welcome in. I love Lost Ark and am always pushing to defeat the newest content as it releases with my amazing community. I’m an Artist main and have always loved support/healer roles in MMOs and Lost Ark is no different! Feel free to drop by and ask me any questions you might have about the game or just to hang out!

Voldis Wonderland Release Notes



Heroes of Arkesia,

The Voldis Wonderland Update arrives in Arkesia tomorrow. Downtime will begin on December 13 at 1AM PT (9 AM UTC) and is expected to last 5 hours. With a new continent to explore, Guardian Raid, Holiday Event, and the start of Proving Grounds Season 4, the first of our December Updates has something for every player. Find the full list of content, events, skins, and other updates below! Henry is back with an episode of “Patchnotes with Henry” for any players looking for an express video explanation and visual showcase.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Let us know on YouTube if you enjoy this type of content from our team and would like to see more heading forward. Want all the details? Find the full list of content, events, skins, and other updates below!

Spotlight

[h3]New Continent - Voldis[/h3]


Voldis is a new continent with an entrance Item Level of 1520 and above. The continent of Voldis is the land of sages and alchemy, with the magnificent city of Kalinar located at the mouth of Ketsla River. The city is always bustling with tourists seeking advice from the renowned sages. The city itself has a fantastic view and is full of cute Homunculi dashing to-and-fro as they run the citizens’ errands. Voldis is home to the Sages, who delve into many secrets regarding alchemy, the body, and the mind. They are well-respected for their vast knowledge and powers, and with the Chaos Guardians returning, their aid will be more than helpful in the upcoming war.

Outside of the city, much of the continent is full of giant trees – all part of the Great Rainforest. The Rainforest holds many mysteries, with powerful monsters lurking in the shadows. Players can get help from the Raiyas, the people of the Forest, to enter the Sage’s Tower and reach the end of the story.



To experience Voldis, players will need to reach Item Level 1520, complete the following pre-requisite quests: Pleccia World Quest "Twilight Hill", Voldis Prelude Quest "Shattered Sea's Cradle", and then receive quest "Kalinar, City of Sages" at Macaboa Port in Voldis.
After the story has ended, players can complete their Adventurer’s Tome, as well as complete a brief set of epilogue quests. Notably, Voldis introduces a new Field Boss— Drakus, a 1610 Chaos Gate, and a 1610 Chaos Dungeon. Voldis will also include:
  • Voldis Guide Quest '[Guide] Guides: Voldis' added
  • Una's Task & Quests added for Voldis
  • 5 New Rapport NPCs. Voldis Adventure quests can be accessed after completing Voldis World Quests. Prerequisite: 'A Historic Alliance' Adventure Quest completion.
  • 4 Rapport Items added
  • Can exchange Voldis Rapport Item Chest from Voldis Rapport Exchange NPC 'Nada'
  • Adventurer's Tome
  • Memory Tome
  • New Trade collectibles
  • 3 New Emotes
  • 27 New Achievements
  • 7 New Titles
  • 13 New Card Sets, 5 New Card Book Sets
  • 9 New Jukebox Songs
  • Voldis Stronghold Research - Crafting Recipe: Voldis Excavation Ruins Map & Craft Method: Voldis Treasure Map Chest
  • Voldis Knowledge Transfer
  • Voldis Feast
  • New NPC Stronghold Skins
  • Voldis Wandering Merchant Ship, which includes 1 New Sail glyph and 2 New Stronghold Crew
  • Voldis Wandering Merchant 'Gudis' Added with following items
  • Secret Pouch: Pouch Seeping With Magick - "Rainbow Bait" & "Rainbow Essence"

Reminder - Endgame Content Arrives on December 20.
After a week of exploring Voldis, encountering the new threats of the Guardian Gargadeth, Field Boss Drakus, and more, the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon will release alongside Elixirs on December 20.

[h3]Gargadeth Guardian Raid[/h3]


Gargadeth is a powerful Guardian who can control the weather and stormed onto the battlefields of the Chain War long ago. The thickening energy of chaos brought Gargadeth back from a long slumber. Possessed by the chaotic energy, Gargadeth now shows aggression towards all living beings— beware the fierce tempest summoned by Gargadeth. Once you get swept into the thunderous storm, you may not find your way back to reality.

Gargadeth is the second Purification I Guardian, and can be challenged by players at or above Item Level 1610 in the new Shadowed Swamp of Silence map. Players can earn honing materials, accessories, and have a chance to drop the Legendary Galewind Skill Rune can be obtained through Purification I Guardians (available to earn once per Roster). Gargadeth also brings 4 new achievements, a new title, the Gargadeth Card, and a new Card Book Set: Greed Without End.

[h3]Proving Grounds Season 4[/h3]


Season 4 of Competitive Proving Grounds PvP arrives. Prove you’re one of the best warriors in Arkesia to earn season ranks, rewards, and prestige. In Season 4, MMR Values will undergo a soft reset at launch, and the requirements for different ranks has been adjusted. the new values are:
Silver: 1100 - 1250
Gold: 1250 - 1400
Platinum: 1400 - 1550
Diamond: 1550 - 1800
Master: 1800+ & Rank 50 - 11
Grand Master: Rank 1 - 10
The end date for Season 4 has not yet been determined, and will continue for the foreseeable future. Good luck on the battlefield!

Events

The Event Guardian Raids will draw to end with this update.
The Daily Playtime Rewards will continue for another month with this update.
[h3]Freja Island Event[/h3]


A new seasonal event arrives. Have you been good this year? Find out as you traverse the Naughty and Nice Maze on Freja Island to earn rewards. You can enter every even hour (2PM, 4PM, etc.), and once per roster per day, or earn tokens from clearing Chaos Dungeons and Guardian Raids. Tokens from Freja Island can be spent at the event shop, which has a variety of valuable items and holiday-themed rewards that can be earned! Special event feast items will also be available during the event. Freja Island will last until the February Update, with new activities arriving in January.

Store Updates

Embrace the holiday spirit with two special, holiday inspired cosmetic collections. Find both showcased below!
[h3]Starry Galaxy Cosmetic Collection[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Festive and Eve Cosmetic Collection[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Royal Guard Ark Pass[/h3]
The newest Ark Pass arrives and adds new ways for players to earn impactful rewards just by playing Lost Ark. Players can complete missions to progress through 30 Ark Pass levels, and with each level reached, new rewards will be unlocked and earned. The regular Ark Pass is completely free and grants a variety of helpful rewards, such honing material selection chests, battle items, rapport items, and even a Legendary Card Pack! Ark Pass progress is earned across your entire roster, and the rewards are roster bound.

While all players will have access to the free Ark Pass, those interested in more rewards and cosmetics can exchange Royal Crystals for two premium reward tracks (Premium & Super Premium) which each layer in additional rewards to the leveling track. The Premium Ark Pass adds rewards at all 30 levels earned alongside the free rewards. Examples include more honing material selection chests, battle items, rapport chests, and more! On top of the Regular & Premium rewards, the Super Premium Ark Pass weaves the Royal Guard cosmetic collection, Pheons, and a Legendary Card Pack throughout the Ark Pass.

The Premium and Super Premium tiers will be available in exchange for Royal Crystals until February 7, 2024 and players will be able to earn XP and rewards on all tracks until February 28, 2024.
Find the cosmetics showcased below.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]General Updates[/h3]
  • Max-cap extended and rewards added for Mokoko Seeds, World Tree Leaves, Omnium Stars, Sea Bounties, and Ignea Tokens.
  • Ebony Cube 5th Forbiddance Added. Tickets can be earned in the 1610 Chaos Dungeon introduced with Voldis, or in the new Sage Entrance Ticket Chest available in exchange for Bloodstones.
  • With the release of Voldis, content that rewards Legendary Card Packs II will be replaced with Legendary Card Packs III. This includes: Endgame Content: Transmuted Reward Chest, Chaos Dungeons, Challenge Abyssal Dungeon, and Adventure Islands.
  • Awakening Skills will no longer require Awakening: Chaos Shards.
  • Awakening: Chaos Shard items will be removed from quests, powerpass rewards, the Codex, the General Merchant NPC.
  • The item name will change to Chaos Shard due to the changes of its usage.
  • Awakening: Chaos Shards purchased from an NPC within 102 days but not used yet will be auto-exchanged with silver. The shards obtained through event rewards or trade is not subject to this policy. For these shards, players can receive Silver by selling their items to the General Merchant NPC manually.
  • Added a Chaos Gate Matching Improvement which slightly shortens the time after matching for Chaos Gate entry.


Notable Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an issue with Specialist face presets not displaying correctly.

December Update Announcement


Heroes of Arkesia,

We wanted to share our plans for releasing the massive amount of content that arrives alongside Voldis. This month, we will have two major updates, a week apart, on December 13 and 20.

The December 13 update will include Voldis, the Gargadeth Guardian Raid, a new seasonal event, Proving Grounds Season 4, and much more! Stay tuned to next week’s release notes for the full details. After a week of exploring Voldis, encountering the new threats of the Guardian Gargadeth, Field Boss Drakus, and more, the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon will release alongside Elixirs on December 20.

[h2]DECEMBER 13 - VOLDIS WONDERLAND[/h2]
[h3]VOLDIS[/h3]
Voldis is a new continent with an entrance Item Level of 1520 and above. The continent of Voldis is the land of sages and alchemy, with the magnificent city of Kalinar located at the mouth of Ketsla River. The city is always bustling with tourists seeking advice from the renowned sages. The city itself has a fantastic view and is full of cute Homunculi dashing to-and-fro as they run the citizens’ errands. Voldis is home to the Sages, who delve into many secrets regarding alchemy, the body, and the mind. They are well-respected for their vast knowledge and powers, and with the Chaos Guardians returning, their aid will be more than helpful in the upcoming war.


Outside of the city, much of the continent is full of giant trees – all part of the Great Rainforest. The Rainforest holds many mysteries, with powerful monsters lurking in the shadows. Players can get help from the Raiyas, the people of the Forest, to enter the Sage’s Tower and reach the end of the story. After the story has ended, players can complete their Adventurer’s Tome, as well as complete a brief set of epilogue quests.

[h3]ADDITIONAL CONTENT[/h3]
Players can look forward to the Gargadeth Guardian Raid, Proving Grounds Season 4, a new seasonal event, and much more!

[h2]DECEMBER 20 - ENDGAME UPDATE[/h2]

Learn about the Abyssal Dungeon and Elixir system below— and be on the lookout for more information and news as we head toward the December 20 endgame update.

[h3]IVORY TOWER ABYSSAL DUNGEON[/h3]
The Ivory Tower is a new Abyssal Dungeon located in Voldis, which has 4 gates. The entrance Item Level is 1600 for the Normal difficulty and 1620 for Hard Mode. The rewards include Honing Materials (Refined Protection Stones, Refined Obliteration Stones, Radiant Honor Leapstones, Honor Shards), Gold, special hidden rewards, and the new Elixir system.

[h3]ELIXIRS[/h3]
Elixirs are a new system which will drastically increase player’s combat abilities by imbuing their gear with new, powerful effects. Epic elixirs will be obtainable through the Normal mode of the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon, while Legendary Elixirs can be earned via Hard mode. Once obtained, Elixirs need to be refined and imbued onto a player’s gear.
  • To refine an Elixir, players need to first get ‘Ductility Catalyst’ by paying gold and Chaos Stones. Catalysts are also acquirable through Wandering Merchant in Voldis.
  • The refining process requires both a certain amount of Gold and Catalysts. Players have a set amount of tries for each refining process, and players can use the advice from the three Sages of the Tower to pick the best outcome possible. Players will need to think carefully and use the advice well – it’s important to understand the logic of the system.
  • There are powerful Set bonuses to aim for when special conditions are met. The refining process is unlike any other experience in Lost Ark – it relies on a certain amount of luck, but it also requires the players to think carefully and logically to plan for the best outcome.
  • Once the Elixir is done refining, players can imbue the Elixir to their equipment to get bonus effects. There are various types of bonuses that Elixirs provide – categorized broadly into offensive, defensive, and utility. Players can choose a maximum of five abilities for each Elixir and refine two out of the five. There will be 10 abilities once refining is done – two for each equipment (as Elixirs are not applied to the weapon).

We look forward to sharing more information about the December Updates in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we’ll see you in Arkesia!

Lost Ark's much-requested balance update won't arrive until January

Lost Ark updates have been a source of contention for the massively multiplayer ARPG since its western launch in February 2022. First released in South Korea in December 2019, the MMORPG's worldwide version has long struggled to try and catch up with its Korean counterpart. That disparity comes into clearer view whenever big, popular changes arrive for Korean players - with the most recent such incident causing developers Amazon Games and Smilegate to address the matter directly.


Read the rest of the story...


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