Lost Ark News

Heroes of Arkesia,

When bringing updates to Arkesia’s western shores from Smilegate RPG, there’s a lot that factors into our decisions and process. With the highly sought-after balance changes that recently released in Korea, we wanted to let players know we hear their feedback and give a look into our process.

First, let’s dive into how we bring over “base builds” to the West. Base build refers to the Korean build version used for an update in the West. For example, the November 2023 update includes features from patches that were released in Korea between July 5 and September 13. All packaged up and prepared by Smilegate RPG and Amazon Games, these combine to make a base build, which is different than just releasing an independent piece of content.

Each base build contains hundreds of different updates, including everything from system/UI improvements, additional settings, combat and character and skill updates, guild-related improvements, additional tooltips and help, design/model improvements, or difficulty changes to various combat content, along with many backend changes not visible to players. Some of these updates are specific to Korean content or systems that have not yet been released in the West. The team at Smilegate RPG has to work to remove updates that don't apply to West, or to rearrange them to fit into West's player progression. Of course, these changes need to be fully tested again. After this process, the Korean base build is applied to the West build.

For this reason, simultaneous releases are not easy, and some updates in Korea may be adjusted again at a later date, so West builds have the advantage of additional testing that collect and combine those changes. However, if Amazon Games determines that we need significant improvements sooner (such as the endgame raid changes and Chaos Gate update) we will work with Smilegate RPG in advance and aim to bring it to West as soon as possible, separate from the base build update.

Most QoL and Balance updates are made via base build updates, which occur roughly every three months. In some cases, Korean balance updates are rebalanced after release, so once we've confirmed that they're sufficiently optimized, we add them to the base build. With the November update including the last Korean base build, we are currently working on preparing the next base build for January, 2024.

We appreciate your passion for Lost Ark and excitement for the recent changes in Korea, and we know that many players would like to see Balance updates released more quickly in the West. Amazon Games is working with Smilegate RPG to look into how we can make this happen outside of the base build system we currently use, and we're working hard to bring you more good news in the future.

Heroes of Arkesia,

With many players beginning on their own “path of the Souleater”, we wanted to share some tips and tricks for those looking to maximize their potential— so we partnered with Lost Ark veteran ZealsAmbitions. Zeals has a ton of Souleater experience, so if you’re looking to learn, make sure you checkout his content on Twitch and YouTube, along with Zeals’ tips found below.

[h2]Full Moon Harvester[/h2]
The most asked questions I get are about engravings and gear sets.
[h3]Engravings[/h3]
While I recommend players that are serious about having Full Moon Harvester as a main to have a separate +3 Cursed Doll and a separate +3 Hit Master earring or ring accessory with +12 Cursed Doll and +12 Hit Master engraving books learned to swap engravings at any time, here are some pros and cons of the 4 engraving choices if a player decides not to go Adrenaline 3 and Ether Predator 1:

• Hit Master - Does not apply to Awakening Skills, Bleed Rune, and Head/Back Attack Skills.
  
• Cursed Doll - Applies to everything and can use Reaper's Scythe with Tenacity Tripod, which can save player's life in numerous situations. Has the healing potion penalty and diminishing returns with Atropine Potion.
  
• Super Charge - Cheaper accessories and faster charging speed, but cannot change Vestige's Concentrated Attack Tripod and Reaper's Scythe Condensed Soul Tripod. Doesn't apply to all of the Full Moon Harvester Souleater's skills so it has less damage value than Hit Master and Cursed Doll.
  
• Mass Increase - Same as Cursed Doll but more attack. Doesn't have the potion penalty but has the attack speed penalty and since Full Moon Harvester Souleaters do not have attack speed cap, this is only recommended for those who want an extremely high risk, for a slightly smaller reward.

[h3]Gear Sets[/h3]
As for sets I recommend new Full Moon Harvester Souleater players to use Hallucination until Elixirs come into play. Nightmare has a higher ceiling in the endgame, but the switch from Hallucination to Nightmare is decided later after factoring in Ancient accessories, 9/7 or 10/6 Ability Stones, Bracelet (Precise, Cycle, Weakness Exposure from Supporters, etc.), party synergy, and Elixirs.

The golden recommended rule by the Souleaters is 70% Crit Rate so that she's at 90% Crit Rate in Deathlord Mode. Crit Rate is just too highly valued in Lost Ark in general. Also, at 70% Crit Rate Keen Blunt Weapon Engraving has 18.2 value and during Deathlord Mode 21.2. That is 20.04 per cycle! Do note (depending on your gem situation), Full Moon Harvester Souleater damage distribution is currently around 4:6 ratio. Four during Possession Meter building phase and six during Deathlord Mode phase. Having a high Crit Rate matters because of this ratio.

[h3]Skill and Combat Tips & Tricks[/h3]
Do not use Vestige when coming out of Deathlord Mode. Upon closer inspection on the Full Moon Harvester engraving, it does say "upon using Soul Stone, recover Possession Meter by 5%." However, when exiting Deathlord Mode by using Reaper's Scythe and immediately using Vestige (or any Deathlord Skills) to do the 3 Vestige cycle into full Possession Meter, you won't gain the 5% Possession Meter. Give the game a second to exit out of the Deathlord Mode by using a non Deathlord Skill. For example, I highly recommend opening the next Possession Meter cycle by opening with either Astaros or Lunatic Edge. Also, do note two things:

1. Stygian Skills gain Possession Meter when the Stygian Skills deal damage to the target.
   
2. Deathlord Skills gain Possession Meter when first launching the Deathlord Skills (due to Full Moon Harvester engraving) and again when they deal damage to the target.

When in Deathlord Mode, it's recommended to open with Vestige. There are two main reasons for this. First, the skill has 2 stacks so using the skill will start the cooldown and it's highly recommended to have the cooldown rolling to get as many uses throughout the fight. Second, the skill goes through the boss so it can be used to reposition yourself to the back of the boss to land Reaper's Scythe, which is a Back Attack skill if you choose Tenacity or Energy Thief.

Reaper's Scythe with Tenacity or Energy Thief Tripod is the only Deathlord Back Attack Skill Full Moon Harvester Souleaters are recommended to use. It's recommended to land Reaper's Scythe at the back of the target for the 10% Crit Rate and 5% damage bonus, but it's not required. Souleater has many skills for repositioning so it won't be too difficult.

As for your second Deathlord Skill during the Deathlord Mode phase, it's recommended to use Guillotine Swing and take all the time you need within the 13 seconds of Deathlord Mode to land your Reaper's Scythe at the back of the target.

DO NOTE: if a player launches Guillotine Swing with Scaffold Tripod as their second Deathlord Skill and then uses Reaper's Scythe immediately, Guillotine Swing will not receive the Deathlord Mode's buff, because the player will exit the Deathlord Mode before the Guillotine Swing lands.

The faster you end your Deathlord Mode, the faster you can start building your Possession Meter to enter Deathlord Mode again. This is the mission of a Full Moon Harvester Souleater. Even if you're using Nightmare Set and you happen to be in Endless Mana state, it's recommended to not wait around too long to enter Deathlord Mode. Simply put, keep the flow going, build Possession Meter within 3 Vestiges, enter Deathlord Mode and burst, rinse and repeat.



When players use Guillotine Swing right before entering Deathlord Mode, the skill is enhanced by Deathlord Mode's buff (Attack and Movement Speed +10% / Crit Rate +20%) by the time the skill lands. However, any Guillotine Swings used right before entering Deathlord Mode will not be affected by the +15% damage portion of the Full Moon Harvester Engraving and Combat Stat: Specialization.

While it is recommended for players to use Vestige with Concentrated Attack Tripod and Reaper's Scythe with Condensed Soul Tripod, which turns both skills into charging skills, players can play an instant cast version of Full Moon Harvester by sacrificing damage by opting out of the charging Tripods.

However, I highly recommend learning the perks of the charging Tripods. For example, Reaper's Scythe with Tenacity Tripod can allow a player to hold the charging skill for an extra second after fully charged to ignore attack patterns with Tenacity or turn the character up to around 200 degrees to land the skill. Vestige while charging can be rotated about 90 degrees as well.

[h3]Awakening Skills[/h3]
As for Awakening Skills, Deathbringer and The End, they have similar damage (Deathbringer 221.958 / The End 271.895), while The End leads when looking at only the damage and a little shorter casting animation. While playing Full Moon Harvester Souleater, I prefer to use The End for extra damage during the opener as I use Awakening Potion before starting encounters. However, players can opt for Deathbringer for the three Soul Stones and the Weak Point level 2. If player chooses to use The End with Awakening Potion, make sure to use it in Deathlord Mode.




Night's Edge is more straight forward, but here are some tips and tricks for maximizing damage and efficiency.

Players should enter full Edge Meter when Lethal Spinning has about 1 second left on cooldown. Within the 12 seconds window players want to ideally fit in 2 Lethal Spinnings, 3 Lunatic Edges, and 3 Harvests. Also, Lethal Spinning has high Crit Damage so it's recommended to land it as a back attack.
If a player is using the Nightmare set and has a shard before pulling the boss, they can start with Guillotine Swing and cast Deathbringer. By the time Guillotine Swing lands (unless they’re using the Cross Swing Tripod) the Nightmare set buffs will be activated. After gaining 3 Soul Shards they can follow up Deathbringer with Reaper's Scythe.

I also get asked about why Reaper's Scythe is used right after enhanced Guillotine Swing and that's because fitting in 2 regular Reaper's Scythe is more damage than waiting around for 1 enhanced Reaper's Scythe.



Thanks for joining us for this tips & tricks article with ZealsAmbitions! We wish you luck as you work to master the new Souleater Advanced Class.

Heroes of Arkesia,

To celebrate Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we have bundles arriving later this week that offer major savings on a variety of cosmetics and valuable in-game items packaged together. The packs will arrive on November 22, and be available in exchange for Royal Crystals via the in-game store. They’ll stay in the store for one week, until November 29. Find all of the specific packs and their contents showcased below!


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


[h3]Harvest Heroes Pack[/h3]


Available in exchange for 9,800 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 3 per account.

• Artiste Skin Selection Chest
  
• Honorable Graduation Chamkuri Mount Selection Chest
  
• Puppy Pet Selection Chest
  
• 2000 Crystal Bundle
  
• Cloth x28
  
• Yoz’s Jar x3
  
• Magick Society Reagent Pack x1
  
• Pheons x100
  
• Una's Task Package x1
  
• Regulus's Light Currency Chest x20
  
• Epic Rapport Selection Chest x10
  
• Legendary Rapport Selection Chest x3
  
• Relic Rapport Selection Chest x1
  
• Any Card Pack II x20
  
• Legendary - Rare Card Pack II x15
  
• Legendary - Epic Card Pack II x5
  
• Solar Grace (Bound) x120
  
• Solar Blessing (Bound) x60
  
• Solar Protection (Bound) x30
  
• Honing Shard Selection Chest x60
  
• Destruction Stone Selection Pouch x35
  
• Protection Stone Selection Pouch x50
  
• Leapstone Selection Chest x32
  
• Fusion Material Selection Chest x6

[h3]Autumn Adventure Pack[/h3]


Available in exchange for 6,600 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 5 per account.

• 1000 Crystal Bundle
  
• Cloth x14
  
• Yoz’s Jar x1
  
• Pheons x70
  
• Elgacia Growth Support Pack x1
  
• Any Card Pack II x15
  
• Legendary - Rare Card Pack II x10
  
• Legendary - Epic Card Pack II x3

[h3]Fall Frenzy Pack[/h3]


Available in exchange for 3,300 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 3 per account.

• Artiste Skin Selection Chest
  
• Heavenly Instrument Selection Chest
  
• Autumn Coat Headwear Selection Chest
  
• Autumn Coat Chestpiece Selection Chest
  
• Autumn Coat Pants Selection Chest
  
• Fallen Leaves Trail Effect Selection Chest

[h3]Gratitute Gathering Pack[/h3]


Available in exchange for 1,700 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 3 per account.

• Funmingo Mount
  []
• Tunnel Fox Pet Selection Chest
  
• Pheons x15

[h3]Thrifty Treat Pack[/h3]


Available in exchange for 1,000 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 1 per account.

• South Vern Growth Support Package II
  
• Wallpaper: Trixion
  
• Ancient Platinum Coin x20
  
• 400 Crystal Bundle
  
• Pheons x10

We’re thankful to the heroes who spend their time adventuring throughout Arkesia. We hope all who celebrate have a happy Thanksgiving with those they’re thankful for. In the meantime, we’ll see you in Arkesia!

Heroes of Arkesia,

The Halo Selection Drop accompanies the November Soul Harvest Update, available for members of the Lost Ark Creator Program to enable on their channel. Rather than tiers, there are 3 Drops, each with their own watch time. Unlike tiered drops, watch time for each drop is earned simultaneously.
Drop 1 - 4hrs - New Halo Selection Chest, choose between the Snowflake, Neon, or Obsidian Halo
Drop 2 - 6hrs - Pheons x30
Drop 3 - 8hrs - Amethyst Shard x1000

Make sure to head over to Twitch and watch your favorite Lost Ark content creators to earn the drops before they end on December 13.

[h2]Twitch Drop Creator Spotlight[/h2]
Looking for some creators to watch for the Twitch Drops? The content creators featured below are planning on creating content related to the new Souleater Advanced Class, so check them out if you’re interested in learning more about the newest class in Lost Ark while earning the Drops.
[h3]ZealsAmbitions[/h3]
Twitch Channel
"Hello, I am ZealsAmbitions and I have been streaming Lost Ark for 2 and a half years on Twitch alongside my awesome community. I currently main a 1650 Souleater, which is the newest subclass to Lost Ark."
[h3]Senderfn[/h3]
Twitch Channel
"Hey guys! I'm senderfn, a long time Lost Ark content creator. My journey started years ago on the Russian servers and I couldn't stop playing ever since. I owe this game and community many memorable moments, it's a great time overall! With Souleater releasing it's once again a great time to jump into the game and play with an exceptional class. The design is extraordinary this time around, Smilegate RPG outdid themselves. The effects are only trumped by the gameplay! Come by to enjoy the class together."
[h3]Grenton[/h3]
Twitch Channel
Most of you may know him for tweeting for almost 200 days for Reaper to launch or from his time casting esports events along with Lost Ark PvP tournaments. A self-proclaimed edgelord who got schooled on the Lost Ark Academy Debate club, he has been anxiously waiting since the announcement of Souleater and has already started prepping his roster. He has shown some insane passion for Souleater and is going to be fully swapping over to it as his main.

Heroes of Arkesia,

The November “Soul Harvest” Update arrives in Arkesia tomorrow. Downtime will begin on November 15 at 1AM PDT (9AM UTC) and is expected to last 4 hours. This update brings the Souleater Advanced Class, new progression events, Quality of Life (QoL) changes, and more! 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!



The Souleater arrives in Arkesia, accompanied by progression events to help players quickly level up. Learn about the Souleater’s abilities, engravings, and progression events below. The Souleater – the Master of Specters – is an Assassin subclass who wields a giant scythe to collect her enemies’ souls. Souleater can choose to attack in three different ways: directly with the scythe, by summoning the dead, or with powerful Deathlord attacks.

For an in-depth look at the class identity, engravings, and skills, visit the Souleater Lost Ark Academy Article.


[h3]South Vern Powerpass & Super Mokoko Express Event[/h3]
An Event South Vern Powerpass will release with the update for players to use until February 7, 2024. Pairing well with the South Vern Powerpass, players will be able to designate one character between Item Level 1415 and 1540 on their account to participate in the Super Mokoko Express Event, where they’ll have discounted honing rates, discounted gold requirements, and earn honing materials to quickly level up to Item Level 1540 and beyond, with reward chests up to Item Level 1570.
There are also Combat Style Setting Support options for players to easily set skills and Engravings through presets, and get item support for accessories with relevant stats and Ability Stones. The designated character will earn valuable rewards as they level up, including Silver, honing materials, high level Gems, Engravings, and more!

The Super Mokoko Express Event also includes an Engraving Support system that lets players choose 5 engravings to be in effect at level 3 during the event. Here’s how to get started:

• After selecting a Super Mokoko Express character, the Engraving Support button will light up.
  
• Click the Engraving Support button to open the Engraving Support page and select your 5 desired Engravings.
  
• Press the Activate Engraving Support button to start using their effects.
  
• The effects of Engraving Support will also be shown in your Character Profile.

The Event will last until February 7, 2024.

[h3]Path of the Souleater[/h3]
A new progression arrives, built to progress a character quickly from 1490 to 1610. This special event includes:

• A Gear Honing Support Effect applied when honing Brelshaza Ancient Gear from 1540 to 1580 that decreases the amount of Gold and materials needed to hone along with increased honing rates.
  
• 2x Artisan’s Energy when honing Brelshaza Ancient Gear from 1540 to 1580.
  
• Caches of rewards every 10 Item Levels from 1540 to 1580, with a particularly valuable reward at 1580. Rewards include silver, gold, honing materials, honing books, and card packs!
  
• Special Missions to earn additional Raid & Abyssal Dungeon materials, including bonuses of:
  
  • Phantom Intentions from the Brelshaza Legion Raid
    
  • Empyrean of Contemplation from the Kayangel Abyssal Dungeon
    
  • Eye of Decay from the Akkan Legion Raid

While the event is named after the Souleater, it can be used on any character, not just a Souleater. The Event will last until February 7, 2024.


In the November Update, we will be reconnecting Jump-Start Servers. When Jump-Start Servers are reconnected to their respective region, they will function like any other server, with the Auction House, Marketplace, PvE Matchmaking, and Party-Finder all available to play and interact with other players in that region. The Jump-Start Server progression events will continue as previously planned until December 13, 2023.


Prologue Quest for Voldis Added: "Madnick's Call".

• Quest can be obtained from the NPC 'Shushire Mercenary' located at each city.
  
• In Ereonnor, the quest can be obtained from the 'Transparent Mirror'.

The prerequisite quests for "Madnick's Call" are:

• The 'Twilight Hill' World Quest in Pleccia
  
• The 'Elpon' World Quest in Shushire

The progression events that launched alongside the Aeromancer (the previous South Vern Powerpass, Super Mokoko Express Event, and Story Express Event) will draw to a close with this update.
The Login Events & Hot Time Events have been refreshed.

[h3]Event Guardian Raid[/h3]
The Event Guardian Raid continues with this update.
Ancient Gold Coins (redeemable for Silver) have been added to the Event Guardian Raid shop as an outlet for players with excess Event Coins.

[h3]Daily Playtime Event[/h3]
The Daily Playtime Event returns, which rewards players based on daily accumulated playtime. To be eligible, a player will need to have a character Combat Level 50 or higher, and have Trusted Status. Rewards will be given at 15min / 45min / 60min / 75min / 90min of playtime, and include valuable items such as silver, honing materials, card packs, and more!


Two new cosmetic collections arrive, along with exclusive Souleater cosmetics. Find the new collections showcased below.

[h3]Gothic Skins[/h3]
Show your dark side with the new Goth skins. Heavy sigh and roll your eyes sitting on your Rose Throne Mount accompanied by the Nocturnal Cat. Don’t forget the Lone Prairie wallpaper, so your scenery can be as empty as your soul.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Song of Adventure Skins[/h3]
The Korean fourth Anniversary Skins arrive, along with the Vykas Pet and Dragon Mount. Slayer Skins have also been developed and added to the collection. Find them showcased here.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Souleater Exclusive Skins[/h3]
Souleater Launch Skins arrive with two color variations, along with the Epic and Legendary Leap Yoz’s Jar Skins. Find the launch skins and Legendary Leap skins showcased below.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Find the extensive list of General & QoL changes in the Soul Harvest Release Notes on our website.

We'll see you in Arkesia.