Lost Ark Beta & Gameplay Everything We Know- In this Lost Ark article we’re going to discuss theClosed Beta, gameplay, combat mechanics, features, and future plans of the new MMO Action RPG. The game is developed by Smilegate RPG and published by Amazon Games. Lost Ark’s Closed Beta will run from November 4 to 11, 2021 for PC via Steam.
Lost Ark Beta & Gameplay | Everything We Know
What is Lost Ark?
Lost Arkis a free-to-playMMOAction RPG, which was previously released in Korea in 2018, followed by Japan and Russia. Amazon Games has decided to collaborate with Smilegate RPG to bring this game to life in North America and European Regions. Lost Ark is set in Arkesia, which was on the brink of destruction hundreds of years ago due to the demonic invasion led by Kazeros, the Lord of the Abyss.
Thanks to the Ark, the rift he created was sealed and he was incarcerated beneath a volcano. Peace then ensued for several centuries where nations were able to rebuild and create factions of their own. Because of this, they forgot about the evil lurking among them. By gaining strength and searching for the Lost Ark, you’ll be able to save Arkesia from the Demonic Legion of Kazeros as you attempt to reclaim this world once again.
Lost Ark is frequently compared toDiablobecause of its fast-paced isometric ARPG combat style. This is a highly responsive game where you get to kill multiple sprawling enemies at once as you become more and more powerful based on the skills you level up and upgrade. It’s a matter of choosing the best combos for your class to improve your overall damage and mobility. Furthermore, it also has a keen focus on gear acquisition and dungeon crawling, particularly Cube Dungeons, which is similar toDiablo 3’s Greater Rifts.
Lost Ark primarily features five base classes with two or more advanced classes for each, the Tripod Skill System, dungeons,Raids, PvP content, andIslandmanagement. Before we break down these mechanics, let’s talk about the upcoming Closed Beta.
Lost Ark Closed Beta Details
Lost Ark’s Closed Beta starts on November 4th at 9AM Pacific Time and runs through November 11th at 11:59 AM Pacific Time, for both the North America and European servers. The main focus of this beta is to perform technical testing to see how capable the servers currently are, on top of bug testing, and integrations. But players will also be able to experience newly added content, which we’ll get to in a bit.
The initial plan is to open a single world to perform load testing during the first few hours so you’re able to expect long queues. They will then begin to increase the volume of worlds for incoming players. You can get a chance to participate in this event by signing up on theLost Ark Website. Alternatively, if you purchase one of theFounder’s Packs, you’re guaranteed a spot in the beta. The lowest price of entry is the Bronze Pack, which costs USD 14.99. Preloading starts on November 2nd after 4 PM Pacific Time.
If you’ve played in the Closed Alpha, you’ll notice a lot of changes that have already been made to the game. For instance, each of the classes will no longer have their own prologues as a means to show their backgrounds. Instead, it’s going to be one streamlined prologue for all. This is quite a shame since it would have been nice to introduce them one by one in a distinct manner rather than having a general theme. On the bright side, however, you’ll be able to play the newStriker Advanced Classunder the Martial Artist Class.
If you’ve been meaning to play like a Monk, then the Striker may be for you. This Advanced Class specializes in dealing ultra fast Melee Damage coupled with kicks and aerial combos. He makes use of elemental gauntlets, which let him store massive amounts of elemental energy upon landing great blows against enemies. As such, the Striker consumes this energy to utilize more powerful skills in order to overwhelm enemies.
The character and Expedition level caps in Closed Beta from Closed Alpha have been increased as well, to 55 and 100, respectively. Expedition levels refer to your entire account’s level so it indicates how adept you are at the game. This also grants you minor character boosts. Furthermore, the second Awakening Skill and its associated quest will be available. Think of Awakening Skills as advanced abilities that you gain access to when you reach a certain level. You have to complete Awakening Quests to obtain these skills as well as to raise your stats.
On top of these, there will be new main story quests up to Rohendel together with the Rohendel Chaos and Abyss Dungeons for the Phantom Palace like the Twisted Monarch’s Hall, Cube Dungeons, and Tier 2 Guardian Raids. Lastly, each account will be given a Powerpass upon completing the Ealyn’s Gift Main Quest so you can quickly level up your alternate characters from Levels 10 to 50 to try out other classes.
Gameplay Mechanics
Classes and the Tripod System
In Lost Ark, you’ll be able to progress by finishing main quests, dungeons and certain leveling zones as you take on monsters. It’s basically the standard way of progression in RPGs. Every time your character levels up, your Expedition level increases as well.
Currently, Lost Ark has five main classes with theWarrior,Martial ArtistandAssassinas melee-focused and theGunnerandMageas ranged characters. In total, there are 15 Advanced Classes spread out under these base classes. They’re differentiated based on their weapons and skills. Warriors are not an agile class, however, they make up for it with immense power and strength while acting as partial tanks. Martial Artists are their quick counterparts in that they capitalize on speed to deal multiple damaging combos at a breakneck pace.
Assassins are also swift in their movements but they concentrate on utilizing dark powers coupled with rogue-like abilities to attack enemies stealthily. Gunners wield technologically advanced guns and bows and are highly skilled at Ranged Combat. Meanwhile, Mages are a support class that heal wounded allies while casting lethal spells against targets.
What’s interesting about these classes is they’re not boxed to be purely damage dealers, healers or tanks since every one of them is a damage dealer in their own right. For instance, with Mages, although they provide buffs and heals, they’re still able to inflict damage via spells even if these aren’t as potent as the other classes.
When it comes to Advanced Classes, there’s a Tripod System that allows you to customize a variety of highly specialized skills similar to Diablo and Wolcen to create multiple builds. You can select up to three customized skills per character. As a result, each playstyle is different from the rest, making the experience highly satisfying. You can then improve the potency of these abilities by leveling them up and applying upgrades.
ChangingSkillsin Lost Ark is economical such that you no longer need to spend any points to reset them if you’re not engaged in combat. Moreover, you’re able to save Skill Presets so you can easily switch to other sets if you intend to participate in PvP or PvE activities.
ARPG Comparisons and Seasons
In terms of the exciting isometric ARPG combat, Diablo,Path of Exile, and Lost Ark look the same, however, they do have a couple of distinct differences. Diablo and Path of Exile focus on the accumulation of unique gear by killing mob after mob. They tend to prioritize one to two main abilities while the rest serve as buffs to support the player’s character. Their respective endgames are also constantly changing with brand new spins and modifications per season.
Conversely, Lost Ark’s overall progression is gradual such that you’re enticed to play for longer periods of time. It also takes a while to get the gear you want since you need to collect specific materials to enhance them and their respective scores. Using all of your skills, which are cooldown-dependent and therefore not as instantaneous, is highly encouraged to survive encounters. Additionally, the draw in endgame is daily dungeons and weekly raids like in other MMOs.
Lost Ark’s seasons are also implemented differently. Rather than showcasing new content, although there may be new raids and classes, the top priority is to improve the state of the game. This primarily involves huge overhauls to backend codes, bug fixes, and quality of life updates. At the moment, Lost Ark in Korea, Russia and Japan are already in Season 2 and it’s expected that the North America and European Regions will start in this season as well.
Endgame Progression
When you reach the max level, you’ll begin to redirect your attention to raising your gear level or score. The higher your gear score is, the higher the tier of content you unlock. There are endgame raids available in Tier 1, however, you gain access to more of them when you reach Tier 2 and so on. As with any ARPG, you’ll be constantly switching to stronger gear sets. What’s good in Lost Ark is you’ll be able to carry over some of the equipment progress you’ve made in the form of enhancements.
There are numerous materials you need to collect from participating in Dungeons, Raids and Trading. Gold is one of the most essential currencies in order to upgrade gear. Engaging in daily activities that involve slaying world bosses together with finishing cube dungeons and island quests let you earn valuable rewards. Cube dungeons involve high risk, high rewards with random buffs and debuffs similar to Diablo. Fully adapting to its conditions paves the way for you and your party to complete the encounters, which grant more gold, silver and legendary materials.
In terms of PvP, you have the standard duels and 3v3 arena combat with normal and rank modes. For the latter, you can compete to raise your MMR. This serves as your placement matches to be part of prestigious brackets. You also have the island PvP with set objectives as well as Guild vs. Guild. Although there are quite a number of PvP activities, it’s not as frequently balanced as PvE.
Island Management
In Lost Ark, you gain access to your own private island and housing by completing a quest. Once done, you can customize both of them by using a variety of designs. You also unlock additional features and activities by building a Research Center. With the Production Workshop, you can craft furniture and decorations.
What’s Next for Lost Ark?
Lost Ark is planned to be released in North America and Europe on July 31, 2025 according to Steam, but obviously this may change depending on how quickly development goes. It’ll be a completely free-to-play MMO Action RPG with the option to purchase cosmetics and auto-looting items in the in-game store. However, all of these can be acquired by trading gold without having to spend real money.
Similar toNew World, you can expect a trading post for players to buy and sell products. This lets them have a say when it comes to the pricing of items. Furthermore, you’ll also have access to Mari’s Secret Store with special and rotating offers every 72 hours. Note that these monetization systems may still change depending on feedback. Lastly, Amazon Games hasn’t discussed what the future plans for Lost Ark are, that is, if an open beta would be possible prior to the full release.
Stay tuned for more Lost Ark content and be sure to stop by ourTwitch Channelif you have questions about the game! What did you think of this overview? Will you be participating in Lost Ark’s Closed Beta? Let us know in the comments below!
