KEY POINTS

  • "Lost Ark" will not be accessible to players outside of select countries in NA or EU
  • The game will not be a 100% faithful port of the original Russian/South Korean version
  • Changes will be made to some of the game's features to appeal to the taste of the western audience

The official western release for South Korean MMO “Lost Ark” is almost ready for launch. However, details regarding regional availability and questionable changes to some of the game’s key elements have left a large number of its fans cautiously excited and bitterly disappointed.

Amazon Games will be publishing “Lost Ark” for North America and Europe only, locking out every player from the rest of the world as well as every other country not listed in the official website’s FAQ section.

Players living in unlisted regions will have to use a VPN in order to play “Lost Ark’s” western version. The original version of the game available in South Korea and Russia can also be accessed in a similar manner. Players will have a slightly easier time playing the western version of the MMO via VPN as no further English patches will be required, but the VPN requirement means many players will have to spend money to access an otherwise free-to-play game.

Lost Ark is an isometric MMO with stunning visuals and epic combat
Lost Ark is an isometric MMO with stunning visuals and epic combat Amazon Games

Fans who have been waiting for the global release of “Lost Ark” have posted a petition on the game’s community on Reddit, asking the developer Smilegate to remove the IP block. The petition has been slowly gaining traction since it was posted.

Apart from the IP block, fans in the included regions are worried about how Amazon Games might treat “Lost Ark.” The game will receive a few changes to some of its key elements to make it more accommodating to the western audience, according to Amazon Games’ post.

Systems commonly seen in South Korean MMOs like homesteading, harvesting and crafting will be getting some adjustments to match the expectations of North American and European players. However, Amazon Games stated that they will be working closely with Smilegate to preserve the original spirit of the game.

South Korean MMOs have a tendency to include menial or AFK activities like passive fishing, trading and other similarly mundane activities that the Korean audience enjoys. Such is the case with “Black Desert Online” which, despite being focused heavily on combat, still has a number of optional AFK mechanics in place.

Amazon Games aims to alter these systems as well as make some changes to localization and character creation to appeal to “Lost Ark’s” new audience.

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