Lost Ark is a multi-player online RPG title from Smilegate and Amazon Games. It turned out to be a massive hit after its launch in Europe and North America on February 11.
This Korean fantasy title is currently one of the most popular games out there. It is a free-to-play PC game that already has a huge fan following on Steam.
The game’s founder packs that give early access to the game and additional in-game items are currently on top of the sales charts. It is also popular on Twitch, where millions of people watch other players play.
If you are interested to know about Lost Ark’s business model and how it works, this article is for you.
About Lost Ark
Lost Ark is an isometric action role-playing title that is similar to Blizzard’s Diablo games. It offers 15 playable classes, including nine advanced sub-classes, and six main classes.
Players adventure through the world of Arkesia, while slaying demons along the way. Players are provided with heavy artillery to protect themselves from attacks.
Lost Ark allows you to collect and customize gear. Not just that, but it also helps you to improve your skills. You can take part in various activities like fishing, foraging, mining, archaeology, logging, crafting, and hunting.
There also exist various seasonal events. You can also customize the look of the characters and their strongholds.
Besides the main quest, there are several side quests that players need to complete. Players can also take part in group raids. There’s a PvP in the game’s closed-arena duels.
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Where did Lose Ark come from?
Lost Ark is a South Korean game that was first launched in 2019. It is developed by Smilegate, which is responsible for making the popular FPS game Crossfire.
The game was later launched in Russia and Japan. After that Amazon Games took the responsibility of introducing the game to the global audience.
This is what led to the launch of the game in Europe and North America. Amazon Games had to run multiple beta tests before releasing the game on the market.
Amazon’s Lost Ark features spoken and written dialogue in English, German, French, and Spanish. There’s no doubt that Lost Ark has been a big hit for Amazon Games.
Lost Ark Game Features
Steam is the leading digital video game distribution platform. This platform’s database shows that Lost Ark is the second most popular video game in the world.
Players from over 160 countries play this game. It had over 1.30 million users in February and that number is rapidly growing.
This game’s blockbuster sales have amazed most gaming gurus. It is a free game, but most players invest their bucks in Founder’s packs.
It is making millions by selling in-game items. Players spend their money to acquire those packs because they want to stand out and play like a pro.
Besides, the following features attract more users to this game:
Adventurous Gameplay
Do you love treasure hunt stories, TV shows, or movies? The Lost Ark game is built for you if your answer is yes. It is a massively multiplayer online action role-playing game.
You get a huge in-game world to explore. You can wander in different regions of the map, discover new areas, and find treasure.
Each moment is a memorable experience in this game. Millions of users play this game every day. You compete with real players, who are available 24-7. So, the PVE element won’t bore you during the gameplay.
Multiple Classes
You can choose to be a martial artist, a warrior, gunner, assassin, or mage in the game. Your objectives and jobs depend on the class you choose to play the game. Choose your role wisely and enjoy the game without any trouble.
Defeat Powerful Bosses
There are some powerful villains in the Lost Ark game. Those ruthless bosses are not easy to defeat, especially when you are alone. You have to team up with other players to exterminate enemies standing between you and the main objective.
This video game offers an interactive battle scenario. You can collaborate with other users to loot cinematic dungeons and defeat all the powerful bosses. You will gain impressive rewards after winning major battles!
PVP Challenges
You can participate in 1v1 or 3v3 challenges. The match takes place in the coliseum where you have to defeat real opponents to win the combat.
Players do not miss an opportunity to fight like a real warrior because these combats are extremely exciting.
Mini-Games
Whenever you are in the mood of taking a small break, visit a local tavern. You will find other players there and you can challenge them to a keg drinking contest. The monster card game is pretty popular in the in-game taverns, so try this mini-game!
Tripod Skill System
Basic skills do not change in the game. However, users can mix various skill elements to create new variants of your favourite skills. Thus, you can surprise opponents and get an upper hand in the battle.
Own the Island
You can conquer islands in this game and manage them as you find suitable for your gaming needs. You can fish, mine, dig, chop trees, craft artifacts, and try many other skills on your islands.
Lost Ark offers a chance to live an adventurous life in the game. It is the most exciting way of spending free time. Developers frequently add new features to make this game more entertaining.
Every player wishes to improve their performance by using additional support offered through Funder’s packs.
Therefore, most players spend their bucks on premium items featured in the game and thus this game makes a profit.
Lost Ark’s Business Model Overview
Lost Ark is a completely free-to-play title. However, it does have Founder packs, in-game purchases, and other bundles that are released with new content.
In the in-game store, you will find a wide variety of cosmetic items. These items can be used to customize your characters. Besides that, you will find several convenience items. This includes items that give you storage space while in the field or automatically looting pets.
Players are also given access to Mari’s Secret Store, where you will find various exciting deals. Lost Ark comes with a player-to-player trading post that allows the community to play an important role in the valuation of items.
Amazon Games have entered a partnership with Smilegate to update Lost Ark’s business model for the better. They want to align the game with Western standards. The details of the new adjustments are given below.
- All in-game purchases are optional. Players can purchase items from the in-game store. Most items can be bought with crystals, which can be earned through trading gold. Items that cannot be bought with crystal can be traded through the in-game trading post. This means you can get all the items using earnable currencies. But this doesn’t apply to Founder’s packs.
- Amazon Games have updated the pet features. There will be a free pet available as a reward at the beginning of the game. In the latest version, pet purchases are permanent. That means the features you bought previously will be available through Crystalline Aura Perks. However, automatic looting of pets remains a standard feature.
- Crystalline Aura has been reconstructed to provide fair benefits to players. This is also helpful in preventing potential payments to get mechanical benefits. For example, they have removed increased combat XP and increased movement speed from the Crystalline Aura perks. However, they have included a few PC Café perks, such as free Triport travel, and half-priced ship tickets.
- Amazon Games have also fine-tuned the timing of Mari’s Secret Store. This is done to ensure that the products stay available in the store for a long time. This will give more time for the player to make a purchase. Players are given 72 hours to purchase items from Mari’s Secret Store.
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Overview of Founder’s Packs
It allows interested players to get ready for their odyssey by becoming a Founder. The Founder’s Pack will prepare you for all your journeys. It gives you access to the Closed Beta, with a 3-day head start on launch.
Not just that, but it will also provide an inventory full of exclusive items that will come in handy during adventures.
The complete list of prices and content can be found on the Founder’s Pack page. It will give you an idea of what to expect from the Founder’s Pack.
Can you survive and enjoy the game without buying the Founder’s Pack? Yes, you do not need this premium item to enjoy Lost Ark. However, you may need it if you want to quickly overcome the financial challenges most users face in the game.
You will always have enough resources to take on any major challenge in the game. These packs make the Lost Ark game pretty entertaining.
Besides, you will always get new updates before other players. That will allow you to tackle new challenges like a pro!
Overview of In-Game Currencies
Lost Ark is packed with dozens of in-game currencies, and each of them has a different purpose to serve. Check out the details of the in-game currencies below.
Gold
Gold happens to be the rarest currency in the game. You can use it for trading purposes. Besides that, it can be used to purchase items in Auction House. If needed, you can also exchange gold with both Royal Crystals and Blue Crystals in the shop.
Blue Crystals
The next type of in-game currency available in the game is Blue Crystals. It is an expensive and unique currency in Lost Ark. To collect Blue Crystals, you need to complete various quests in the game.
Alternatively, you can get Blue Crystals by spending real money. Other than that you can get it in exchange for gold.
Royal Crystals
This is the only currency in Lost Ark that cannot be farmed. You will have to spend real-life money to get these. Royal Crystals are required to get pets, skins, and weapons. It is also needed for Guild Name Changer tokens. You can collect Royal Crystals by exchanging gold.
All these in-game currencies are important. They help you to get various items in the game. For specific items, you need specific in-game currencies.
It can take hours or days to collect enough in-game currencies to buy the required items. Therefore, players choose to fast-track the process by buying in-game currency packs.
Conclusion
Ever since Lost Ark is introduced to the global audience, it has become a massive hit. Currently, the game is not just popular in South Korea, but also outside the country. It has a huge fan base on both Twitch and Steam. If you are into fantasy-based games, you should give this one a try.
