Lost Ark, the MMOARPG from Smilegate and Amazon, was supposed to be launching this fall, finally bringing the much anticipated title to the West. However, in an announcement made via Twitter today, the teams have made the decision to delay the launch of Lost Ark into early 2022.
Announced during E3, Lost Ark is slated to hit the West after years of being available in Korea. This made it one of the most hotly anticipated titles in the genre to finally be coming over here thanks to Amazon's partnership with Smilegate. However, the teams announced today that as a result of feedback and the amount of work needed to get Lost Ark in a place to really make it shine for a Western audience, the original fall 2021 window was too short.
"While delving into all of the the great feedback and data generated by our Alpha and reviewing recent changes to the Korean version that we want to include in our release, we discovered a lot more work that will be needed to launch Lost Ark at the high quality bar our players deserve," the announcement states. It continues: "As players have been waiting for so long, we want to take the time to do it right while also ensuring we look after the wellness of our hardworking Amazon Games and Smilegate Teams. With that in mind, we've made the tough decision to push the launch of Lost Ark to early 2022."
Please read this letter regarding Lost Ark's Closed Beta and Official Launch. pic.twitter.com/jSSnrrxk6w
— Lost Ark (@PlayLostArk) September 1, 2021
The team, though, does state players will be able to check out Lost Ark this year still thanks to a closed beta test coming on November 4th through the 9th. Players who have purchased the Founder's Pack will have immediate access, while those who haven't by then can sign up for a chance to join in. Additionally, the Smilgate and Amazon Game Studios teams have committed to more open communication, promising monthly updates as wel as an official forums and Discord channel launch in October.
