Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Lost Ark
Happy New Year!
Heroes of Arkesia,
Something shimmers in the eastern Sea of Gienah, north of Anikka. Will venturing to this phenomenon grant good fortune for the new year?
Find the mystical island and join us at 11:59PM (server time for each region) tonight for a special celebration in Arkesia welcoming in the new year! Not able to make it? Don’t fret, this special event will last until January 10, 2024, taking place every 2 hours.
We appreciate the feedback, support, and passion of the players that we’ve seen all year long from the members of the Lost Ark community. We’ve had both challenges and sensational moments that have led to 2023 being a special year, and look forward to the exciting experiences with you in the new year. With our 2nd anniversary arriving in February, we’ll have more moments to celebrate the last year. In the meantime, we’ll see you in Arkesia.
Happy Holidays!
Heroes of Arkesia,
Join us for a holiday special Tavern Talks with Roxx complete with some notable guests and holiday wishes from our team!
Celebrate in-game with the Freja island event. Have you been good this year? Find out as you traverse the Naughty and Nice Maze on Freja Island to earn rewards. You can enter every even hour (2PM, 4PM, etc.), and once per roster per day, or earn tokens from clearing Chaos Dungeons and Guardian Raids. Tokens from Freja Island can be spent at the event shop, which has a variety of valuable items and holiday-themed rewards that can be earned! Special event feast items will also be available during the event.
If you haven’t logged for a few days, don’t forget to claim your Year’s End Gift celebrating the holidays and end of 2023! It will be available for a character on your Roster to claim from their Product Inventory:
2023 Mokoko Cahni Skin Selection Chest
Special Legendary Card Selection Pack - This pack contains Varkan and Vairgrys as selection options
Legendary Elixir Support Chest - Contains 500 Stabilized Ductility Catalyst and 5 Splendid Elixir of Wisdom
Processed Chaos Stone Chest - Contains 30 Processed Chaos Stones (Weapon) and 90 Processed Chaos Stones (Armor)
Book of Judgement Chest - Contains 4 Books of Judgement
Collective Battle Item Chest x10
Aura of Resonance x2
Happy Holidays! We’ll see you in Arkesia.
Year End Gift
Heroes of Arkesia,
As 2023 comes to a close, the teams at Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG wanted to thank our players for another fantastic year in Arkesia and celebrate with a special gift! Following the December 20th downtime, the Year End Gift will be sent to your product inventory for one character on your Roster to claim. It includes:
2023 Mokoko Cahni Skin Selection Chest
Special Legendary Card Selection Pack - This pack contains Varkan and Vairgrys as selection options
Legendary Elixir Support Chest - Contains 500 Stabilized Ductility Catalyst and 5 Splendid Elixir of Wisdom
Processed Chaos Stone Chest - Contains 30 Processed Chaos Stones (Weapon) and 90 Processed Chaos Stones (Armor)
Book of Judgement Chest - Contains 4 Books of Judgement
Collective Battle Item Chest x10
Aura of Resonance x2
Ancient Platinum Coin x100
Happy holidays, and we’re looking forward to celebrating a new year with you in Arkesia! You can see what the first part of 2024 has in store in our 2024 Roadmap - Part 1.
Ivory Tower Release Notes
Heroes of Arkesia,
The Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon, new Elixir System, and some special winter sales arrive in the second part of the December Update. We’re also excited to announce that we will be bringing changes to the Elixir system when they launch, alongside the launch of the changes in Korea. Downtime will begin on December 20 at 1AM PT (9 AM UTC) and is expected to last for 4 hours. Find the full list of content, special winter sale items and other updates below!
Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon
The Ivory Tower is a new 4-player Abyssal Dungeon located in Voldis, which has 4 gates. The entrance Item Level is 1600 for the Normal difficulty and 1620 for the Hard Difficulty. The rewards include Honing Materials (Refined Protection Stones, Refined Obliteration Stones, Radiant Honor Leapstones, Honor Shards), Gold, special hidden rewards, and materials for the new Elixir system, such as Elixir of Wisdom and Energy of Wisdom.
To enter the Ivory Tower of Chaos, players will need to complete the pre-requisite quest Adento’s Legacy.
Elixirs
Elixir Summary Elixirs can be obtained after clearing Abyssal Dungeon: Ivory Tower of Chaos 'Trampled Gardens'. Guide Quests will be added in-game to teach players how to use and interact with the system.
Elixirs are a new system which will drastically increase player’s combat abilities by imbuing their gear with new, powerful effects. Epic elixirs will be obtainable through the Normal mode of the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon, while Legendary Elixirs can be earned via Hard mode. Once obtained, Elixirs need to be refined and imbued onto a player’s gear.
To refine an Elixir, players need to first get ‘Ductility Catalyst’ by paying gold and Chaos Stones. Catalysts are also acquirable through Wandering Merchant in Voldis.
The refining process requires both a certain amount of Gold and Catalysts. Players have a set amount of tries for each refining process, and players can use the advice from the three Sages of the Tower to pick the best outcome possible. Players will need to think carefully and use the advice well – it’s important to understand the logic of the system.
There are powerful Set bonuses to aim for when special conditions are met. The refining process is unlike any other experience in Lost Ark – it relies on a certain amount of luck, but it also requires the players to think carefully and logically to plan for the best outcome.
Once the Elixir is done refining, players can imbue the Elixir to their equipment to get bonus effects. Only 1525 Ancient Gear earned from the Akkan Legion Raid can be imbued with Elixirs. There are various types of bonuses that Elixirs provide – categorized broadly into offensive, defensive, and utility. Players can choose a maximum of five abilities for each Elixir and refine two out of the five. There will be 10 abilities once refining is done – two for each equipment (as Elixirs are not applied to the weapon).
Elixir Details Elixirs can be transmuted through the 'Elixir Transmute' NPC in major cities after completing the guide quest '[Guide] Alchemy's Blossom, Elixir.'
You can accept the quest '[Guide] Alchemy's Blossom, Elixir' via the quest journal when you first acquire Elixirs.
In Elgacia, 'Arian orb,' you can check the guide for Elixirs through the quest '[Guide] What is an Elixir?'
When initially acquired, Elixirs have no effects imbued. Through Transmuting an Elixir, you can imbue effects from Elixirs to your gear. Elixir effects are divided into 'Common' effects and 'Part-Specific' effects, which are activated when attached to a specific piece of gear.
Special options that trigger additional transmute effects can be granted as part-specific effects to helmet and glove parts. Helmet parts are granted the Order effect of additional Transmute, while glove parts are granted the Chaos effect. To trigger additional Transmute effects, the same pair of part-specific effects must be imbued to both helmet and gloves, and the combined level of imbued Elixir effects on all equipped gear must be 35 for Stage 1 or 40+ for Stage 2 of the effect. The combined level of Elixir effects is reached by summing the active Elixir effect levels on all equipped gear.
Crafting Elixirs
You can craft Elixirs using 'Energy of Wisdom.'
Clearing the 'Trampled Garden' in the Abyssal Dungeon, Ivory Tower on Normal difficulty grants 'Clear Energy of Wisdom.'
Clearing it on Hard difficulty grants 'Radiant Energy of Wisdom.'
You can also craft Elixirs using the materials gained when dismantling Elixirs, 'Energy of Wisdom.' Elixir crafting takes place at the 'Transmute Elixir and Crafting' NPC. When crafting Elixirs using 'Energy of Wisdom,' you need to achieve certain Item Level requirements and achievement conditions first. There is also a weekly limit.
Dismantling Elixirs grants you 'Energy of Wisdom.' Dismantling Clear Elixirs grants 'Clear Energy of Wisdom.' Dismantling Radiant Elixirs grants 'Radiant Energy of Wisdom.' The more you refine and Transmute an Elixir, the more 'Energy of Wisdom' you can obtain when Dismantling. Each 'Energy of Wisdom' can be traded on the market.
Refining Elixir Effect Before enhancing Elixirs, you must first refine the effects you wish to Transmute. You can refine effects in a total of 5 slots. Locked Elixirs cannot be refined.
During effect refinement, you can choose one of the advice effects provided by the three sages. Choose carefully, as the refined effect cannot be changed once chosen. You cannot refine the same effect twice.
During effect refinement, effects that are already refined on the Elixir will not reappear in the sages' advice. If a part-specific effect has been refined, the same part-specific effect will not appear again.
You can click the 'View Different Advice' button to change the sages' advice to different options. The 'View Different Advice' feature can be used up to 2 times per Elixir by default, and can be used for both the advice received during effect refinement and the advice received during Transmute.
Effect refinement requires the consumption of ' Stabilized Ductility Catalyst' and currency. You can exchange for 'Stabilized Ductility Catalyst' from the wandering merchants in Voldis or craft it through the 'Transmute Elixir and Crafting' NPC. Crafting 'Stabilized Ductility Catalyst' requires 'Chaos Stone' and currency.
Transmuting Elixirs
Transmute Elixir allows you to refine the effects of Elixirs and Transmute the Elixir's performance by increasing its Transmute level. You can Transmute an Elixir that has all five effects refined. Locked Elixirs cannot be Transmuted. During Transmute Elixir, you can choose one of the advice effects from the three sages. Through their advice, you can gain additional effects that assist in Transmuting. Transmuting Elixirs also consumes ' Stabilized Ductility Catalyst' and currency.
After selecting the desired advice option, click the 'Select Advice' button and then the 'Transmute' button to imbue the effect. Once 'Select Advice' is confirmed, it cannot be canceled, so please choose carefully.
During Transmutation, the Transmute level of one effect increases by 1 level according randomly. As the Transmute level reaches certain values, the effect level increases.
The effect level of the 'Clear Elixir of Wisdom' can increase up to level 4.
The effect level of the 'Radiant Elixir of Wisdom' can increase up to level 5.
When all Transmute attempts are used, Transmuting the Elixir is completed. Three out of five effects will be sealed during the Transmute process, and ultimately, two effects will remain on the Elixir. Effects that remain at level 0 due to insufficient Transmute levels will be removed upon Transmute completion. Transmute Elixir is completed under the following circumstances:
When all available Transmute attempts are used. Transmute attempts are not consumed during the effect refinement stage.
When there are only two effects available for Transmute due to sealing, and all effects have reached their maximum level.
Imbue Elixir Imbue Elixir allows you to imbue Elixirs with completed Transmutations to gear to use their effects. You can imbue Elixirs onto armor through the 'Elixir imbue and craft' NPC in the city. Only 1525 Ancient Gear earned from the Akkan Legion Raid can be imbued with Elixirs. Elixirs can only be imbued to currently equipped gear, and must have completed the transmutation process. Elixirs being Transmuted or locked cannot be imbued. The imbued Elixir will be consumed, so please choose the Elixir and gear carefully!
Elixir Tuning You can use the Elixir Tuning feature to change the activated Elixir effects, which can only be used when gear with imbued Elixirs is equipped. Elixir Tuning is not possible in areas where gear cannot be changed.
Elixir Updates
For players who have been following Elixirs in the Korean version of Lost Ark, we’re excited to announce that we will be releasing the changes to Elixirs recently announced in LOA ON in the Ivory Tower update.
The cost of refining and transmuting of Epic Elixirs has been reduced. The Gold requirements are reduced from 120 Gold to 40 Gold, resulting in one Epic elixir requiring a total of 640 + 40 Gold instead of 1920 Gold.
Amount of refining, transmuting material of Epic Elixir will be reduced
before: Stabilized Ductility Catalyst x 2 / now: Stabilized Ductility Catalyst x 1
The transmute amount (amount of tries) for Epic Elixirs will increase from 11 to 12.
The number of Elixirs that can be crafted by tradeable materials (Clear Essence of Wisdom, Splendid Essence of Wisdom) will increase from 5 to 10.
Winter Sale Store Update
To celebrate the winter holidays, we have bundles arriving that offer major savings on a variety of cosmetics and valuable in-game items packaged together. The packs will arrive in the update, and be available in exchange for Royal Crystals via the in-game store. They’ll stay in the store for two weeks, until January 3, 2024. Find all of the specific packs and their contents showcased below!
Cosmetic Showcase
Merry Holiday Honing Pack
Available in exchange for 7,500 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 5 per roster.
Pheon x50
Crystals x1000
Prime Protection Selection Pouch x40
Prime Destruction Selection Pouch x20
Prime Leapstone Selection Chest x15
Prime Fusion Material Selection Chest x15
Honor Shard Pouch (L) Chest x10
Ancient Platinum Coin x50
Happy Holiday Card Pack
Available in exchange for 3,800 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 2 per roster.
Legendary - Epic Card Pack III x10
Legendary - Rare Card Pack III x30
Any Card Pack III x40
Menelik's Tome x10
Creation Fragment x30
Winter Holiday Pack
Available in exchange for 4,400 Royal Crystals, with a limit of 1 per roster.
Snow Bike Mount
Pit-a-Pat Chest x10
White Prayer Wallpaper
Party Chestpiece & Pants Selection Chest
Joytide Pet Selection Chest
General Updates
The current cost of upgrading the set gear effect consecutively (lv.1 to lv.2 to lv.3) is higher than upgrading from (lv.1 to lv.3).
This update will change the cost imbalance. After the update, only Mayhem Horns will be required when upgrading to set level 2, as the gold cost has been removed.
We wish you luck as you work to defeat the challenges found within the Ivory Tower, and luck as you refine your Elixirs. We’ll see you in Arkesia.
2024 Roadmap Part 1
Heroes of Arkesia,
We’re excited to share the first part of the 2024 roadmap, which includes the major planned content pieces arriving in Arkesia in the first few months of 2024. Join Product Manager Andy Lin, Head of Editorial Henry Stelter, and Community Manager Roxanne Sabo for our team’s video update.
The roadmap content discussed are highlights we know players are eagerly awaiting, but the roadmap is not a comprehensive list of every change arriving in Arkesia over the next few months, and could change. As we approach each month, more details will be shared. There will be plenty of other quality of life (QoL) updates, balance tuning, adjustments to support new and returning players, and unique events. Stay tuned to our website and social channels for future release notes including the full list of new content, cosmetics, balance changes, events, bug-fixes, and more included in our major monthly updates. With that, let’s dive in.
The normal written roadmap can be found below.
January
Brelshaza Inferno
The most difficult version of Legion Raids, the Inferno difficulty is all about proving you’re among the best of the best in Arkesia, and earning the accompanying prestige. Rather than chasing the normal rewards of gear, materials, and everything else you’d receive in a Legion Raid, Inferno rewards instead showcase your victory with titles, achievements, Stronghold Structures, and more! The Inferno difficulty of Brelshaza will require Item Level 1560, and as a piece of equalized content, a full build set-up in the Book of Coordination.
February
Second Anniversary Celebration
To celebrate the anniversary in game, we’ll have a number of fun in-game anniversary events for players to enjoy, with rewards to match. Players can take part in celebrating Lost Ark’s 2nd Anniversary at the Arkesia Festival. Each week of the festival there will be a new co-op quest for players to participate in, keeping things fun and fresh as you earn tokens to trade in for valuable rewards. In addition to the Arkesia Festival, we’re still fleshing the full details of an additional event that will take players on a trip down memory lane and lead them to earn rewards by re-experiencing some of the most iconic pieces of Lost Ark content.
Valtan Extreme
Valtan will return, ready for vengeance from all the card runs in a new, challenging version of the raid. There are two versions of Valtan Extreme - Normal at item level 1580, and Hard at item level 1620. There are first-time-clear rewards that will be given upon clearing 2 Gates, along with rewards as you re-clear. Each roster can enter the raid once every 2 weeks, with gate progress bound to the character that cleared the 1st Gate.
March
Breaker Class
The new Breaker Class was just teased at LOA ON, but we’re super excited to bring it to the West in March. It’s a male version of the Scrapper, built around relentlessly bashing enemies. Breaker is a force to be reckoned with, using his Heavy Gauntlets, mobility, and combos to deal massive damage. The Breaker will arrive with progression events, including a Super Mokoko Express Event and Event Powerpass.
Light of Destiny - Story Quests
The Lost Ark’s location is getting closer to being revealed. Sacria is beginning to investigate the events that have occurred in Pleccia. As the situation grows more unpredictable, it will be up to you to face the chaos as you follow your path. The Light of Destiny update will reveal the location of the Lost Ark, which will actually bring us closer to the end of Story Chapter 1. It will be a story that answers some of the most important questions of the journey to find the Lost Ark after Voldis, and brings you to a new location.
Thaemine Prelude
Thirain, the King of Luterra, swore on Vanquisher that he will always protect the people of Luterra and Arkesia, as they have ever since the emergence of Chaos Gates. However, suspicious events are occurring in Luterra. Experience a new line of story quests that lead into the Thaemine Legion Raid. The prelude will require Item Level 1520.
April
Thaemine
After the events of the prelude, track Thaemine to his Dark fortress for a war between Light and Darkness. Thaemine is the most powerful of the Legion Commanders, he once conquered half of Petrania alone, long ago. After facing Kazeros, he accepted the role of the Legion Commander of Darkness. Now, the loyal knights imbued with Thaemine's dark blessings rush to Arkesia, leading demons from other Legions. Thaemine is an 8-player Legion Raid, with Normal Mode requiring Item Level 1610, and Hard Mode will require 1630. Normal has 3 Gates and Hard has 4 Gates. Players can get rewards every 2 weeks from Hard Gate 4. There is no special difficulty for Thaemine Raid.
Thaemine will be releasing at the difficulty it was originally released at in Korea, with a difficulty patch following after players have had a chance to attempt.
Transcendence Gear Progression System
Similar to Elixirs arriving later this week, Gear Transcendence is a new system in which players can reinforce and improve their gear’s basic effects by using ancient power sealed within ruins. This will manifest through increased damage and defense, with some special abilities for both DPS and Support playstyles. The crafting materials used in Transcendence can be acquired from the Thaemine Legion Raid. The Road to Thaemine progression event will also arrive in this update, helping players progress toward the raid and other endgame content.
Vescal Guardian Raid
Vescal is a new 1630 Guardian Raid that will release alongside Thaemine. Long ago, Vescal chose to be consumed by chaos, following the footsteps of Varkan. Vescal is a Chaos Guardian who hunts enemies by using sound waves. After returning to Arkesia by crossing over from another dimension, he is ready to find and hunt his prey, mercilessly. He needs to be stopped before his angry screech overwhelms Arkesia. Like other Guardians, you will be able to clear once a day for increased rewards.
We’re excited to witness players experience the unique events, explore new story quests, and prepare for the challenging experiences awaiting in the new raids over the coming months. In the meantime, stay tuned to our website, social channels, and the release notes for the full list of new content, store updates, events, bug-fixes, and more over the coming months.
Head over to YouTube to let us know your thoughts on the video component of the Roadmap, and if you’d like to see this type of content heading forward.
We’ll see you in Arkesia!
December Twitch Drop & Creator Spotlight
Heroes of Arkesia,
A Winter Chamkuri Mount Selection Drop accompanies the Voldis Wonderland Update, available for members of the Lost Ark Creator Program to enable on their channel. There are two Drops, each with their own watch time. Unlike tiered drops, watch time for each drop is earned simultaneously. Drop 1 - 2hrs - Amethyst Shard x1000 Drop 2 - 6hrs - Winter Chamkuri Selection Chest
Icy Chamkuri Mount
Rudolfie Chamkuri
Make sure to head over to Twitch and watch your favorite Lost Ark content creators to earn the drops before they end on January 9.
Creator Spotlight
Looking for creators to watch as you earn your Twitch Drops? The featured content creators are members of the Lost Ark Creator Program— learn more about them below!
Rayina
Twitch Channel Hi! My name is Rayina and I am a Lost Ark Streamer! Started this game when it came to NA almost 2 years ago now and made my community join me. We are still just as addicted as we were when we first started. Honestly, I owe this a lot to this game. I grew so much on Twitch, met many new friends, but I also ended up meeting my fiancé thanks to Lost Ark. I don't offer many educational tips about the game, but I do offer some laughs and a good time.
Baker
Twitch Channel Hi Guys, I'm Baker and I've streamed mainly Lost Ark for almost 2 years now. I play on the EU Region and do a lot of raids and projects like the “Fate Ember Research” or Gold Earning Challenge (Corpa Week) together with my amazing community. I've also been working closely with Amazon Games and new players as a "Mokoko Mentor" on the Jump-Start servers and welcome anyone in stream who has questions. I'm a Striker main but play way too many classes because I love a variety of playstyles and the uniqueness of every class. Come by if you want to enjoy chill vibes with us.
MycaPlays
Twitch Channel My name is Myca and I’ve been streaming Lost Ark since launch, almost 2 years now. I strive to create a positive and helpful streaming community that everyone feels welcome in. I love Lost Ark and am always pushing to defeat the newest content as it releases with my amazing community. I’m an Artist main and have always loved support/healer roles in MMOs and Lost Ark is no different! Feel free to drop by and ask me any questions you might have about the game or just to hang out!
Voldis Wonderland Release Notes
Heroes of Arkesia,
The Voldis Wonderland Update arrives in Arkesia tomorrow. Downtime will begin on December 13 at 1AM PT (9 AM UTC) and is expected to last 5 hours. With a new continent to explore, Guardian Raid, Holiday Event, and the start of Proving Grounds Season 4, the first of our December Updates has something for every player. Find the full list of content, events, skins, and other updates below! Henry is back with an episode of “Patchnotes with Henry” for any players looking for an express video explanation and visual showcase.
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!
Spotlight
New Continent - Voldis
Voldis is a new continent with an entrance Item Level of 1520 and above. The continent of Voldis is the land of sages and alchemy, with the magnificent city of Kalinar located at the mouth of Ketsla River. The city is always bustling with tourists seeking advice from the renowned sages. The city itself has a fantastic view and is full of cute Homunculi dashing to-and-fro as they run the citizens’ errands. Voldis is home to the Sages, who delve into many secrets regarding alchemy, the body, and the mind. They are well-respected for their vast knowledge and powers, and with the Chaos Guardians returning, their aid will be more than helpful in the upcoming war.
Outside of the city, much of the continent is full of giant trees – all part of the Great Rainforest. The Rainforest holds many mysteries, with powerful monsters lurking in the shadows. Players can get help from the Raiyas, the people of the Forest, to enter the Sage’s Tower and reach the end of the story.
To experience Voldis, players will need to reach Item Level 1520, complete the following pre-requisite quests: Pleccia World Quest "Twilight Hill", Voldis Prelude Quest "Shattered Sea's Cradle", and then receive quest "Kalinar, City of Sages" at Macaboa Port in Voldis. After the story has ended, players can complete their Adventurer’s Tome, as well as complete a brief set of epilogue quests. Notably, Voldis introduces a new Field Boss— Drakus, a 1610 Chaos Gate, and a 1610 Chaos Dungeon. Voldis will also include:
Voldis Guide Quest '[Guide] Guides: Voldis' added
Una's Task & Quests added for Voldis
5 New Rapport NPCs. Voldis Adventure quests can be accessed after completing Voldis World Quests. Prerequisite: 'A Historic Alliance' Adventure Quest completion.
4 Rapport Items added
Can exchange Voldis Rapport Item Chest from Voldis Rapport Exchange NPC 'Nada'
Reminder - Endgame Content Arrives on December 20. After a week of exploring Voldis, encountering the new threats of the Guardian Gargadeth, Field Boss Drakus, and more, the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon will release alongside Elixirs on December 20.
Gargadeth Guardian Raid
Gargadeth is a powerful Guardian who can control the weather and stormed onto the battlefields of the Chain War long ago. The thickening energy of chaos brought Gargadeth back from a long slumber. Possessed by the chaotic energy, Gargadeth now shows aggression towards all living beings— beware the fierce tempest summoned by Gargadeth. Once you get swept into the thunderous storm, you may not find your way back to reality.
Gargadeth is the second Purification I Guardian, and can be challenged by players at or above Item Level 1610 in the new Shadowed Swamp of Silence map. Players can earn honing materials, accessories, and have a chance to drop the Legendary Galewind Skill Rune can be obtained through Purification I Guardians (available to earn once per Roster). Gargadeth also brings 4 new achievements, a new title, the Gargadeth Card, and a new Card Book Set: Greed Without End.
Proving Grounds Season 4
Season 4 of Competitive Proving Grounds PvP arrives. Prove you’re one of the best warriors in Arkesia to earn season ranks, rewards, and prestige. In Season 4, MMR Values will undergo a soft reset at launch, and the requirements for different ranks has been adjusted. the new values are: Silver: 1100 - 1250 Gold: 1250 - 1400 Platinum: 1400 - 1550 Diamond: 1550 - 1800 Master: 1800+ & Rank 50 - 11 Grand Master: Rank 1 - 10 The end date for Season 4 has not yet been determined, and will continue for the foreseeable future. Good luck on the battlefield!
Events
The Event Guardian Raids will draw to end with this update. The Daily Playtime Rewards will continue for another month with this update.
Freja Island Event
A new seasonal event arrives. Have you been good this year? Find out as you traverse the Naughty and Nice Maze on Freja Island to earn rewards. You can enter every even hour (2PM, 4PM, etc.), and once per roster per day, or earn tokens from clearing Chaos Dungeons and Guardian Raids. Tokens from Freja Island can be spent at the event shop, which has a variety of valuable items and holiday-themed rewards that can be earned! Special event feast items will also be available during the event. Freja Island will last until the February Update, with new activities arriving in January.
Store Updates
Embrace the holiday spirit with two special, holiday inspired cosmetic collections. Find both showcased below!
Starry Galaxy Cosmetic Collection
Festive and Eve Cosmetic Collection
Royal Guard Ark Pass
The newest Ark Pass arrives and adds new ways for players to earn impactful rewards just by playing Lost Ark. Players can complete missions to progress through 30 Ark Pass levels, and with each level reached, new rewards will be unlocked and earned. The regular Ark Pass is completely free and grants a variety of helpful rewards, such honing material selection chests, battle items, rapport items, and even a Legendary Card Pack! Ark Pass progress is earned across your entire roster, and the rewards are roster bound.
While all players will have access to the free Ark Pass, those interested in more rewards and cosmetics can exchange Royal Crystals for two premium reward tracks (Premium & Super Premium) which each layer in additional rewards to the leveling track. The Premium Ark Pass adds rewards at all 30 levels earned alongside the free rewards. Examples include more honing material selection chests, battle items, rapport chests, and more! On top of the Regular & Premium rewards, the Super Premium Ark Pass weaves the Royal Guard cosmetic collection, Pheons, and a Legendary Card Pack throughout the Ark Pass.
The Premium and Super Premium tiers will be available in exchange for Royal Crystals until February 7, 2024 and players will be able to earn XP and rewards on all tracks until February 28, 2024. Find the cosmetics showcased below.
General Updates
Max-cap extended and rewards added for Mokoko Seeds, World Tree Leaves, Omnium Stars, Sea Bounties, and Ignea Tokens.
Ebony Cube 5th Forbiddance Added. Tickets can be earned in the 1610 Chaos Dungeon introduced with Voldis, or in the new Sage Entrance Ticket Chest available in exchange for Bloodstones.
With the release of Voldis, content that rewards Legendary Card Packs II will be replaced with Legendary Card Packs III. This includes: Endgame Content: Transmuted Reward Chest, Chaos Dungeons, Challenge Abyssal Dungeon, and Adventure Islands.
Awakening Skills will no longer require Awakening: Chaos Shards.
Awakening: Chaos Shard items will be removed from quests, powerpass rewards, the Codex, the General Merchant NPC.
The item name will change to Chaos Shard due to the changes of its usage.
Awakening: Chaos Shards purchased from an NPC within 102 days but not used yet will be auto-exchanged with silver. The shards obtained through event rewards or trade is not subject to this policy. For these shards, players can receive Silver by selling their items to the General Merchant NPC manually.
Added a Chaos Gate Matching Improvement which slightly shortens the time after matching for Chaos Gate entry.
Notable Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with Specialist face presets not displaying correctly.
December Update Announcement
Heroes of Arkesia,
We wanted to share our plans for releasing the massive amount of content that arrives alongside Voldis. This month, we will have two major updates, a week apart, on December 13 and 20.
The December 13 update will include Voldis, the Gargadeth Guardian Raid, a new seasonal event, Proving Grounds Season 4, and much more! Stay tuned to next week’s release notes for the full details. After a week of exploring Voldis, encountering the new threats of the Guardian Gargadeth, Field Boss Drakus, and more, the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon will release alongside Elixirs on December 20.
DECEMBER 13 - VOLDIS WONDERLAND
VOLDIS
Voldis is a new continent with an entrance Item Level of 1520 and above. The continent of Voldis is the land of sages and alchemy, with the magnificent city of Kalinar located at the mouth of Ketsla River. The city is always bustling with tourists seeking advice from the renowned sages. The city itself has a fantastic view and is full of cute Homunculi dashing to-and-fro as they run the citizens’ errands. Voldis is home to the Sages, who delve into many secrets regarding alchemy, the body, and the mind. They are well-respected for their vast knowledge and powers, and with the Chaos Guardians returning, their aid will be more than helpful in the upcoming war.
Outside of the city, much of the continent is full of giant trees – all part of the Great Rainforest. The Rainforest holds many mysteries, with powerful monsters lurking in the shadows. Players can get help from the Raiyas, the people of the Forest, to enter the Sage’s Tower and reach the end of the story. After the story has ended, players can complete their Adventurer’s Tome, as well as complete a brief set of epilogue quests.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT
Players can look forward to the Gargadeth Guardian Raid, Proving Grounds Season 4, a new seasonal event, and much more!
DECEMBER 20 - ENDGAME UPDATE
Learn about the Abyssal Dungeon and Elixir system below— and be on the lookout for more information and news as we head toward the December 20 endgame update.
IVORY TOWER ABYSSAL DUNGEON
The Ivory Tower is a new Abyssal Dungeon located in Voldis, which has 4 gates. The entrance Item Level is 1600 for the Normal difficulty and 1620 for Hard Mode. The rewards include Honing Materials (Refined Protection Stones, Refined Obliteration Stones, Radiant Honor Leapstones, Honor Shards), Gold, special hidden rewards, and the new Elixir system.
ELIXIRS
Elixirs are a new system which will drastically increase player’s combat abilities by imbuing their gear with new, powerful effects. Epic elixirs will be obtainable through the Normal mode of the Ivory Tower Abyssal Dungeon, while Legendary Elixirs can be earned via Hard mode. Once obtained, Elixirs need to be refined and imbued onto a player’s gear.
To refine an Elixir, players need to first get ‘Ductility Catalyst’ by paying gold and Chaos Stones. Catalysts are also acquirable through Wandering Merchant in Voldis.
The refining process requires both a certain amount of Gold and Catalysts. Players have a set amount of tries for each refining process, and players can use the advice from the three Sages of the Tower to pick the best outcome possible. Players will need to think carefully and use the advice well – it’s important to understand the logic of the system.
There are powerful Set bonuses to aim for when special conditions are met. The refining process is unlike any other experience in Lost Ark – it relies on a certain amount of luck, but it also requires the players to think carefully and logically to plan for the best outcome.
Once the Elixir is done refining, players can imbue the Elixir to their equipment to get bonus effects. There are various types of bonuses that Elixirs provide – categorized broadly into offensive, defensive, and utility. Players can choose a maximum of five abilities for each Elixir and refine two out of the five. There will be 10 abilities once refining is done – two for each equipment (as Elixirs are not applied to the weapon).
We look forward to sharing more information about the December Updates in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we’ll see you in Arkesia!
Team Update - Bringing Balance Updates to the West
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.
Souleater Tips & Tricks with ZealsAmbitions
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.
Full Moon Harvester
The most asked questions I get are about engravings and gear sets.
Engravings
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.
Gear Sets
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.
Skill and Combat Tips & Tricks
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:
Stygian Skills gain Possession Meter when the Stygian Skills deal damage to the target.
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.
Awakening Skills
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
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.
