Lost Ark – the upcoming MMO from Smilegate and Amazon Games – has been delayed to early 2022. The news arrives following its Closed Technical Alpha Test, with the team requiring more time to implement feedback than first anticipated.
Before its official launch next year, Lost Ark will hold a Closed Beta Test from November 4 to November 9, with Founder's Pack owners gaining access. You can also sign up on its official website for a chance to receive an invite without purchasing the $15 bundle.
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"Following the Technical Alpha, we have been working hard, translating walls of text, squashing bugs, spending long hours in the recording studio, and preparing the server infrastructure behind the scenes," the Lost Ark team announced. "While delving into all of 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.
"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 RPG teams. With that in mind, we’ve made the tough decision to push the launch of Lost Ark to early 2022."
Smilegate and Amazon Games said they'll do a better job communicating with the community in the future. Specifically, Lost Ark fans can look forward to "monthly updates to discuss the work [its] team is doing behind the scenes." To that end, October will mark the launch of its official forums and official Discord channel, with the hope of being "fully operational" by the time of the Closed Beta in November.
Lost Ark will launch as a free-to-play title, although a variety of bundles are currently available that will grant access to the Closed Beta along with a variety of in-game exclusives.
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