European release mmorpg Lost Ark has been postponed to 2022
The hack-and-slash mmo Lost Ark will no longer be released this fall in Europe and North America. According to developer Smilegate, it is taking more time than expected to process the feedback on the alpha version of the game. The release is now planned for early next year.
According to Smilegate, the developers were busy translating texts, fixing bugs and recording audio, but after analyzing feedback on the alpha version, they found that “a lot more work was needed” than they initially thought. “Players have been waiting for so long now, so we want to take the time to get it really right, while also considering the well-being of the hard-working Amazon Games and Smilegate teams.” The Lost Ark alpha focused according to the South Korean developer mainly on technical adjustments and making it suitable for the game for the western market. The game has been out for quite some time in Korea, Japan and Russia.
The game, which will be published by Amazon Games in Europe and North America, is now slated for release early next year. A closed beta will take place this year between November 4 and 9, Smilegate announced in the same message. Anyone who purchases the game’s Founder’s Pack will get access to that closed beta. In addition, players can register via the website for a chance to receive an invitation.
The hack-&-Slash-mmorpg Lost Ark, whose setting is often compared to Diablo, has now gone through a development period of eight years. The game already appeared in Korea, Japan and Russia in 2018, but until recently nothing concrete was known about a possible Western release. In June, Amazon Games announced that it would handle the release in the West, which would require text and voiceovers to be adapted by Smilegate.
Amazon Games was founded in 2012, but has suffered some setbacks. The development of Amazon’s own games is difficult, despite the fact that the company puts a lot of money into it every year. At the same time, Amazon Games is committed to publishing games from other development studios such as Smilegate. Lost Ark is a huge success in Korea, winning six awards at the Korea Game Awards 2019, including ‘Most Popular Game’.