Lost Ark updates are something most big fans of Smilegate’s stunning MMO look forward to, and they always spark conversation. Players have feedback to share regarding patches, whether they bring new content or highly requested balance changes, and the game’s upcoming January patch is no exception as fans have waited to see it come to fruition for a while now. The developer now says the update is just about ready, and it’ll push the global edition of Lost Ark closer to its Korean counterpart.
It’s no secret that the Korean version of Lost Ark is far more advanced than the MMORPG‘s western release. Smilegate acknowledges this itself, even admitting that “catching up with the Korean build is challenging” following player requests for more western balance updates to further close the existing gap between the two editions. Korea received class-related balance changes in November of 2023 but global players didn’t.
The dev then stated that the well-received Korean updates would come to the West later, sometime in January, to ensure they’re “sufficiently optimized.” January has now rolled around, and Smilegate reveals that this huge patch is just about here. In a new announcement, the dev explains that western players will see “a ton of quality of life updates and balance changes” on Wednesday, January 10.
“The January update will include a new base build,” the dev further details, “which includes a variety of quality-of-life updates, along with the balance changes from Korea.” We’ll also see new content come to the MMO, including the grueling Inferno difficulty for the Brelshaza raid as well as an adventure island called Lai Lai Island which harbors fresh quests and rewards.
As for the future and how the devs are looking to bridge the Korean build with its western counterpart, Amazon Games says it’s currently working with Smilegate to explore “how we can make this happen outside of the base build system we currently use” as “players would like to see balance updates released more quickly in the West.” The wait time for equality between the two editions is uncertain, but we have patches such as this coming January update to tide us over.
While you wait for more changes or prepare to dive back into Lost Ark, you can browse through a few of our other favorite multiplayer games if you’re searching for something new to enjoy alongside good friends. Alternatively, you can look around at some of the most whimsical fantasy games out there right now if you love Lost Ark for its enchanting, unique setting.
Be sure to also follow us on Google News for more daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some sparkly bargains.