Subscribe
Follow Us
It hasn't been long since the Wreck The Halls December update that introduced the Brelshaza raid and the Summoner class shipped, but Amazon Game Studios and Smilegate RPG already revealed what's in store for Lost Ark players for early 2023, which includes a collab event with The Witcher, the Artist Advanced Class, and Brelshaza Hard Mode.
More detailed changelogs including the full list of new content, cosmetics, balance changes, events, bug-fixes, and more, will be available as each monthly major update nears.
Lost Ark x The Witcher Event
The Lost Ark collaborates with The Witcher in January, and the Heroes of Arkesia can meet iconic characters from the game series by uncovering the mysteries behind a vortex that interrupts an island's festivities. Witcher-themed cosmetics will be available in the store, while new character customization scars, Cards, Stronghold structures, Emojis, and more can be earned by players who participate in the collab event. More specific details about these will be revealed as the event draws closer. We know that we will get cosmetics relating to Geralt, Ciri, Triss Merigold, Yennefer, and the bard Dandelion as revealed by the initial announcement. On Korean servers, the Lost Ark x Witcher event went live a couple of years ago, and you can watch the trailer for that here.
Quality of life updates will ship along with this event. Guild systems, guild PvP, and Una's Tasks are some of the areas that will receive improvements.
February – 1st Anniversary and Rowen Continent
Lost Ark will celebrate its one-year anniversary in the West, and special events are planned to commemorate the occasion.
Rowen Continent will also open up in February. It is a continent that is located east of Shushire, filled with Sylmael, the crimson jewels that are a precious resource in Arkesia. After a prosperous ancient civilization disappeared, Rowen was forgotten from Arkesia's history. However, when rumors about the abundant crimson jewels covering the land spread, factions coveting the jewels have begun mustering their forces in Rowen.
Item Level 1445 is the requirement to begin Rowen's world quest.
“Strange tensions linger between the factions, and the barbaric nomads assault those who have dared to set foot on their lands. Who will succeed, and who will perish in this war-torn land? Where does the fate of Rowen lie? At the end of the Rowen world quests, a faction can be chosen for open-world PvP. The neutral ground Eliyabeck has lost balance, and now the land is divided into two competing factions: Preigelli and Liebertane.
Preigeli was formed under the belief that the chaos in Rowen was due to its indulgences, and that strict rules are needed in Rowen. They were formed by a group of mercenaries who are good at utilizing machines.”Order defeats Chaos every time.”
Libertane was formed under the belief that the chaos in Rowen was due to overly strict rules and restrictions. This group of pirates and mages values freedom and passion.”We have a simple rule. Take as much as you can.”
You must choose a side and partake in the war over Rowen. Once a faction is selected, you will enter a PvP mode against the opposing faction. Ranks for the Factions are divided into 15 tiers and can be earned by participating in activities to get Faction XP, such as killing the opposing faction's members and participating in daily, weekly, and co-op quests. In February, the war between Preigelli and Liebertane will begin— but the competition heats up further in March, when the Tulubik Battlefield releases.”
March – Tulubik Battlefield
PvP enthusiasts rejoice: a new 48v48 RvR battlefield opens in March.
Article Continues Below
With bases to capture, special secondary objectives, not to mention dozens of players to fight on the other team, there’s no shortage of action in the Tulubik Battleground. Matches are held at specified times during the week. There are two types of matches that can occur:
Regular Match: consists of 48 players on each side.
Friend Match: Held when there are more than 40 players in waiting after the Regular Match’s opening time has ended.
Faction Rank 5 and Item Level 1490 is required to participate in the Tulubik Battlefield, and Faction XP can be earned by all those who answer their faction’s call to action.
Tulubik Battlefield aside, there will also be another huge batch of QoL updates in March. This includes balance changes, new events, and the third Arkpass. More details will be released about this update soon.
April – Artist Advanced Class, Brelshaza Hard, Hanumatan Guardian Raid
The Artist is capable of tactical versatility with illusion powers from her brush, and specializes in supporting her team. With her magical brush and flowing ink, the Artist can either choose to attack foes directly or summon holy beasts by painting them. While the Artist's attack power is on the low side, she is capable of providing strong support to allies, and rescuing them from peril with her illusion powers— making her a welcome member of any party. The Artist’s Class Identity is Moonfall & Sunrise. The Artist can fill the Harmony Meter by landing skills on foes, and when the Meter is full, she can create up to 3 Harmony Orbs. Harmony Orbs can be used to cast Moonfall and Sunrise. Moonfall can strengthen multiple party members immediately with the power of Stroke, and Sunrise, with the power of Paint, can create a Sun Marble which refills a single party member's HP. The Artist is the beginning of an entirely new class category; Specialists, who will have more than one appearance in 2023.
The Artist will not be changed gameplay-wise, but some skins will be modified to “better fit Western norms.” This includes skins with short skirts and short pant lengths. “While our goal is to preserve the authenticity of the original game, we also work with Smilegate RPG to make localization updates to ensure the game feels approachable and representative of our Western players,” said Amazon Game Studios. “We will be working to preserve the original spirit of the skins when applying these changes to ensure players will have a variety of compelling customization options for this uniquely versatile class.” This followed after the Lost Ark community speculated about the Artist's arrival onto Western servers after AWS said that they may modify some aspects.
Brelshaza makes a return in a more challenging version of the recently released Legion Raid. Hard Mode increases the difficulty and rewards, which will introduce the new Ancient gear and accessory quality. Brelshaza Hard will require Item Levels 1540, 1550, and 1560 for gates 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 respectively.
The Solar Guardian Hanumatan is hallowed in Anikka. The martial artists of Anikka followed Hanumatan's movements to develop a martial art. A powerful force of destruction in the Chain War 500 years ago, Hanumatan has sensed chaos looming in Arkesia and has woken from a long slumber. After spectating the state of the world with dispassionate eyes, he has come to a conclusion: Humans are the enemies endangering Arkesia. Hanumatan must be stopped, before his cold and furious wrath destroys every life form on Arkesia. Challenging Hanumatan in a Guardian Raid will require Item Level 1540, and like Brelshaza Hard Mode, Ancient accessories can be earned by successful parties.
Amazon Game Studios closed out with a message: “We’re excited to witness players experience the unique events, explore new parts of Arkesia, battle in new PvP gamemodes, and prepare for the challenging Brelshaza Hard Mode experience 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. Happy holidays and we’ll see you on Festivity Island in Arkesia!”
