Lost Ark
Released Feb 2022
Embark on an odyssey for the Lost Ark in a vast, vibrant world: explore new lands, seek out lost treasures, and test yourself in thrilling action combat in this action-packed free-to-play RPG.
70% positive · 203K reviews
Not yet
Released, ongoing live service game
High confidence
Live Service
Not yet
Released, ongoing live service game
High confidence
Live Service
Where to get it
Free on Steam
Evaluation
Lost Ark is a free-to-play massively multiplayer action RPG that launched on February 11, 2022, and has been operating as a live service ever since. The game features rotating seasonal content (Paradise Seasons), Ark Passes, monetized subscription items (Crystalline Aura Plus), and a regular cadence of major content updates including new classes, raids, dungeons, and story chapters.
The most significant development as of this evaluation is a statement published on August 12, 2026 by Amazon Game Studios. The post announces that Amazon will end its Western service operations for Lost Ark in early 2027, at which point Smilegate RPG — the original developer — will take over publishing and live service responsibilities. Crucially, Amazon explicitly frames this as a positive transition: the game is not shutting down, and players can "continue their adventures in the world of Arkesia" under Smilegate's direct management.
Meanwhile, the game remains in full active operation. The August 12, 2026 update ("The Bitter Cold") shipped new raid content on the same day as the transition announcement, continuing the monthly update cadence that has been maintained throughout 2026. Prior major updates include The Summer Extremes (July 14, 2026), The Twilight Isle (June 9, 2026), The Shadows Rise (April 14, 2026), Ends of the Abyss (March 10, 2026), and Guardians' Rage (February 3, 2026). This reflects a consistent roughly monthly cadence of named content releases.
The DLC list includes subscription offerings and founder's packs consistent with the live service model. No content has been announced as a final or concluding update — the publisher transition itself is described as the beginning of a new chapter for the game, not an ending.
Evidence
Amazon Game Studios announces it will end its Western live service operations for Lost Ark in early 2027, handing the game back to developer Smilegate RPG. The post explicitly states the game will continue and players can keep playing under Smilegate's management.
August update 'The Bitter Cold' ships new Kazeros Raid: Act 2 Extreme content with multiple difficulty tiers, a new title, and store cosmetics — maintaining the monthly major update cadence.
Content
7 of 7 released · no outstanding content
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Amazon Game Studios
Achievements
156
Platform
Windows
Controller
partial support
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op · PvP
About this game
Embark on an odyssey for the Lost Ark in a vast, vibrant world: explore new lands, seek out lost treasures, and test yourself in thrilling action combat. Define your fighting style with your class and advanced class, and customize your skills, weapons, and gear to bring your might to bear as you fight against hordes of enemies, colossal bosses, and dark forces seeking the power of the Ark in this action-packed free-to-play RPG.
Discover a World Brimming with Adventure
Explore seven vast, varied continents and the seas between them to find vibrant cultures, strange and fantastical beasts, and all the unexpected marvels waiting to be discovered. Delve into the secrets of Arkesia, prove your might in battles and raids, compete against other players in PvP, travel to distant islands in search of hidden riches, face packs of enemies and colossal bosses in the open world, and more.
Your Odyssey Awaits
Splash into massively satisfying ARPG-style combat and progression as you quest, raid, and fight on the scope of an MMO. Whether you want to play solo, in groups with friends, or matched up with other adventurers in the world, there’s an epic adventure waiting for you. Fight in the open world or delve into chaos dungeons, go head-to-head in expert PvP duels, test your mettle on epic quests, raid against bosses big and small, and hold your own in the fight against the Demon Legion to reclaim the power and light of the Lost Ark.
Define Your Fight
Lost Ark offers easy-to-learn features with unexpected depth and room for customization. Hit the ground running with pick-up-and-play action then take control of your combat with the unique Tripod system. Unlock three tiers of customization for each of your abilities, giving you powerful control of exactly how you fight. Lost Ark’s ever-expanding roster of iconic classes—each with their own distinct advanced classes—offers plenty of room to explore until you find the combat style that’s just right for you.
The same goes for other features: as you continue your journey, you’ll find non-combat skills, crafting, guilds and social systems, and other rich features that bring the world alive. Whether you want to skim along the surface or dive deep into the details is up to you.
ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES:
Personalize your adventure with accessibility settings before game play. Enable numerous options including chat text enlargement, color blindness filters, photosensitivity mode, toggleable camera shake, and subtitle settings to create your optimal experience. Define your audio preferences with settings for volume controls, mono sound, stereo sound, and surround sound. You can also adjust game inputs via input remapping options and mouse/keyboard control settings. Lastly, define game inputs via input remapping options, and make sure no message is missed with chat text-to-speech and speech-to-text.
Discover a World Brimming with Adventure
Explore seven vast, varied continents and the seas between them to find vibrant cultures, strange and fantastical beasts, and all the unexpected marvels waiting to be discovered. Delve into the secrets of Arkesia, prove your might in battles and raids, compete against other players in PvP, travel to distant islands in search of hidden riches, face packs of enemies and colossal bosses in the open world, and more.
Your Odyssey Awaits
Splash into massively satisfying ARPG-style combat and progression as you quest, raid, and fight on the scope of an MMO. Whether you want to play solo, in groups with friends, or matched up with other adventurers in the world, there’s an epic adventure waiting for you. Fight in the open world or delve into chaos dungeons, go head-to-head in expert PvP duels, test your mettle on epic quests, raid against bosses big and small, and hold your own in the fight against the Demon Legion to reclaim the power and light of the Lost Ark.
Define Your Fight
Lost Ark offers easy-to-learn features with unexpected depth and room for customization. Hit the ground running with pick-up-and-play action then take control of your combat with the unique Tripod system. Unlock three tiers of customization for each of your abilities, giving you powerful control of exactly how you fight. Lost Ark’s ever-expanding roster of iconic classes—each with their own distinct advanced classes—offers plenty of room to explore until you find the combat style that’s just right for you.
The same goes for other features: as you continue your journey, you’ll find non-combat skills, crafting, guilds and social systems, and other rich features that bring the world alive. Whether you want to skim along the surface or dive deep into the details is up to you.
ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES:
Personalize your adventure with accessibility settings before game play. Enable numerous options including chat text enlargement, color blindness filters, photosensitivity mode, toggleable camera shake, and subtitle settings to create your optimal experience. Define your audio preferences with settings for volume controls, mono sound, stereo sound, and surround sound. You can also adjust game inputs via input remapping options and mouse/keyboard control settings. Lastly, define game inputs via input remapping options, and make sure no message is missed with chat text-to-speech and speech-to-text.
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Aug 19, 2026
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