An MMO game called Lost Ark has recently gained popularity on Twitch, but unfortunately, this news may not be reassuring for Lost Ark players. The game has risen to the top of the streaming platform for the first time since its release in the West earlier this year. However, the reason behind this surge in popularity is not due to new content in the Western version, but rather a content drop in the Korean version of the game.
English-speaking streamers who are currently dominating the Lost Ark category on Twitch have actually been playing the Korean version of the game instead of the Western version. They are participating in a race to be the first to complete the latest raid released in the Korean game.
The raid, called Thaemine, is known to be extremely difficult, and so far, no team has been able to beat it. This highlights the fact that the Western version of the game is being overshadowed by the frequent updates and content releases in the Korean version. This is not a good sign for the future of Lost Ark, as player numbers and viewership have already been declining since its release earlier this year.
Players have expressed frustration over the slow pace of updates in the Western version, which has struggled to catch up with the Korean version’s tight patch schedule. Even a year and a half after its release in the West, the game still lacks a significant amount of content compared to the original Korean version, especially when it comes to end-game content. As long as there continues to be a delay in releasing new content, hopes for a revival of the game will remain low.
Despite these concerns, Lost Ark did see a slight increase in the number of average active players in August, according to Steam Charts. The game’s recent update in September targeted new players with the launch of Jump-Start servers, which aimed to make progression faster for newcomers. This may have attracted some new players to the game. However, the player numbers are still far from the peak levels seen in 2022, with only around 26,000 average players in August compared to nearly 700,000 at launch.
In conclusion, while Lost Ark has temporarily gained popularity on Twitch due to streamers playing the Korean version of the game, concerns remain for the future of the Western version. The lack of timely updates and missing content compared to the original Korean version have disappointed players, and unless these issues are addressed, it is unlikely that the game will experience a significant revival.
Source: DOTESPORTS
