Lost Ark Anniversary Update Takes Players To A Hot Spring (And A New Continent)

Lost Ark released in the West nearly one year ago, and Amazon Games is now delivering a massive update to celebrate the occasion.

As detailed in the latest patch notes, the free-to-play MMORPG’s one-year Anniversary Update will arrive on February 8 and usher in a new special event and an entire continent’s worth of new content. That new continent is Rowen, where players will step into a war between two barbarian tribes, the Preigelli and the Liebertane. Players will have to pick a side and wage war against those who have chosen the opposing faction. In March, the war between the two factions will intensify with the release of the Tulubik Battlefield, the game’s 96-player PvP mode.

If waging war against fellow players doesn’t sound appealing, a trip to a relaxing hot spring might be preferable. However, it’s maybe not quite as relaxing as it sounds. The anniversary hot springs event also tasks players with competing with one another. albeit in a far less deadly fashion. Rather than an all-out civil war, players are put on two teams and armed with massive, squeaky rubber duck hammers. Players will want to protect their teammate who gets the “duck toy” buff and escort them to the finish line, while also trying to prevent their opponents from doing the same.

Outside of the new Rowen content are some anniversary celebration surprises. Players can collect a set of anniversary celebration cards through participating in endgame content like Abyssal dungeons, Guardian raids, and the anniversary event, which can then be exchanged for various rewards including skins and upgrade materials. Simply logging in each day will earn players special login rewards. Dedicated players who logged in every day for the past year will receive an extra prize, a trophy Stronghold structure to memorialize their dedication.

Twitch drops will also be up for grabs. Watching select Lost Ark streams on the Amazon-owned streaming platform will grant players a special outfit, hat, and a generous helping of the game’s Amethyst Shards currency. Players will need to watch for a total of eight hours to claim the full set of drops.

It’s been a big year for Lost Ark, which broke Steam concurrent player records at launch and continues to be one of the most-played games on Steam over a year later. Amazon Games and Lost Ark developer Smilegate RPG have spent much of the last year adding new content in an effort to get the Western version of Lost Ark caught up with the Korean version (with Amazon at one point even admitting it was adding new content too quickly). The game’s next class, the Artist, will be released in March, a month earlier than previously announced. Lost Ark recently crossed over with the Witcher series for a special event that will be playable until February 22.