Lost Ark Devs React To Huge Launch And Server Issues As One Month Anniversary Approaches

ign.com:

Lost Ark enjoyed a historically strong launch when it was released in mid-February, exploding to the top of the charts on Steam, Twitch, and other platforms. It has since leveled off somewhat, but that doesn't make its initial surge any less impressive. As of this article, it's sitting at a cool 134k viewers on Twitch, topped only by Grand Theft Auto 5 and the newly-released Elden Ring.

Speaking via email, Amazon Games franchise leader Soomin Park spoke of the team's amazement at its reception, calling it a "labor of love."

"The development teams at both Amazon Games and Smilegate RPG are absolutely shocked and thrilled by the reception of Lost Ark since launching in the West," Park said. "To say the teams at both studios have been amazed by the response would be a huge understatement!"

Originally released in South Korea in 2019, Lost Ark has developed a strong following thanks to its attractive art, enjoyable combat, and large amount of content. In IGN's review of Lost Ark, we wrote, "Lost Ark takes a genuinely impressive stab at the isometric action RPG genre, and its integration into a perpetually online world is complementary rather than invasive. It's expansive and deep, capable of scratching the itch for a new Diablo-like action RPG that is filled with other players to meet and team up with."

When Lost Ark released in North America last month, it became the second-highest played game in Steam history with 1.3 million concurrent players in less than 24 hours, an achievement that Park says was "definitely unexpected."

The crush of players has forced Smilegate and Amazon Games to scramble to upgrade its server infrastructure, including adding an entirely new region. According to Park, the Europe Central region "continues