July brings one of the biggest Lost Ark update yet. including the Arcanist Class, Honing Changes, and major shop additions!
The July “Spells in Spades” Update arrives July 20. Spells in Spades includes the Arcanist Advanced Class, the Inferno Difficulty of the Valtan Legion Raid, Challenge Abyssal Dungeons, a new summer event, summer cosmetics, and more! Find the full list of content, updates, and bug fixes below.
Spotlight
New Mage Advanced Class – Arcanist
The Arcanist imbues special cards with her Magick and uses them for a wide variety of effects. From slicing up enemies with a deluge of thrown cards to summoning powerful Magick attacks from the cards themselves, the Arcanist has a trick up her sleeve for every situation. The Arcanist will join the Bard and Sorceress as the third available Mage Advanced Class.
Our Thoughts
The Arcanist is a short-range DPS Class, but they can deal plenty of damage despite this range. They are fragile though, being a Mage subclass. Thankfully unlike the other mage subclasses, they have a fair bit of mobility they can make use of.
Valtan Legion Raid – Inferno Difficulty
The most difficult version of Legion Raids, the Inferno difficulty is all about proving you’re the among the best of the best in Arkesia, and earning the prestige accompanying that feat. Rather than chasing the normal rewards of gear, honing materials, and everything else you’d receive in a Legion Raid, Inferno rewards instead showcase your victory with titles, achievements, Stronghold structures, and more! A new in-game vendor will be added for players to access a variety of prestigious rewards, earned after various numbers of clears.
There are a few key differences between Normal/Hard and Inferno difficulties:
- ‘Scale of Balance’ is applied, and the raid requires use of the Book of Coordination, so everyone’s gear is normalized against the level of your Legion Commander opponent.
- The gate progression system will not be active – you can’t make it half-way and come back later in the week.
- Inferno mode will not count against your weekly attempt limit for Legion Raids, so you can play Valtan on Normal/Hard and Inferno in the same week, and try Inferno as many times as you’d like.
Valtan Inferno difficulty will require item level 1445 for players to participate.
Our Thoughts
Inferno difficulty is one of those things that you do solely for self-satisfaction and proof of mastery over the raid. The best thing you can earn out of this difficulty is the Icon Title, which is awarded for clearing Inferno completely deathless from the very start of Gate 1.
Maharaka Festival & Waterpop Arena
Enjoy pool-party pandemonium in a new time-limited Event! Hop in the Maharaka Paradise pool and compete on teams as you try to push the opposing team out of the arena by firing at them with a Water Pro water gun. As the game progresses, the arena gets smaller and smaller. Try and rack up points as quickly as possible to win. The event occurs every two hours, and players can earn Maharaka Leafs to exchange at an Event Vendor for a variety of valuable rewards. If you’re excited to further embrace the pool-party summer spirit, you’ll definitely want to checkout the Store Updates section below.
Our Thoughts
More events are always nice, here’s hoping they end up better than June’s events. These also come with the long-awaited summer skin lines, which at least means there’s something to enjoy for everyone.
Challenge Abyssal Dungeons
Similar to how Challenge Guardian Raids applies Scale of Harmony to equalize your power against your foe in Guardian Raids, Challenge Abyssal Dungeons will use this treatment on Abyssal Dungeons in a new weekly activity. With greater challenge also comes greater rewards. Various honing material selection pouches— like Challenge Guardians, you can pick the offering closest to your item level— will rotate through the rewards, and cards aplenty are available as drops or in the end-of-dungeon loot auction. You can play through each Abyssal Dungeon once (per roster) each week.
Our Thoughts
Another source of honing materials is always a nice thing to have, as well as another source of cards too. With it being equalized, it also makes these dungeons a fair bit challenging again for those already in Tier 3.
General Updates
New Progression Events
This update introduces two new progression events, a Punika Powerpass and a Hyper Express Event that helps accelerate a character from Item Level 1302 to 1370.
Players will receive a Punika Powerpass after completing Punika’s quest “Berver’s Friend” during the event period. To access this quest, players must first complete all Adventure Quests (marked by purple exclamation marks) on Punika to collect stamps and become a citizen. Once the final quest in this chain, “Honorary Punikan” has been completed, you can talk to Nia in Nia village to start “Berver’s Friend.”
If you’ve already finished the quest before the update, you’ll get the Powerpass when the event starts! The Punika Powerpass will function like the North Vern Powerpasses available to players in the launch version of Lost Ark— once you’ve completed the storyline through that continent, you can use it to bring an alternate character to that point in the game. With the Punika Powerpass, you’ll receive Item Level 1302 gear. This is an event Powerpass that expires on September 28.
Players will be able to designate one character between item Level 1302 and 1370 on their roster to participate in the Hyper Express Event, where they’ll earn honing materials, and level up quickly to Item Level 1370. The designated character will earn rewards upon reaching Item Level 1302, 1310, 1320, and every ten levels until Item Level 1370— which grants a particularly valuable reward.
We’re excited to see the new alternate characters roaming Arkesia as players experience different playstyles or quickly level up a brand new Arcanist. For newer players, we hope the new Mokoko challenges found below help them quickly level up and reach the additional events.
Our Thoughts
A free Punika Powerpass AND a Hyper Express Event, that’s an easy alt character for Raids right there. Between these two events, you can quickly jump to 1370, and start diving into Lost Ark’s Raiding content.
Mokoko Challenge
This update will replace the existing Welcome Challenge series of missions with the new Mokoko Challenge. Functioning similarly to the Welcome Challenge, the Mokoko Challenge layers in additional progression mechanics to help accelerate new players and characters through Tier 1 and 2.
- Mokoko Buff – Players that have a new account or haven’t played within the past 30 days and have no characters at item level 1370 or higher will receive the Mokoko Buff. Users with the Mokoko Buff will deal 20% more damage to monsters and take 40% less damage. After 90 days pass or a character in your Roster reaches item level 1370, you will no longer be considered a new adventurer and the buff will end.
- Mokoko Challenge Missions – Players that have the Mokoko Buff active can complete special missions to earn honing and other progression materials, helping them reach item level 1370. When the Mokoko Buff ends, the Mokoko Challenge missions will no longer be available, and unclaimed rewards for completed missions will be sent to Universal Storage.
Our Thoughts
This is great for new players, and also sounds designed in a way that prevents any bots from exploiting it as well, unless the existing Welcome Challenges. It sounds like it rewards a bunch of bound materials as well, perfect for new players. This should be positive overall change.
Growth Support Effect
This update also includes a new Growth Support Effect which will aid players in advancing their characters to item level 1370.
Tier 1 Growth Support
- 100% success rate when honing Tier 1 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Double level ups when honing Tier 1 gear at level 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
- Required honing XP reduced by 20% when honing Tier 1 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Honing breakthrough cost reduced by 100% when honing Tier 1 gear from level 1 to 15.
Tier 2 Growth Support
- 100% Success Rate when honing Tier 2 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Double level ups when honing Tier 2 gear at level 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
- Required honing XP reduced by 15% when honing Tier 2 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Honing breakthrough cost reduced by 100% when honing Tier 2 gear from level 1 to 15.
Tier 3 Growth Support
- Basic success rate increased by 20% (max. 20%) when honing Tier 3 item level 1302 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Required honing XP reduced by 30% when honing Tier 3 item level 1302 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Required honing breakthrough materials and cost reduced by 50% when honing Tier 3 item level 1302 gear from level 1 to 15.
- Tier 3 honing costs decreased (30% Gold decrease and 50% gear XP decrease).
- Increased honing success rate by 10%.
Our Thoughts
We’re finally getting Growth Support. That means a MUCH easier timing making alts and bringing them up to 1370 for raiding. If Honing has been the thing keeping you from playing, this is definitely a reason to reconsider.
General Updates & QoL
- Added a new daily log-in reward track.
- Added new preventions to deter gold sellers. Paid gold (purchased from the currency exchange) will have a 3-day withholding period. Gold that is under a withholding period will be called ‘withheld funds’. Gold without a withholding period will be called ‘available funds’. Withheld funds will be restricted in the following ways:
- Cannot send withheld funds through mail
- Cannot deduct from withheld funds when accepting billing mail
- Cannot use on 1:1 trades
- Cannot use in Auction House
- Cannot use in Marketplace
- Cannot use in Loot Auctions
- Added a Jukebox for Strongholds. Talk to the new Jukebox Exchange NPC in your Stronghold to start the “One Thing Missing” quest and learn how to use your Jukebox.
- Players can now change the background music while inside the Stronghold or near a Jukebox.
- Only 5 Jukebox items can be used at the same time.
- New soundtracks can be purchased from a variety of different NPCs like the new Jukebox Exchange NPC, various Wandering Merchants, vendors located outside different ports, and more.
- Most soundtracks require players to complete specific Achievements before they can be purchased.
- Please note that the song “Consolation” will be unavailable, and will be provided for the Jukebox in a future patch.
Our Thoughts
These are nice changes overall. Nice to see more steps being taken to prevent gold sellers from ruining the game’s economy. Still only one piece of the puzzle for them, but it may be enough to slow them down considerably.
Store Updates
The Spells in Spades Update includes new cosmetic collections to celebrate the Arcanist and summer Maharaka Event, new Growth Support Packs, Powerpasses, new bundles, and more! Enjoy summer in style.
Midsummer Night’s Dream Skins
Lover & Youth Skins
Armor Wagon Mount
Starfish Pet
Rohendel’s Destiny – Arcanist Exclusive Skin
Our Thoughts
All of these new skins look nice, though the Arcanist exclusive looks.. well the same as the other Mage subclass “exclusive” skins. It’s nice that the Arcanist has access to it, but it doesn’t look too different, if at all, from the existing exclusive skins for Mages.,
General Store Updates
- Added a new Weapon Growth Pack, and refreshed the two Growth Support Packs sold in the June Update. Growth Support packs will be purchasable once per roster, per month.
- Added a variety of new packs and items to celebrate the launch of the Arcanist:
- The Arcanist Level Complete Pack, which can only be purchased and opened by an Arcanist.
- The Rohendel’s Destiny Special Package, which includes Battle Items, Silver, and a Title to accompany the Rohendel’s Destiny skin set.
- Added the Arcanist’s Dawn skins.
- Added Powerpasses that can be purchased on the character select UI by pressing the “Powerpass” button. There are five passes available, each corresponding to a major continent.
- The passes start with North Vern, for 1100 Royal Crystals. Unlike the other passes, the North Vern pass can be acquired by a brand new player to start their adventure in North Vern at Item Level 302.
- The other 4 passes increase in price by 1100 Royal Crystals per continent; 2200 for a Rohendel Pass, 3300 for a Yorn pass, 4400 for a Feiton Pass, and 5500 for a Punika Pass. Pricing will automatically adjust based on completed content for a specific character; for example, if a character has completed through the Rohendel questline, a Punika Pass will instead cost 3300 Royal Crystals.
- Players will be able to purchase these Powerpasses even if they have not completed the in-game content on a previous character.
- These passes will be used immediately upon purchase, and is not eligible for a refund.
- Adjusted price and card quantities in the Special Card Package.
- Added Summer Dye Packs, a Battle Support Item Package, and a new Item Level Complete Crystal Pack for Tier 3.
Our Thoughts
Nice to see that Powerpasses are finally making their way to the store. The prices still seem a bit egregious, but considering they can be used to skip most of the game’s content instantly, they seem fair enough.
The other additions will depend on pricing, but most of them should be useful to some extent.
Notable Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue that caused only ‘Q’ to be shown in the QTE during Aira’s Oculus Dungeon when using a controller and the AZERTY keyboard layout.
- Fixed an issue that allowed players to open a Korean website while in a Co-Op Battle.
- Fixed an issue that caused the incorrect date format to be used for the PvP Rank header.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Sale Date in the auction house to reference UTC time in all regions.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Shadowhunter’s Piercing Thorn skill to select the wrong target if the Advancing Thorns Tripod was active while using a controller.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Sorceress’ Punishing Strike skill to select the wrong target if the Unavoidable Fate Tripod was active while using a controller.
- Fixed an issue that caused Future Millionaire Zenri’s appearance to be incorrect within the Stronghold Wardrobe menu.
- Fixed an issue that caused the raid commander chat highlight to appear empty when a raid leader used an emoticon.
- Fixed an issue that caused the texture quality setting to appear empty within the settings menu.
- Fixed an issue that blocked players from changing the eyebrow color when using specific face presets.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Gunlancer’s Leap Attack skill to select the wrong target if the Low Shock Tripod was active while using a controller.
- Fixed an issue that caused accessories with the same name to not equip properly when changing presets.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Berserker’s Red Dust skill to not play any audio when used while the Red Shock Tripod was active.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Paladin’s Sword of Justice skill to select the wrong target if the Way of Light Tripod was active while using a controller.
- Fixed an issue that caused Night Fox Yoho to be available in the Stronghold Dispatch Missions at item level 1355 instead of 1370.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Golden Bait Buff required for South Vern’s Adventurer’s Tome to disappear upon teleporting.
- Fixed an issue that made the “An Adventure with Cindy” quest impossible to complete because of an invisible NPC.
- Fixed an issue that caused debug text to appear in the Achievements menu in non-English languages.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Global Chat window to move when adjusting the opacity slider.
- Fixed an issue that caused the incorrect buff icon to appear when using the Master’s Tenacity engraving.
- Fixed an issue that caused the time shown in the Global Chat menu to be displayed in UTC.
- Fixed an issue that prevented players from entering the basement in the Underground Ossuary within the Werner’s Manor after exiting it.
- Fixed an issue that caused gear set conversion changes to not save in any given preset.
- Fixed various localization issues.
- Fixed an issue that caused /star command to not initiate the Star Dance emote.
Our Thoughts
Nice fixes overall, though the majority seem to be controller-related issues. Nice to see that there are less bugs present though
