The new MMORPG Lost Ark was released in Korea in 2018. At its launch there, it was nicknamed Seagull Online, and the reason for this might also disturb European players: eternal queues.
Where does the quirky name come from? If you played the beta of Lost Ark, you might already have a guess. When you log into the new MMORPG, a ship welcomes you at sea, anchoring off an island.
This background is atmospherically complemented with sounds, and what could fit a harbor better than a seagull? The feathered creature is even visible in the picture if you look closely.
Every 30 seconds or so, the seagull screams loudly in the background, complementing the sound of the waves in the water.
However, the queues of Lost Ark were so long and so frequent that fans had to listen to a seagull screaming for hours while they were waiting to play.
In popular parlance, the game long carried the joking title “Seagull Online” since a small cult could soon form around the feathered screamer. After all, you need something to occupy yourself while waiting.
Why is this relevant? The topic came up in the Lost Ark subreddit, as many people are concerned about whether the launch in the West could turn into a similar debacle, and jokes about Seagull Online might return.
The thread about it has generated 376 upvotes and 111 comments in 13 hours. But how likely is it that a seagull will scream in our ears?
Long login wait times are part of MMORPGs like dungeons or raids. Most new titles have them; it’s just a question of how extreme they can get. Amazon, who also publish Lost Ark with us, recently had tough experiences with New World.
There, the queues lasted for hours and were fueled by the fact that people who logged in once hardly logged out again.
Will our launch be similar? It’s hard to say at this point. Amazon has already used the start of the beta of Lost Ark, where about 88,000 users were online simultaneously, to test the load.
There were queues here as well, but there was only one server. Moreover, these were relatively short at 3 to 15 minutes. Later during the beta, the queues completely dissolved as new servers were added.
In a blog post, Amazon confirmed that they already have more servers on hand for the launch, should the current ones not suffice (via playlostark.com).
The rush could also be alleviated by the two-part release. Pre-order customers can start playing from February 8th, while Free2Play fans can join starting February 11th.
Amazon has already taken precautions to ensure that the western launch does not become Seagull Online, but for now, we can only hope.
Humor and fear are spreading
What is the mood like? The thread is being hotly debated and offers a variety of perspectives. Many people reminisce about long wait times in games like Blade and Soul or World of Warcraft. They take this omen with a grin.
Again, other players are worried, especially after the launch of New World, that Lost Ark will have a similarly problematic start and are already annoyed by a situation that hasn’t even occurred yet.
Other players take it humorously and see no problem with queues at release. For some, it simply comes with the territory, and besides, there are worse problems to worry about. Among other things, Lost Ark’s naming policy comes under fire here.
What do the fans say? We would like to share some comments from the reddit here.
- User Kathygriffin writes: “I slept through a 75,000+ queue in WoW Classic when the server collapsed at launch. Sometimes it is just how it is. I hope they get a solid launch.”
- Also, InsertDisc11 agrees: “I think the launch on the 8th will run much smoother than on the 11th. But we will see.”
- RenRedd receives over 50 upvotes for his comment: “Not Seagull Online, but ‘YourNameIsAlreadyTaken Online,’ if they don’t change their naming policy at launch.”
- KingAmed is more concerned about names: “Oh man, I hope the €100 I spent means I get the name I want.”
What do you think about the situation? Do you chuckle at Seagull Online or do you fear it’s an omen for a rough start in Europe? Are you worried about queues at all, or is it the naming policy that bothers you? Feel free to let us know in the comments here on MeinMMO.
The endgame of Lost Ark offers many activities – These 3 are particularly worthwhile
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!