The new MMORPG Lost Ark has received a Battle Pass with the big summer update in Korea. It is still unclear whether Amazon Games will adopt this system for our version, but it is conceivable. Therefore, we at MeinMMO took a look at the Pass.
What is a Battle Pass? The Battle Pass, also known as a season pass, is an increasingly common business model. It works quite simply: you can level up the pass by completing tasks in the game within a certain timeframe. This timeframe usually extends over several weeks or even months.
How does the Battle Pass work in Lost Ark? Here, too, you need to complete tasks to increase your progress in the Pass. Noteworthy rewards are available every five levels until your Pass reaches the maximum level of 30.
The tasks largely revolve around things you are already doing when you actively play the game, including:
- Complete a raid
- Do a dungeon
- Kill seven bosses
If you choose the free Pass, you essentially receive rewards for normal tasks. A good deal.
Lost Ark features a system in which the Battle Pass comes in three different versions. There is a free version, a premium version of the Pass for about 20 euros, and a super premium Pass for about 50 euros.
It is possible to upgrade the Pass with real money only at the end. So if you level up your Battle Pass to level 30 in the free version and then spend money, you will receive all the rewards from the premium or super premium version retrospectively.
In this stream clip from Saintone, you can see the new mount, which is also available in the free version of the Pass:
What’s in the Passes?
What’s in the Pass? To answer the most important question directly: No, the Pass is definitely not pay-to-win. We will reveal what exactly is included.
What’s included in the free version:
- One million silver
- The panther from the linked video, available in black or white
- A whole lot of upgrade materials
- A legendary card package
What’s included in the €20 premium Pass:
- Everything from the free Pass
- Even more (really much more) upgrade materials
- An item to increase your affinity with an NPC
- An exclusive pet
- A T3 jewel box
What’s included in the €50 super premium Pass:
- Everything from the premium Pass
- An exclusive background for character selection
- One more affinity item
- 500 blue crystals (one of the real money currencies)
- A purely visual outfit for your character
- An exclusive weapon skin
What does the community say about it? The community seems to receive the Pass positively overall. Especially the free and also the premium version are well received by players. However, in the summer update, there were some changes in the upgrade system. Now, you need a lot more materials, but less gold than before.
It is still unclear how much the upgrade materials in the premium Pass are actually worth. Nevertheless, the mood is generally good.
However, the super premium Pass is not as well received. It costs about twice as much and only offers purely cosmetic content. What might sound good here, as there are no gameplay advantages for more money, is not well received by Korean players.
There is great perplexity about why one should pay so much money for purely cosmetic content. There is a palpable desire for more content for the super premium variant.
- As the user Xibbas writes (via reddit): ” It looks like the free Pass also gets a lot of upgrade materials. The €20 more gives you even more materials […] the €50 Pass, on the other hand, only provides you with a limited costume and a background..”
What do you think of the Battle Passes? Which version would you buy? And how would you feel if a Battle Pass was also introduced here? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
If you are concerned about too much pay-to-win in Lost Ark, you might be interested in what Lost Ark says about the pay-to-win accusations.
