In the MMORPG Lost Ark , the hope of fans has been awakened. After the Microsoft press conference at E3 2019, players are telling themselves that soon the news might come that the MMORPG is making its way to Europe and North America. Because they are eagerly waiting for the European release. However, the chances seem to be slim.
This is the situation: The MMORPG Lost Ark has been a dream for many Western players for years, who long for an action MMORPG that bridges the gap between “classic MMORPG” and hack’n slash like Diablo 3 .
The game was actually released at the end of 2018 and was quite successful – but only in South Korea.
Lost Ark is indeed intended for a port to Europe and North America, aiming for the global market, but publisher Smilegate has not yet elaborated on how exactly they plan to bring the game to Europe and North America.
The Koreans do not have the right contacts in the West: An office in Berlin was opened but was closed shortly afterward.
This happened yesterday: At Microsoft’s press conference, “Phantasy Star Online 2” was unexpectedly announced as a port to North America. It had only been playable in Japan until now and fans had long given up hope for a port.
Then the Smilegate logo flashed. For a few seconds, fans hoped: “Are they really bringing two Asia MMORPGs to us?”
But Microsoft then presented Crossfire X, a shooter from Smilegate and not a port of Lost Ark.
Nevertheless, something has now happened.
This is what fans hope for: Some players of Lost Ark are currently eagerly grasping at every straw. They believe:
- Microsoft would now bring Lost Ark, as they have entered into a partnership with Smilegate
- However, they would not announce the port at the Xbox conference, as Lost Ark is only coming for PC
- Therefore, they expect the announcement either today during the “PC Gaming” conference of E3 2019 or at a later date
How likely is that really? The hope of the fans is understandable, but still very unlikely.
One can probably assume that Microsoft’s deal with Smilegate only pertains to Crossfire X.
If Microsoft really brought Lost Ark here in the West, it would be a huge deal. But at the moment, publishers like my.com, who are also managing the Russian version, seem to be more likely. However, this is protected from us Europeans by an IP block.
Update 20:51: At least at the PC Gaming conference of E3 2019 , Lost Ark did not appear.
