Lost Ark is a South Korean MMORPG that is set to release in Europe and North America in 2022. A YouTuber shows in a video that Amazon is making significant visual adjustments to the game for the Western audience. The female characters have more modest clothing, and many characters are said to be darker than in the versions for South Korea and Russia. There are also missing cutscenes.
What are the changes shown in the video?
- The female player characters in character creation show significantly less skin in their standard selection than in the versions for Russia and South Korea.
- Some characters that have a light skin tone in the other versions have dark skin tone in the Western version.
- Additionally, certain cutscenes are said to be missing, which are unlocked when you build an intimate relationship with some NPCs.
What is it with the cutscenes? Lost Ark has an “Affinity” system. Over time, you can build relationships with certain characters. When you reach the highest level, you unlock a cutscene that shows the character in an intimate moment, as if you had a date with them.
According to the YouTuber, these scenes are missing in our version of Lost Ark or are heavily censored.
Amazon says: Original outfits still in the game
What does Amazon say about it? Amazon commented on the outfits a few days ago. In a statement, they said: “The original outfits have not been removed; however, they are no longer in the foreground, and additional options have been added for players.”
No statement has been made regarding the other two changes.
Missing cutscenes are being hotly debated
What is the reaction? Hardly anyone seems to have a problem with some characters being black now. However, it’s criticized that it’s a bit simplistic — it would have been better to adjust the facial features instead of just changing the skin color.
The sensitive point for some players is primarily that cutscenes and thus content have been cut from our version of the game. They wish for a clear statement from Amazon. Currently, there is still hope that the cutscenes are simply missing in the beta but will be added in the release.
The discussions about the change in the forum have already reached almost 200 comments. It shows that it is a sensitive topic that moves some people because they oppose any intervention in a game for “political reasons.”
Others say, however: They are not bothered by such visual changes at all, and they believe Amazon should rather adjust the game according to the wishes of the players.
If you want to inform yourself about Lost Ark:
Everything you need to know about the MMORPG Lost Ark – in 2 minutes
