Lost Ark, the sprawling MMORPG from Amazon Games, has faced considerable challenges. Many players feel that maintaining progress is akin to a second job without resorting to microtransactions. Issues like time-gated content, luck-based gear upgrades, and isolated server accounts have fostered a sense of dissatisfaction, leading to a “mixed” rating on Steam with only 67% positive English reviews. Despite this, developer Smilegate is determined to regain player trust by introducing a fresh roadmap of content for the remainder of the year.
The highlight of the remaining 2025 calendar is the highly anticipated Kazeros raid. This demanding endgame challenge begins with a prologue questline this month, culminating in Act 4, the Fortress of Destruction, in November. Designed for elite players, this eight-player, two-gate raid demands items at level 1,700 or higher (with 1,720 recommended for hard mode).
Conquering Kazeros is just the beginning; his true form awaits beyond the second gate, requiring even more specialized gear and tactical prowess. This culminating raid, Denouement: The Last Day, stands as Lost Ark’s most significant event of the year, with December dedicated to addressing remaining game issues.
Smilegate also has a wave of quality-of-life improvements slated for December, alongside the festive holiday cosmetics. Specific details on these QoL changes are yet to be revealed.
Players can also look forward to progression events designed to help newcomers and alternate characters catch up, another Mokoko bootcamp, and a series of daily activity updates. While this offers a wealth of content for the year, there’s a significant drawback.
Prior to the Kazeros raids, Smilegate plans to merge the NA East and NA West server regions. This merger, scheduled one week before the substantial October update, will cause considerable game downtime and may force players to change their usernames. If duplicate usernames exist across the merged regions, a tiebreaker system will determine who retains their name.
The tiebreaker prioritizes the player with the highest combat level on their roster. If levels are identical, the player who originally created the name will prevail. For those who lose the tiebreaker, it means creating a new in-game identity.
Additionally, Smilegate intends to free up names from inactive accounts later this year or early next.
To dive deeper into the full Lost Ark roadmap for 2025, further details are available. If these epic raids have sparked your interest in more magical adventures, explore our selection of fantastic fantasy games. And for an enhanced gaming experience, consider upgrading to one of the best gaming monitors. Are you still journeying through Arkesia, or have you stepped away from Lost Ark? Share your thoughts and join the discussion in our community.