Lost Ark is shaping up to be a big dub for publisher Amazon Games. SteamDB showed that the massively multiplayer online game secured the number six spot for the most-played title despite it still being in early access, right below another popular Amazon IP, New World. A previous statement from developer Smilegate would indicate the chart-topping success of the game might come as a welcome surprise to all involved.
The cost of localization and lack of market can present a big issue for an East Asian MMO like Lost Ark. According to the game’s director Keum Kang Seon, 200,000 was the original concurrent player goal for its Western audience, but Lost Ark is now topping the concurrent player chart with over 500,000 people in-game as of February 8. “If we can hold 50,000 to 70,000 simultaneous players 3 months after the release, we’ll be successful,” he said during the Korean LOA ON WINTER festival which took place last December. “Korean MMORPGs just aren’t that popular there [in the West].”
As of right now, over 1.2 million people are tuning in to Twitch just to watch their favorite streamer enjoy the game. Asmongold, a popular World of Warcraft-turned-Final Fantasy XIV YouTuber, is streaming Lost Ark to a staggering 240,000 people, which might explain the current inflated interest in the game.
That being said, Lost Ark has been the second most popular title in South Korea for quite some time now, boasting over 10 million registered users. Lost Ark saw a 2019 release date in South Korea, and is now gearing up for a global release on February 11. For those interested in securing a running start, the game is available right now to all who purchase a Founder’s Pack.