Lost Ark is an explosive top-down action MMO from developer Smilegate RPG, published by Amazon Games. This PC title is packed with features typically expected from an action MMO. Quests, challenges, trade skills, and dungeons are the gameplay elements players will tackle in this action-packed experience. While players are free to enjoy all aspects of the game, there are limitations to transferring characters between servers, and players should be aware. We’re here to answer whether a Lost Ark server transfer is possible.
Can you do a Lost Ark server transfer?
One of the major issues players in the community would like to have addressed is the lack of available server transfers for player characters. This demand is because many players experience lengthy queues when logging in to the game since their avatar is on an over-populated server. Another reason is the restriction on the player’s ability to play with different friends. Generally, you have to be on the same server to cooperate. Not all features are server-locked, and many gameplay elements (like dungeons and raids) are cross-server.
Why isn’t Lost Ark server transfer available?
At this time, server transfers are not an available service for players. Once a character spawns on a specific server, there isn’t an alternative if your server has population issues or if your friends rolled characters on a different server. According to Amazon Games, their investigation into the matter proved that allowing server transfers at this time wasn’t realistic. Currently, characters on Korean servers can transfer, but at the cost of server downtime, which is why it is not easy for western servers to allow transfers at this time. So while server transfers aren’t available in western regions, the fact that Korean servers can accommodate transfers at least gives hope that the transfers will eventually be available globally.
What is Amazon Games’ response to this issue?
Amazon also claims that it can’t effectively raise server caps, and generating new servers is quite complicated because of the number of complex systems involved. To fix server overcrowding, Amazon Games has created a new region, Europe West, to help take the load off existing servers. This region is estimated to host 20% of European players and has brought much-needed relief to server queues in adjacent areas.
Ultimately, the issues surrounding Amazon Games’ ability to offer server transfers stem from a rapidly expanding player base. Another obstacle is the resources used to host and support an increased number of servers. Simply put, Amazon Games cannot allocate more hardware to the game and the server demands. Statements from Amazon seem to indicate a desire on their end to fix this problem, but currently, there are no plans to follow through.
Will Lost Ark server transfer be available in the future?
At this time, everything we know about the future of server transfers in Lost Ark is purely speculative. We know that it is possible, as it happens in Korea, but at the cost of server downtime and other technological restrictions. This issue is at the top of many players’ wants and expectations of the game, so we can at least assume Amazon Games will try to address the problem later. Once server populations die off and downtime becomes more realistic, we can see server merges or transfers in the future.
What to look for when picking a Lost Ark server?
Because of the finality of picking a server in Lost Ark in its current state, players should consider the factors involved when selecting a server.
-Many servers have incredible population overcrowding problems, and because of this, there can be queue times upwards of 2 hours. Try to find a server with a stable population.
-While some activities are open to cross-server play, some features, like joining a guild, are locked to your local server. Communication is key when you coordinate with your friends so that you all end up on the same server together.
-Underpopulation is an issue too. Some servers are underpopulated, and core gameplay features that require a community are nearly impossible on these barren servers. Try to find a balance between an overcrowded and undercrowded server.
-Your choice of server is final, and there is no solid evidence that this will change in the future. Realize that when you pick a server, the only way off is to completely re-roll your character.
Conclusion
Lost Ark is an incredibly popular action MMO enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. Despite the popularity, hardware restrictions prevent publisher Amazon Games from offering server transfers to any region outside of Korea at this time. Because of this, players should keep up to date on the latest Lost Ark news and understand the consequences when creating a new character on a Lost Ark server. While we don’t have concrete information on the future of Lost Ark server transfer, we can at least take comfort in the evidence that server transfers are at least possible in Korean regions. Hopefully, someday, these transfers will be available on all servers, regardless of world region.