Developer Smilegate RPG has brought its successful MMO, Lost Ark, to the west after enjoying success in South Korea and Russia since 2019. While the hype surrounding the title has all but ensconced many in the MMO world, how much players can expect to pay to play is still a lingering question.
Lost Ark is entirely free-to-play, as the title currently stands, from the initial character creation to the end of available content. Players can not purchase items that grant them access to anything that free-to-play titles have, so players can enjoy all content without needing to drop money. Further, Lost Ark isn’t considered pay-to-win as buffs received from payment will not offer players advantages against those that play freely.
That being said, Lost Ark does offer both skins, mounts, and convenience items for money to help supplement server and development costs. The MMO is still a business, first, and the in-game shop reflects this. That being said, at no point yet has anything been introduced to the in-game cash shop that players will need to pick up to explore the content.
There is a quasi-subscription for Lost Ark, however, called the Crystalline Aura. The Crystalline Aura provides multiple buffs that will make your time in the world of Arkesia easier, although it is not necessary. The Crystalline Aura can be purchased either 30 days at a time, or 180 days. The access can not be subscribed to: players wanting the Crystalline Aura will need to purchase it manually from the in-game cash shop.
