Lost Ark Expands Beta To More Countries -- And Quietly Confirms Loot Boxes
Beta not available in Belgium and Netherlands "due to local laws and regulations."
We've got good news for eager Lost Ark players looking to take part in the closed beta that kicks off later this week. The beta, previously announced for North America and central Europe, has been expanded to include an additional 34 countries throughout Latin America and Oceania, as well as Estonia -- though two prominent European nations will be left out.
In an update posted yesterday, publisher Amazon Games said that it "heard loud and clear that players in other regions were eager to venture into Arkesia." As such, it's collaborated with Smilegate to make the beta available to a wider audience. There won't be in-region servers for South America and Oceania, however, which might result in high ping for players in those regions.
Here's the complete list of countries that can participate in the beta: Aland Islands (Finland), Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Faroe Islands (Denmark), Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar (UK), Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guernsey (UK), Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man (UK), Italy, Jamaica, Jersey (UK), Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Svalbard & Jan Mayen (Norway), Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
If you live in Belgium or The Netherlands, however, you won't be able to play in the beta, due to what Amazon labeled as "local laws and regulations regarding random in-game items" -- in other words, due to those countries' strict restrictions regarding paid loot boxes. While we're told that the loot boxes in other countries' version of the game are strictly cosmetic in nature, it also feels a little disingenuous to label them as "in-game items," and it might also have been nice of Amazon to mention their existence in the business model post from last week.
The Lost Ark closed beta kicks off at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. UTC) on November 4 and ends at 9:00 a.m. on November 11. You can gain access by purchasing one of the game's founder's packs.
Related Articles
About the Author

Jason Winter is a veteran gaming journalist, he brings a wide range of experience to MMOBomb, including two years with Beckett Media where he served as the editor of the leading gaming magazine Massive Online Gamer. He has also written professionally for several gaming websites.
Read Next
Blizzard Announces World Of Warcraft Community Council And You Can Apply!
The council is part of an effort to obtain better feedback from players.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 year agoYou May Enjoy
Apex Legends Adds Third Studio To Help Develop The Shooter's Next "10-15 Years"
When a game rakes in billions, it's easy to see why you want to plan out another decade plus.
By Michael Byrne - 1 day agoDestiny Voice Actor Lance Reddick Passes Away At The Age Of 60
Reddick played Commander Zavala.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 4 days agoThere’s A Robocraft Sequel On Its Way And You Can Sign Up For Playtesting Now
Freejam announced Robocraft 2 on Reddit.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week agoEVE Online’s “Path To War” Content Update Expands On The Factional Warfare Campaign Story
There are even more ways to take part.
By QuintLyn Bowers - 1 week agoEx-Blizzard Veterans Reflect On "Difficulty" Leaving Company After Forming New Studio
"I still believe Blizzard can re-emerge as a haven for creatives with a positive culture for all employees."
By Matthew D'Onofrio - 5 days ago💣 Feature | Top 10 Best MMORPGs To Play Solo In 2023
Prefer to play alone? Here are some MMORPGs you should try!
By Troy Blackburn - 1 week ago
Discussion (0)