Lost Ark fans around the world were expecting September to be a good month. A promised beta test was set to take place in the Summer and release was just months away, promised for Fall 2021.

However, things have taken a sudden turn for the worst. In a recent announcement, the Lost Ark team announced a delay of release, but on the bright side, we also heard news about a closed beta test. Let’s take a look at all the new information.

Lost Ark Release Date Delayed

The biggest (and most heart-breaking) news of the day was the delay of Lost Ark’s release date. The game is now set to release in “early 2022.” There isn’t a specific release date, although, a guess of early 2022 would be somewhere between January to March.

The reason for the delay comes simply due to there being a ton of work left to do. SmileGate also claim they “want to do it right”, which is at least a good sign that we are in for a solid version of the game, even if we have to wait. You can find the full statement below:

Please read this letter regarding Lost Ark's Closed Beta and Official Launch. pic.twitter.com/jSSnrrxk6w

— Lost Ark (@playlostark) September 1, 2021

Lost Ark Closed Beta Date Announced

On the bright side, a date for the Lost Ark beta has been announced. A closed beta will take place from 4-9 November, allowing players to test the game and provide additional feedback.

The developers have also announced other additional features, including official forums and an official Discord coming in October. This will be followed by extra support for beta testers and content creators in November, however, the details behind this are not yet clear.

Finally, the statement also ends by telling fans to “be on the lookout for information and details on what our team is up to behind the scenes.” This likely means we’ll also be seeing some more Lost Ark content while we wait for beta and release.