Lost Ark is on a journey of redemption as Smilegate takes aim at progression

It’s no secret that Lost Ark isn’t where it used to be. The Diablo-adjacent MMO launched in 2022 with a staggering 1.3 million concurrent Steam players, but over that year, that number trailed off. In 2025, the player count sits at around 20,000, and while that’s respectable, it’s a far cry from launch. That could all be about to change, however, as Smilegate’s MMO has been slowly climbing back up after a recent major update. With some big changes to the core experience and multiple progression alterations to help players get reacquainted with the game, this could be Lost Ark’s moment.