Lost Ark is an immensely popular free-to-play MMORPG that has taken the gaming world by storm. With over 4.7 million peak concurrent players on Steam, it has quickly become the second most played game on the platform. However, while Lost Ark is available in North America, Europe, South America, and Oceania, South East Asia (SEA) players have been left wanting. According to Lost Ark‘s publisher Amazon Games, they currently do not have the rights to publish the game in SEA, leaving players in the region unable to officially access the game.
This has caused tremendous frustration for gamers in SEA looking to explore the lush continents of Arkesia. As highlighted by @Kolossus92 on Twitter: "Sounds like a poor decision – not maximizing your reach." With no official solution in sight, is there a way for SEA fans to enjoy Lost Ark?
The answer is yes! While Lost Ark restricts access based on region, players in SEA can circumvent this limitation using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). By routing your connection through another country, a VPN allows you to bypass region locks and play Lost Ark from anywhere in SEA.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through how to use a VPN to download, install, and play Lost Ark from any country in South East Asia.
Why Lost Ark Isn‘t Available in SEA
Lost Ark is published in the West by Amazon Games. However, according to their official Twitter account, Amazon only has publishing rights for four regions – North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania.
This restricts players in SEA from accessing the game on Steam normally. Any attempt to download Lost Ark from SEA will result in an error:
With Amazon currently unable to publish the game in SEA, the only way for players to access Lost Ark is to bypass region restrictions using a VPN.
Step 1: Install a VPN (Like ProtonVPN)
To bypass region locks, you‘ll need to install a VPN on your computer of phone. There are many options, but ProtonVPN is a good free choice.
Here are some benefits of using ProtonVPN:
- Completely free plan with unlimited data
- Fast servers optimized for streaming and gaming
- Allows P2P traffic which improves download speeds
- Easy to use apps for all devices
Head to ProtonVPN‘s website and download the app for your computer. Create a free account to get started. Make note of your login credentials.
Step 2: Connect to a US VPN Server
Once installed, open the ProtonVPN app and login. To access the US version of Lost Ark, you need to connect to a US-based VPN server.
Click the server selector and choose "US" from the region list. Select any server, like "US-Free #1". Click Connect.
This will route your internet traffic through a US server IP address, effectively tricking Steam into thinking you‘re located in the US!
Step 3: Purchase Lost Ark on Steam‘s Website
With your VPN active, head to Steam‘s website and search for "Lost Ark". Click "Play Game" on the Lost Ark store page.
Note: You need to use the browser version of Steam‘s website. The Steam desktop app does not work with VPNs.
A popup will ask if Steam is installed. If you already have Steam, click "Yes". If not, choose "No" and download Steam first.
Follow the on-screen prompts to purchase and install Lost Ark. As long as your VPN is connected, Lost Ark will download the US client.
Step 4: Launch and Play Lost Ark with the VPN
Once installed, Lost Ark will show up in your Steam library. To play the game, make sure your VPN is connected to a US server first.
Launch Lost Ark through your Steam library. As long as your VPN is active in the background, Lost Ark will launch and allow you to play on US servers.
Note that you have to stay connected to the VPN whenever you play. Lost Ark uses region-specific servers. Without a VPN routing you through the US, you‘ll get an error when launching the game.
The one downside is that playing on distant US servers results in high ping and latency for SEA players. You may experience lag during intense moments. Not having local SEA servers remains a disadvantage.
But with a simple VPN workaround, you can now enjoy Lost Ark from anywhere in South East Asia! Just be sure your VPN is connected before playing. Hopefully, as the game grows, Lost Ark will expand publishing rights to launch official SEA servers in the future.
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