We know that bots have been causing frustration within the community, and we share in that frustration. As we wage the war on bots infiltrating Arkesia, we’re continuing to try new methods. In this update, we’ve worked together with Smilegate RPG on new prevention measures.
To prevent bots from negatively impacting the player-driven economy, we’ve updated the list of economic and social systems restricted from accounts that haven’t achieved a trusted status in Lost Ark. Previously, untrusted accounts were prevented from accessing economic and social features such as initiating player-to-player trades and sending player mail. With the prevention updates, untrusted accounts will now be restricted from the Auction House, Market, and all player-to-player trading. We’ve banned millions of bot accounts over the past few months, and have additional ban waves planned to purge existing bot accounts.
The path to earn trusted status won’t change, and these updates will only affect newly created accounts after the update. Existing Lost Ark players will not be impacted. New adventurers arriving in Arkesia can earn their trusted status in multiple ways, and can choose the path that’s right for them. The first option is for new players to enable the Steam Guard mobile authenticator, and have a Steam profile that’s no longer a ‘Limited User’ account. This is an easy path that won’t require making any Lost Ark purchases. Alternatively, new players can also receive trusted status by making any purchase in Lost Ark through either Steam or Amazon. You can learn more about the Steam Guard mobile authenticator here, and learn about Steam’s trusted status here.
Two other updates are also included in this update to prevent bots from negatively impacting the player-driven economy:
As we continue our quest to rid Arkesia of bots, we understand it may affect new players who install after the update. We’re keeping a close eye out for feedback, so please continue to share your experiences with us on the forums. We appreciate your patience as we continue working to bring the best possible Lost Ark experience to our players.