Lost Ark Launch Event Will See Streamers Racing To Unlock Twitch Drops

Lost Ark, the free-to-play Korean MMO from Smilegate that is finally coming to the West courtesy of Amazon, is kicking off the game's launch with a Twitch event that will let viewers score some free loot--should streamers be up to the task.

Called Legends of Lost Ark, the event will pit three teams of 20 streamers against one another as they race to complete various challenges that are worth a certain amount of points. At certain thresholds, each team will unlock Twitch drops that viewers can claim as in-game rewards. Viewers will need to have activated Twitch Drops for their Lost Ark account to claim the drops. The drops will be claimable from February 8 to February 28, and viewers can track each team's progress via a leaderboard.

There is one more catch to claim the rewards in that viewers must watch four hours of streams per Twitch drop they seek to claim. That means to claim all four of the rewards being offered--a currency filled Battle Item Chest, an Arkesia Paper Hat Chest, a Helgaia Pet Chest, and the Neugier Gold Mount-- viewers will need to watch at least 16 hours of qualifying streams. Streamers will also earn Bronze Founder's Packs, which include a three-day head set and an exclusive pet, by completing different objectives that they can then give away to their communities as well.

Legends of Lost Ark isn't the only way Amazon is celebrating the game's launch. A special set of programming called "Ark Week" will also be airing on Twitch, which will include new details on the game, special guests, and a concert from hip hop duo Run the Jewels. In addition, Amazon Prime subscribers can snag even more in-game items as part of this month's Prime Gaming offerings.

Lost Ark releases on Steam February 11, but those who purchase one of the game's Founder's Packs get a three-day head start, allowing them to start playing on February 8. Lost Ark will be the second MMO coming from Amazon in recent months, with the company also having published and developed New World.