If there's one thing people love the most about ARPGs like Lost Ark, it's the idea of finding a how to level up fast in Lost Ark, hit max level first, reach the endgame, and then start levelling up alts. When it comes to how to level up fast in Lost Ark, your mind will likely skip straight to the thought of bashing through thousands of demons in one fantastic farming spot. That's not how it's done around here. Not at launch, anyway.
To level up fast in Lost Ark, there's apparently one really easy method. It won't be the most fun, but it's absolutely necessary to the flow of the game - with your first character, at least. So if you're hoping to race all the way to level 50 and make a start on endgame content before everyone else, follow along.
Looking for more Lost Ark guides? If you're wanting early access, we've rounded up what makes each of the many Lost Ark Founder's Packs worth getting. And if you haven't decided on a class yet, we have a Lost Ark classes list and even a Lost Ark tier list worth looking over. You might want to consider the Lost Ark gender lock system before making a decision, though.
What's the Level Cap in Lost Ark?
At launch, the global Lost Ark level cap is set at 60. This is considered the hard cap, with the soft cap being level 50. It's considerably harder to level from 50 to 60, but each level throughout this range awards additional skill points, which will go a long way in augmenting the build you settle on at the soft cap.
There's also a Roster level cap of 250. Originally called "Expedition Level" in the closed beta and capped at 100, there are now many more levels (and rewards) to gain in this account-wide leveling system.
Lost Ark Leveling - What's the Fastest Way to Level in Lost Ark?
Whether you're playing Lost Ark for the story or not, we're here to confirm that it's worth running after those story quests. Right now, the fastest way to hit max level in Lost Ark is to religiously follow the story quests all the way to the end. With your first character, that is.
Don't get too upset already, though. The story isn't massive by any stretch of the imagination. Despite being a South Korean MMORPG, Lost Ark isn't that much of a grind at all. You're not required to kill every monster you see, complete every sidequest you come across, and toil away at story quests as well just to reach max level. In fact, that's the worst thing you could do.
- Check out: Our Lost Ark Cards and Lost Ark Mokoko Seeds guides to get collecting
To level up fast in Lost Ark, those who've put thousands of hours into the South Korean and Russian releases are adamant that foregoing virtually everything else in favour of completing the Lost Ark story quests is the best way to level up. Why? Because that way you unlock the proper endgame content as soon as you need it. By following the story quests, you'll level up fast in Lost Ark - in around 14 hours.
Story quests offer loads of experience points. Far more than sidequests and mindless grinding can offer in a similar timeframe. Look out for the orange quest markers until you hit level 37, then follow the light blue markers until you hit 50, clearing any particularly helpful sidequests only between these levels. Basically, just doing exactly what you're asked of by the game will ensure you level up fast in Lost Ark during your first run.
Lost Ark Leveling Tips
Here are some other worthwhile tips to consider when levelling up in Lost Ark
- Get a pet
- Whether through the shop, founder's packs, or an early quest, a pet will automatically grab any loot on the ground, saving you time.
- Explore the world at max level
- Rather than run dungeons non-stop at max level, go back and explore the various high-level islands. You can score some great items here.
- Use potions
- Dying will cost you precious time. Though consumables are best for high-end content, fixed-HP potions won't be much use when you level up. Use them early, but keep hold of percentage-based HP potions for later.
Getting some Lost Ark pets and ensuring you top yourself up with easy-to-obtain potions will help you level up fast in Lost Ark for sure, and a pet will vacuum up any loot dropped by monsters, saving you loads of time as you run around the world.
Once you do hit max level, some of the best loot you can find can be easily picked up by exploring the various islands that open up around the final few levels, so don't neglect them in favour of grinding for another single stat or two in harder content.
Why Should I Rush to Max Level in Lost Ark?
The general consensus with MMORPGs is that the game really opens up at max level. There's a reason there's a level up process at all, and that's because some of the more exciting content is ready and waiting for you at the end once you've unlocked all of your main abilities and have the capacity to forge your preferred character build.
- More tips: On our Lost Ark gear guide and Paladin build breakdown
In Lost Ark, hitting the level cap unlocks proper progression. That means the ability to grind toward great-looking and powerful gear, fun limited-time events, and massive group-based boss battles and raids. You're absolutely encouraged to take your time and enjoy the road to the Lost Ark level cap, but if you decide to b-line your way through and level up fast in Lost Ark, you'll get to experience some of the harder content while it's still fresh.
If you're a little daunted by the idea of tackling high-end content, however, you'll probably prefer to take things slow and let the rest of the playerbase learn the complicated stuff so that they're able to help you out once you catch up. It's an MMORPG at the end of the day, and the community is eventually going to be the major hook for this potentially massive new PC adventure.
What Does the Lost Ark Powerpass Do?
When you reach level 50 with your first character and complete the 'Ealyn’s Gift' quest from North Vern, you're granted a Powerpass. Used on the character selection screen, the Powerpass condenses the level 10-50 path for the character it's used on. It's used to quickly level your first alt, who'll go on a single new quest designed to streamline the road to level 50. You can read a lot more about them in our dedicated Lost Ark Powerpass guide.
And that's it for our Lost Ark leveling guide for now. If you're already deep in your journey across Arkesia, consider checking out a few of our other guides. We have a Lost Ark gold guide for currency, a Lost Ark Twitch drops primer to help you get the Lola pet, and a Lost Ark controller guide in case you just want to relax on the couch.