Like every online game – especially MMOs – Lost Ark is not without its problems. The game enjoyed a phenomenal Western launch, which saw its player base reach over 20 million, but it came with its own share of issues. Launch troubles like long queues and overpopulated servers are progressively getting better, but the game still suffers from a bot infestation despite banning "over a million" accounts. However, these are all issues that are part and parcel of running an MMO.
After reports by a number of players, Lost Ark has put out a statement asking that the Tytalos Guardian Raid be avoided for the time being, as it appears to have major balancing issues.
"We are aware of an issue within the Tytalos Guardian Raid that makes defeating Tytalos in the time frame alotted [sic] extremely difficult for the powerlevel required to participate in the Guardian Raid, creating a blocker for progression," said a post on the Lost Ark forum.
The post mentions that the devs will be working on a hotfix for the issue, which should be ready to roll out by Monday. Until then all players have been advised to avoid the Tytalos Guardian Raid so that they don't waste their time and resources on an encounter that's "currently not performing correctly."
However, if you did give the raid a go and fail, the devs are currently figuring out some form of compensation for your fruitless effort.
There are a number of reasons for Lost Ark's explosive popularity. The game was initially launched in Korea almost three years ahead of its launch in Western regions. While it eventually evolved into something very different from its original form, those three years built up a lot of anticipation.
However, another major reason was how well-polished the game was – amplified by the disappointment of a severely broken New World. In his review for Lost Ark, our MMO expert Harry Alston noted that "Lost Ark feels like a reward after so many hashed-out and rocky launches of new games. You know what you’re getting with Lost Ark, it’s an experience that has already been through the tests and tribulations of its first two years of content."