Lost Ark is already setting itself up to be one of the top MMO games of 2022, with thousands flocking to its servers using Founder's Packs to grab early access to the game before its official launch. First released by Smilegate in South Korea in 2019, the MMOARPG title is now launching worldwide.
MMO games are no strangers to the inclusion of pets, and Lost Ark is no exception. While a few launch changes were introduced to remove pay-to-win elements from pets, players will still find that having a furry companion will greatly improve their experience of Lost Ark.
Fortunately, if you missed out of the Founder's Pack pet, it's rather easy to pick one up in-game or via Twitch Drops. In this guide, we explain how to get a pet in Lost Ark and what pets can be used for.
How to get free pets in Lost Ark
There are a few ways of getting a pet in Lost Ark, and we have outlined how to go about each method below:
Lost Ark Free Pet Quest - 'Learning About Pets'
This is perhaps one of the easiest and most straight-forward ways of acquiring a pet in Lost Ark, as you can do it naturally as you progress with the game. After completing the game's prologue and eventually taking on the main storyline quest 'Demons in Prideholme', you'll unlock a guide quest called 'Learning About Pets'.
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As you may already have expected, this guide quest teaches you all about pets in Lost Ark while remaining relatively short. As a reward for taking on some learning, you'll be rewarded with the White Bunny pet, who is frankly adorable.
Limited Time Events
There will be various limited time events in-game and elsewhere that'll grant players the opportunity to unlock a new pet.
Between February 7, 12AM GMT/4PM PST and March 7, 8AM GMT/ 12AM PST, the Saphia Pet Selection will be part of an ongoing Twitch Drop that requires players to watch four hours of any participating Lost Ark streamers on Twitch. This will reward you with one random pet from the Chest.
This won't be the only event in which pets can be acquired, though, so keep your eyes peeled for in-game events in the Lost Ark calendar, as well as future Lost Ark Twitch Drops.
Lost Ark Store
The Lost Ark Store can be accessed from the game's main menu at any time, and players will be able to exchange their money for pets and other items, such as skins and mounts.
Should you not like your White Bunny pet or feel like waiting for an event, you can always pick up a new pet from the store. It's also worth noting that every Founder's Pack features a free cat companion, as well as other rewards.
click to enlargeHow to use pets in Lost Ark
Pets serve a few uses to players in Lost Ark, but some of their utility is only accessible to players with a Crystalline Aura. We've delved into the different purposes pets in Lost Ark serve here:
Auto-Looting
Using your pet to auto-loot is undoubtedly the biggest quality of life improvement a pet in Lost Ark can provide. Essentially, any loot dropped on the ground will be automatically picked up by your pet and placed into your inventory.
This eradicates the monotonous process of picking up all loot dropped my enemies manually, and players can even change what items their pet will pick up using the Pet Inventory. This is pretty handy for getting your pet to then skip low-level loot or items that aren't useful to you.
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Pet Effects
| First Options for Pet Effect | Second Options for Pet Effect |
|---|---|
| Max HP +5% | Endurance +10% |
| Magic Defense +10% | Expertise +10% |
| Magic Damage Reduction +5% | Swiftness +10% |
| Physical Defense +10% | Domination +10% |
| Physical Damage Reduction +5% | Specialisation +10% |
| - | Crit +10% |
Pet effects in Lost Ark provide a passive bonus for your character whenever they are summoned. Up to two effects can be active on a pet at a time, and their effects can be changed at a Pet Management NPC, which can be recognised by a dog icon on the in-game map.
When choosing effects for your pets, there are different pools of options for their first and second effect. You need to spend 120 Crystals to activate an effect, and it lasts for 30 days. The effects are:
Pet Functions
Having your pet available to auto-loot and provide passive bonuses is available at all times, but being able to use pet functions is only available to those in possession of a Crystalline Aura – a paid service. The Crystalline Aura can be purchased for 30 days at a time using Crystals, which can be earnt in-game or purchased with real money.
If you've got a Crystalline Aura subscription, then you'll find pet functions extremely useful in Lost Ark, and they'll certainly improve your quality of life. Pet functions typically will allow players access to town features on the go, such as their storage, market, and more.
That's all there is to pets and using them to aid with your adventure in Lost Ark. They also make pretty cute photo opportunities, too.
All Free Pets in Lost Ark
You can get three pets for free in Lost Ark:
- White Bunny
- Saphia
- Helgaia
The remaining 50+ pets come from the Lost Ark store, and for now, they all cost the same: 1,400 Crystals.
For more on the MMOARPG, check out our tier list of classes, and don't forget to grab the Powerpass or look into how to level up fast if you're planning on having multiple characters.