Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark: Which One To Play?

As of 2022, it seems like day after day, new AAA titles are being released to the newest player base, and amongst these games fall Diablo immortal and Lost Ark, which are the hottest new games available. Both being released pretty close to each other, there has been a direct debate regarding Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark, which game is better, and how they compare. Here are the main points.

Key Highlights

• Both Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark end up having the same story-driven content, questlines, as well as grindy gameplay hours. 
• In both games, you can play an open-world game solo or with a friend. 
• The class system in Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark is pretty diverse, both of the games themselves offer a solid selection of classes, making it an immersive experience for the player. 
• There are 6 classes in Diablo Immortal and 5 classes in Lost Ark.
• Lost Ark is almost free-to-play and a friendly game. People tend to make it to the end-make without spending a penny. While Diablo Immortal will compel you to purchase items with real money to win the battles and make it to the end-game.
• Both of the games have a super-exciting storyline and story-driven quests.
• Based on players’ reviews, Lost Ark is preferred to be replayed while Diablo Immortal is just a one-time game.

Our guide will uncover basic and complex differences between them! For complete beginners in Lost Ark, check out our complete Lost Ark Wiki guide!

Genre Comparison 

Starting with the first comparison, Lost Ark is considered a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, or in short, MMORPG, with elements such as being an adventure, thriller, and action-based game being hidden into it. Players are to aim for survival, build their teams, and use different weapons and gears to defeat enemies. 

The game itself is pretty grindy. It will involve the Lost Ark players spending a few hours every day in the game to not only progress but also grind gear, leveling experience points, and upgrade their weapon and armor sets. This is all based on the class that you choose. 

As for Diablo Immortal, it ends up falling into the same category as it is an MMORPG, and it also has action and adventure-filled games. And while it is also fully advertised as free-to-play, that is far from the truth. Both Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark end up having the same story-driven content, questlines, as well as grindy gameplay hours. 

This is one of the biggest reasons why both ended up grossing high revenue and had solid reviews at launch, but the player base needed to play before giving a full and honest review. Make sure to check out our Diablo Immortal All Side Quests guide!

Playstyle Comparison 

For gameplay and playstyle comparisons, both games have their twists added into the game; however, they share the same aspect of having players in-game investing time and effort to level up and get from the early game. From the mid-game to the end-game, the grinding slows, but it doesn’t stop. 

The Diablo Immortal playstyle features an open world. Players can play both as a single-player when they are playing quests or doing bounties, which are essentially just daily commissions they need to complete to get experience points. 

Alongside that, they can co-op with other players, bring in their friends, and go into dungeons that feature bosses and mobs that have players in Diablo Immortal running around from one place to another, taking down the worst of bosses. 

Compared to the Lost Ark playstyle, it is similar to Diablo Immortal, as it also features the same classing system, weapon, and gear equipment, and players can co-op with their friends. Lost Ark players can also take on their friends in a friendly fight when they first reach level 20 to unlock PvP combat. 

Diablo Immortal also features PvP gameplay, through which the same form of fights. As for PvE, end-game bosses can be featured as well, and with the available classes, players can enjoy both melee-based gameplay and ranged characters. You might find our Diablo Immortal Tips and Tricks guide interesting!

Class System 

The class system in Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark is pretty diverse, both of the games themselves offering a solid selection of classes, making it an immersive experience for the player. The classes can range from melee DPSes to ranged weaponry and spell-casting, making it so that the players can fulfill their preferences. The Vitaath Boss is known to be a difficult boss in the game, therefore conquer it by following our Diablo Immortal Vitaath Boss guide!

For the class option, there are these 6 classes available: 

• Barbarian: The first class offered is the Barbarian, which are melee-based damage dealers that consistently use attacks that involve charging up to the enemy and piercing through them with brutal attacks to take them down. These hits will render the enemies useless. 
• Crusader: Next up, the Crusader class depends on their strong faith and are known to get rid of demons whenever they get the chance, and with a strong will in mind, they are determined to help their players achieve victory. 
• Demon Hunter: The Demon Hunter class is mostly focused on using range as their power, and they will stay at a safe distance and consistently obliterate any enemy in sight. 
• Monk: The Monks will be consistently dependent on their martial arts to take down foes, and they have extreme mobility and agility that offer them the chance to make them fear their opponents. 
• Necromancer: This class, in particular, is also pretty strong; they will almost always have strong control over “life and death” and clear out any enemy in sight. 
• Wizard: Wizards are simply ranged spell-casters who will use Arcane and magic power to stay at a distance and murder their enemies. 

The classes in Lost Ark, however, will range from 5 main class options as well as the standing sub-classes: 

• Warrior: The Lost Ark Warriors are known to be a heavy-hitting class. They can get up-close and personal with their foes and strike down destruction on them. However, due to their heavy damage output, they aren’t able to be as agile as some of the other classes on the battlefield. 
• Martial Artist: Compared to the Warrior class, the Martial Artists are known to be intensely agile, able to zoom across the arena at insane speeds and swiftly take their enemies down without letting them know of their moves. 
• Gunners: As the name suggests, Gunners in Lost Ark will use their heavy guns and arrows to obliterate their foes and take them down. 
• Mage: Looking for a brutal spell-caster? The mage class is the one for you! Essentially, mages are more focused on being supports rather than main DPSes in Lost Ark since they will provide healing and buffs to their party. 
• Assassin: Using the dark arts, the Assassin will continuously unleash deep attacks to render their enemies useless. 

P2W or F2P? 

There has been a massive debate amongst certain players bases, especially when Diablo Immortal was released. While both players have a beautiful storyline and lore aspects, providing excellent gameplay experiences, it isn’t a secret that there is a difference between pay-to-win and free-to-play players. 

In Lost Ark, it is very clear that there are microtransactions, such as purchasing loot boxes as well as being able to get certain packs and features that free-to-play players might not be able to. However, the game itself is pretty free-to-play friendly, with most players making it to the end-game without needing to spend a dime. 

While it may require a longer grinding and farming time, it makes the game a lot more enjoyable, and players in Lost Ark can boast that they are indeed free-to-play veterans. 

This certainly cannot be said the same for Diablo Immortal players, as the game is a clear pay-to-win game. This is why the debate between Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark has gotten so hated. 

With the number of microtransactions, loot boxes, customizations, gear, and advancements being locked behind a paywall, it is estimated that a player will need thousands of dollars to max out their characters per class, which makes the entire system seem a bit greedy. Don’t skip out on our Diablo Immortal Monk Build!

Story Comparison 

The storylines in both games are pretty interesting. For players that are obsessed with having story-driven quests and a proper lore aspect, then Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark both offer excellent backgrounds.

In Lost Ark, players will experience two worlds being created: Arkesia and Petrania. The peace and chaos are all powered by a god known as the “Ark,” divided into 7 gods. Arkesia is known to be a peaceful region, with the Arks’ help to derive peace and tranquility. 

However, Petrainia is pretty chaotic, with the Lord of the Abyss ruling them over to bring eternal darkness. There is a tough war, and the story subsequently continues, which can captivate Lost Ark players. 

On the other hand, players in Diablo Immortal will experience a world set in the “Sanctuary,” whereby they will start their quests in Wortham. They will have to gather the Shards of the Worldstone after going through the unruly Ashwold Cemetery, which is overrun by dead monsters and foes. 

The areas of Bilefen, Shassar Sea, and many others await the player, wanting them to have ultimate courage and obliterate any enemies that cross them and save their world. Our Diablo Immortal Wizard guide will showcase how to build the class for Wizard mains!

Loot System Comparison 

When it comes to loot systems in games, yet another major issue that players have raised is how the Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark handles their loot systems and how players can access certain items such as pieces of gear or weapons. 

The Diablo Immortal loot system is pretty, what’s the word, scattered and unorganized. While there are dungeons, bosses, and enemies scattered all around the world that players can farm as they please, these dungeons will be able to provide the players with gold, upgrade materials, and weapon enhancements as well gems. 

However, one main caveat that players are finding with the looting system in Diablo Immortal is that there are obvious loot boxes involved in the game. Players must spend money to gamble on loot boxes which might or might not guarantee them legendary loot. 

There are also, unfortunately, loot caps stopping players in Diablo Immortal from farming equipment and materials all the time. 

However, that does not mean that the looting system in Lost Ark is innocent either; it is also heavily reliant on RNG-based drops. But it has an advantage over Diablo Immortal because it does not require players to go into debt over the chance of gaining solid gear and weaponry. For those players who are looking into running as a Shadowhunter, why not read up on our Lost Ark Shadowhunter Build!

Replay Value 

When it comes to the actual replay value of games, the main reason, some people might even consider replaying it consists of a few factors. Some factors might include the immersion, graphics, story quests, how well the developers put effort into the game, how encaptivating it can be, etc. 

In the case of the Lost Ark and its replay value, many players are so captivated by its overall lore aspect and farming aspect that they are willing to reroll accounts and want to refresh their memory and relive the entire experience many times. Lost Ark is pretty free to play a friendly game, and that invites players to play it again and again. 

However, for Diablo Immortal players, unless it is to choose other classes, most players will want to only beat the game once and just let the chapter end. This is the case for pay-to-win players, as the developers have clarified that free-to-play players can not enjoy the game fully. If you are stuck on Lagoon Island, then take help from our Lost Ark Lagoon Island guide!

Personal Opinions

Last but not least, we would like to give our own two cents on the heated argument between Diablo Immortal vs Lost Ark. taking a look at the story aspect, overall gameplay, combat mechanics, class selection, and exploration, there are a few things to point out. 

Diablo Immortal, despite its drawbacks and being paid to win, the game still feels much more polished, and the lore aspect is amazing. The combat mechanics also feel pretty smooth, with skills customizable and mobility not an issue. 

That being said, Lost Ark still gets a major point for being so free-to-play friendly, and Diablo Immortal enthusiasts can only hope that the game inevitably becomes more F2P friendly. We will wrap up our comparisons; let us know what you think! Since it is a pain to farm gold in the open-world, our Lost Ark Gold Farming Guide is a must to check out!