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Lost Ark’s Belgaardin Raid Adds a Long-Parry Mechanic
Lost Ark’s Belgaardin update opens a two-phase Shadow Raid on the Kadarum Archipelago. Four difficulty options and a new hold-to-parry mechanic define the encounter.
A new raid leads the Belgaardin update
The Belgaardin update launched in Lost Ark on October 21, with the new Shadow Raid, Belgaardin, Hand of Death, serving as its main event. The adventure takes place across the Kadarum Archipelago, where a mysterious and ominous energy is spreading. That setting establishes the story surrounding the encounter, while its most notable gameplay details concern the raid’s structure, entry choices, and a new defensive interaction. Players are not limited to one standard version of the challenge.
The raid is divided into two phases and offers four difficulty modes. Together, those details establish an encounter built around progression through distinct stages rather than a single undifferentiated boss sequence. The available announcement does not list every attack in each phase or all differences among the four modes. The confirmed framework is therefore specific but limited: two phases, four difficulty choices, and separate equipment thresholds at the lower and upper ends of the available challenge.
Entry begins at item level 1750
Characters need an item level of at least 1750 to participate in the Belgaardin raid. The hardest challenges are designed for characters whose equipment has reached item level 1780 or higher. That spread makes checking current gear an essential first step before choosing among the four modes. The 1750 figure represents the baseline for access, while the 1780 threshold is explicitly associated with the most demanding version of the content.
Because the announcement does not assign an individual item-level requirement to every difficulty, it would be misleading to invent exact thresholds for the options in between. The safe reading is that access opens at 1750 and the upper challenge targets characters at 1780 or above. This distinction gives players a practical starting point for judging both basic eligibility and whether their current equipment is positioned for the raid’s most difficult tier.
Expedition mode provides a solo route
An expedition mode included with the update allows Belgaardin to be completed alone. Players who want to experience the new raid therefore have an option beyond entering solely as part of a group. The solo route broadens access for anyone who prefers to examine the encounter’s structure at an individual pace. The published details do not, however, define its reward setup or enumerate every difference between expedition mode and the other difficulty choices.
It is consequently more accurate to treat expedition mode as a confirmed alternative route into the content, without assuming unannounced reward parity or identical settings. Players should first account for the 1750 base requirement and then select the mode that fits their intended approach. The two-phase design supplies a complete encounter path for solo participation, while the wider set of four difficulties gives better-equipped characters room to pursue a more demanding version.
The long parry requires players to hold G
The raid’s standout addition is its long-parry mechanic. During certain attacks from Belgaardin, players can hold the G key to parry the boss’s blows. The crucial detail is that the input is described as a hold rather than a quick tap. Recognizing an applicable attack and maintaining the input for the parry therefore becomes one of the new encounter’s defining skills. It adds a deliberate defensive action to the two-phase fight instead of presenting every interaction as an instantaneous button press.
The announcement does not identify every attack that can be parried, so G should not be interpreted as a universal answer to everything the boss does. The mechanic applies during particular Belgaardin attacks. Before entering, players should confirm their item level, choose between the available group and expedition routes, and remember that the new interaction requires a sustained press. Belgaardin ultimately combines a two-phase structure, several accessibility and difficulty options, and an unusual defensive input within one new Shadow Raid.
Source: Steam News