Last Updated:
May 19, 2022, brought another massive new update to Lost Ark, Destined for Destruction. And, as is sometimes the case with new game updates, it seems to have brought some bugs with it, too. One of the most infuriating is an issue with Honing, which might actually stop you participating in new South Vern Chaos Dungeon levels.
The three new Lost Ark Dungeon levels have been added as part of the new May update, but require at least Item Level 1415 to participate. As such, players who haven’t yet reached this Item Level will need to Hone. Therefore, if Honing is not working, you won’t be able to reach 1415, and won’t be able to enter the new Dungeons until you can. So, it’s somewhat understandable why players are quietly frustrated with this issue in particular.
What is the Lost Ark Honing bug?
The bug itself seems to be affecting players when trying to level any item past Level 15. Anything below that, and you’ll be able to upgrade your item as normal. While it at first appears you can progress through the Lost Ark Honing process, as you can see in the below video from Papi Salad on YouTube, the Honing won’t be successful, and you’ll see a “Honing Failed” message.
How to fix Lost Ark Honing bug
Unfortunately, there is no official fix at the moment, but it does seem Smilegate is working on the problem, as per the @PlayLostArk Tweet at the top of this article. However, it seems the bug is directly connected to Express Event characters, and you can still Hone on your Main/non-Express characters. If you are having trouble with Honing, try switching out your Character. This isn’t a fix for everyone, sadly, and if you are unable to switch characters, you’ll just be waiting for an official bug patch.
