Lost Ark‘s next major patch, fittingly titled “Under the Arkesian Sun,” is nearly here to cap off the summer season.

Now, Amazon Games has detailed what players can expect from the August patch, which focuses on pets this time around.

Below, fans can find out the release date for the “Under the Arkesian Sun” patch, as well as all the new features coming to Lost Ark.

According to the official Lost Ark blog post, the “Under the Arkesian Sun” patch will release on August 24, 2022.

Players can expect the update to drop after the weekly maintenance and reset which players can find in their specific timezone below:

This update brings with it the Pet Ranch as well as the introduction of Legendary Pets.

The Pet Ranch is a place where “Pets can play, grow into more helpful companions, and help you earn valuable rewards.”

Additionally, Pets can create “Jam Cookies” which can be exchanged for rewards and earn “Pet Expertise to level up and unlock new abilities.”

While Pets have always been useful in Lost Ark, it seems as though the Pet Ranch will expand Pet’s roles further than ever before.

The Pet Ranch is a new location in the Stronghold where players can train their Pets to become stronger and generate valuable resources.

The Pet Ranch will be separated into the Cookie Workshop and the Ranch.

It seems as though this facility will be heavily dependent on resources and time management.

For example, in the Ranch, Pets regain Morale; however, working in the Cookie Workshop will decrease a Pet’s morale.

A Pet without morale can no longer produce Jam Cookies, meaning players won’t be able to exchange them for items like Vitameows, Arcane Batteries, and other helpful Ranch items.

Additionally, the amount of Jam Cookies produced depends on the Pet’s grade, increasing as the Pet is upgraded from Rare to Epic to Legendary.

The full patch notes for Lost Ark’s “Under the Arkesian Sun” can be found below, detailing everything players need to know before setting up their Pet Ranch.

The August “Under the Arkesian Sun” Update arrives next week on August 24 after the weekly maintenance and reset, bringing with it the Pet Ranch and Legendary Pets. The Pet Ranch is a new location in the Stronghold where Pets can play, grow into more helpful companions, and help you earn valuable rewards. The cute and precious Pets aiding adventurers across Arkesia are ready to further help their worthy leaders by creating Jam Cookies and earning Pet Expertise to level up and unlock new abilities.

In the Pet Ranch, your Pets are training to become stronger while generating valuable resources. Pets earn Pet Expertise to level up, while producing Jam Cookies you can exchange for rewards. But Pets can’t continue to earn Expertise and produce Jam Cookies without some well-deserved breaks. To balance your Pet’s morale, the Pet Ranch is separated into two sections; the Cookie Workshop and the Ranch.

In the Ranch, Pets regain Morale while they relax and play with other Pets. Pets can either be placed in the Ranch or the Cookie Workshop as they regain morale or spend it while creating Jam cookies, but not both at the same time. Working in the Cookie Workshop will decrease a Pet’s morale, and a Pet without morale can no longer produce Jam Cookies.

Pets earn both Expertise and Jam Cookies simultaneously in the Cookie Workshop, and when the Pet’s Expertise reaches max it can be upgraded. You can unlock additional Cookie Workshop slots through Stronghold research to place more Pets and increase your output. The amount of Jam Cookies produced depends on the Pet’s grade, increasing as the Pet is upgraded from Rare to Epic to Legendary. Before we dive into the items and rewards you can exchange Jam Cookies for, let’s dive into why you want to earn Pet Expertise— upgrading your Pets to Legendary.

Pets can be upgraded to Legendary by reaching max Pet Expertise and spending Pet Growth Tokens, which can be earned by exchanging Jam Cookies. Once a Pet has been upgraded to Legendary, several features are unlocked. Legendary Pets are granted a (random) powerful skill, and at random intermittent intervals, one of 3 effects granted by the skill will be applied to you while in combat. There are 5 Pet Skills which can be randomly unlocked, or switched between:

A Pet Skill can be changed at a Pet Management NPC in exchange for 20 Crystals. You can select which skill you want, and it can be changed again whenever you’d like.

Legendary Pets can also have their appearance changed to match that of another unlocked Pet. Changing a Pet’s looks requires a Pet Customization Potion obtained from the Cookie Vendor, but it only needs to be used once per Pet. Afterwards, that Pet can have their appearance changed any number of times. Finally, obtaining a Legendary Pet unlocks access to purchase one more slot in the Pet Inventory for more storage space.

The Jam Cookie Vendor has a variety of unique rewards which can be exchanged for Jam Cookies. From pet-themed cosmetics to weekly rewards such as Card Packs and Phoenix Plumes to Pet Ranch specific items, there are plenty of valuable rewards to be earned. Some of the Pet Ranch items include:

There are four helpers in the Pet Ranch ready to assist you in managing the Pet Ranch:

To unlock the Pet Ranch, you’ll need to be Stronghold Level 15, unlocked the Stronghold Farm, the Cave, and have a Pet. When you’ve accomplished those, you can complete the quest “Yay, Pet Ranch!!”, given by Butler Adeline. If you haven’t been working on leveling up your Stronghold— now’s the time— as, after all, the exclusive Achatemeow Hoodie is a wardrobe staple and the latest in Arkesian fashion.

There you have it! That’s everything Lost Ark fans need to know about the “Under the Arkesian Sun” patch coming on August 24, 2022. For more on the game, be sure to check out our tier list for the best classes.