Smilegate said on Thursday it has officially released the OST album 'Dear Friends' for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game Lost Ark through major music sites in South Korea and overseas. Singer Hyorin participated in the album.

The title track, also called 'Dear Friends', is available from noon on Thursday via major music platforms in South Korea and overseas, including Melon, Flo, Genie, Vibe, Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube Music.

'Dear Friends' first appeared in the episode 'The One Who Faced the End of the Abyss', which unfolds around the final showdown with Kazeros updated in December last year, and it represents the closing mark of Lost Ark's Part 1 journey. It captures the story of a signature Lost Ark character, Aman, delicately expressing tears shed in breaking free from a suppressed fate, earnest wishes and feelings of longing for a treasured friend, and heightens emotions with Hyorin's plaintive voice while adding a deep lingering impression to the song overall.

Ahead of the official release, Smilegate sequentially unveiled the original version, an English version and an instrumental version labeled 'Inst' through Lost Ark's official YouTube channel on Dec. 31 and on Jan. 7.

Smilegate plans to donate all proceeds generated through the 'Dear Friends' track to places in need of help.