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MMO Week in Review: Lament for BioWare
Electronic Arts has officially shut down the legendary studio BioWare, laying off 400 employees in the process. This move has been met with significant criticism, highlighting concerns about venture capital and corporate practices in the gaming industry. Several other MMOs and studios also saw news this week, including updates on MapleStory Classic World, Chronicles of Elyria, and the closure of Zenith.
Game dev plans affected by Electronic Arts firings take clearer shape as fans and devs mourn BioWare’s end
Electronic Arts has laid off hundreds of employees and shut down the legendary BioWare studio, impacting various game development projects including The Sims and Star Wars titles. The decision has drawn strong criticism from former employees and industry figures, with many lamenting the loss of BioWare's legacy in RPGs like Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Star Wars: The Old Republic lead writer calls out BioWare for snubbing the MMO
Star Wars: The Old Republic lead writer Caitlin Sullivan Kelly expressed disappointment that BioWare's announcement of its closure did not mention the long-running MMO. While BioWare did not include SWTOR in its list of notable franchises, the article argues it was not a snub, as SWTOR is now a Broadsword game and the list focused on franchises rather than individual titles.
EA closes Mass Effect, Dragon Age creator BioWare after 30 years of game development
Electronic Arts has announced the closure of BioWare, the acclaimed studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age, after 30 years of development. The closure is accompanied by significant layoffs across EA, including 50 employees at BioWare working on a new Mass Effect title, which has now been canceled. This decision follows a recent acquisition of EA and a strategic review of the company's portfolio.
Star Wars: The Old Republic prepares to release inactive character names next month
Broadsword is releasing a large batch of inactive character names for Star Wars: The Old Republic next month as part of its 15th anniversary. Players will have an opportunity to claim these names, with a consumable item available in the store to assist. Accounts with active subscribers or characters logged in since January 1st will have their names protected.
Star Wars The Old Republic talks up its Masters of the Force and DirectX 12 updates
Broadsword provided an update on the upcoming Masters of the Force update for Star Wars: The Old Republic, detailing features like the Galaxy in Chaos storyline, Ryloth, new operations, and a level cap increase to 85. The studio also discussed progress on the game's move to DirectX 12, with the UI ported and further steps including shader updates and character customization. Phase five of the update is now available on the Public Test Server.
MMO Week in Review: Destiny 2’s revival, Aion 2’s stress test
This week's MMO news covers Destiny 2's revival with unvaulted content, Aion 2's stress test, and Ultima Online's 29th anniversary. Dune Awakening launched on consoles, Elder Scrolls Online discussed experimental features, and Microsoft continued layoffs. World of Warcraft Forever is impressing players, while other news includes The Division 2, Marathon, Warframe, and various other MMO updates and discussions.
Ultima Online marks 29 years of operation with a livestream and New Legacy Season 2 details
Ultima Online is celebrating 29 years of operation with a special anniversary stream and the announcement of New Legacy Season 2 details. The MMORPG will offer veteran players a gift for logging in, and the stream discussed upcoming additions like tutorial updates, a new Chivalry skill line, more heirlooms, and new items for Mages. The Reaping event is also live on Sakura and Legends shards.
Ultima Online New Legacy announces October 15 release date for Season 2
Ultima Online: New Legacy has announced that Season 2 will launch on October 15th. Key dates include September 28th for final transfers and October 1st for a soft launch, with a final wipe on October 13th. Broadsword also mentioned recent hotfixes for Publish 124, addressing issues with Summon Reaper particle effects and the Echoes of Mondain leaderboard.
Classic MMORPG Ultima Online just launched a brand-new festival event ahead of its 29th birthday
Broadsword has launched a new seasonal in-game event called Shardfall for the classic MMORPG Ultima Online, ahead of its 29th anniversary. The event involves players fighting Mondain's Echo, supplying cities with resources, and earning various rewards including new books and housing decor. This update also includes quality-of-life improvements and preparations for the upcoming Halloween event.
Star Wars The Old Republic characters bugged by Rishi will finally be rescued today
Broadsword is releasing an update for Star Wars The Old Republic today to fix a bug that caused players' seasonal progression to reset to level 1 after traveling to or from the Rishi planet or stronghold. The patch will restore impacted characters to their state before entering Rishi, reimburse spent Cartel Coins, and return lost items. Additional fixes include issues with Rass Ordo's droid abilities, Hidden Fortress respawns, quests, and armor glitches.
Star Wars: The Old Republic hopes to recapture the 'classic' experience with difficulty options and a new way…
Star Wars: The Old Republic is introducing update 8.0, which includes a raised level cap, new zones on Ryloth, and two new difficulty systems. The update aims to recapture a 'classic' experience with a difficulty slider and new 'venture' characters offering classic and expert modes with special rewards.
Star Wars The Old Republic formally reveals GU 8.0 and its new era, Masters of the Force
Broadsword has officially revealed Game Update 8.0 for Star Wars: The Old Republic, titled Masters of the Force. This update introduces a new era with the Galaxy in Chaos storyline, the world of Ryloth, new difficulty modes, Ventures, a 3-boss operation, an increased level cap, new abilities, and gearing updates. While a specific launch date is not yet set, the update will follow an extensive Public Test Server cycle.
Star Wars The Old Republic rolls out GU 7.9.1 today with Galactic Season 11 coming August 18
Broadsword has released Game Update 7.9.1 for Star Wars The Old Republic, titled Light and Shadow. While the update is live, Galactic Season 11, which includes returning rewards from Seasons 2 and 4 along with new customizations and items, will begin on August 18th. The patch also introduces a new accessories tab in the cash shop and prepares the game for the upcoming Feast of Prosperity event.
MMO Week in Review: I want to believe
This week's MMO news roundup covers updates and announcements for numerous titles including Stars Reach, EverQuest Legends, Elder Scrolls Online, and Final Fantasy XIV. Key stories include Stars Reach's official early access date, Elder Scrolls Online's post-layoff roadmap, and Guild Wars 3 revealing its composers. The article also touches on game development, business practices, and player sentiment across various MMORPGs.
SWTOR’s GU 8.0 has hit the PTS as Broadsword talks overworld difficulty toggles and the new operation
Broadsword has released Game Update 8.0 for Star Wars: The Old Republic to the Public Test Server, featuring the new Children of Nul operation, class balance passes, and quality-of-life improvements. A significant addition is the overworld difficulty toggle, allowing players to adjust combat challenge in non-multiplayer areas across Story, Veteran, and Master difficulties. The update also includes persistent stronghold decorations and new ventures.
MMO Week in Review: EverQuest rising
This week's MMO news roundup highlights the resurgence of the EverQuest franchise with EverQuest Legends entering paid beta and expansions teased for EverQuest and EverQuest II. Other major stories include the implosion of DreamWorld, potential layoffs at Blizzard and Bethesda, and Sony's shutdown of PS3 and PS Vita storefronts. The article also covers updates and news from various other MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online, Conan Exiles, and Valheim.
Antique MMORPG Ultima Online just released a brand-new summer event called Moonveil
The classic MMORPG Ultima Online has launched its new summer event, Moonveil, on July 1st. This marks the first year for the event, which involves a pilgrimage across Britannia with opportunities to earn exclusive rewards. The event is detailed in a developer newsletter and a video walkthrough.
‘We are now fully focused on developing content for 8.0,’ says SWTOR boss
Broadsword's Keith Kanneg announced that Star Wars The Old Republic is now fully focused on developing content for update 8.0, with the first Public Test Server phase planned for the coming weeks. This phase will include the first boss of a new Operation and level 85 for select classes. Galactic Season 10 will conclude at the end of July.
Ultima creator Richard Garriott now claims he could regain the series’ copyright by next year
Ultima creator Richard Garriott claims he may regain the copyright for the series from Electronic Arts by 2027, citing a 35-year rule in copyright law. While EA currently operates Ultima Online, Garriott expressed past frustrations with the company's handling of potential revivals. This news comes amidst EA filing new trademarks for the Ultima series.