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ArcheAge Chronicles confirms early access price, end of gender locking, and feature update plans
ArcheAge Chronicles will launch its early access period with a $30 buy-to-play price, requiring no subscription thereafter. The game will eventually remove gender locks from classes, add a third weapon option for each, and incorporate player feedback into future updates. Further details on additional regions, life-skilling content, and a development roadmap are expected soon.
ArchAge Chronicles summarizes its gameplay and confirms its early access monetization in new video
XLGames has released a new video digest for ArcheAge Chronicles, detailing its gameplay and monetization plans. The open-world action MMORPG will feature a box price at early access with no cosmetics, and a cash shop planned for full release that aims to avoid pay-to-win mechanics. The developer also confirmed a PvP-focused demo on October 19th.
MMO Week in Review: Welcome back to Atreia
This week's MMO news roundup covers the official launch of Aion 2 in the West, the early access release of Monsters & Memories, and upcoming expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest II. Lord of the Rings Online's Wolves of Mordor expansion is set for an October 21st release, while World of Warcraft Forever teases new classes. The article also touches on layoffs at Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax and discusses the current state of the MMORPG genre.
ArcheAge S Strait of Freedom discusses its sandboxy game loops, design choices, and monetization
XL Games provided details on ArcheAge S: Strait of Freedom, an upcoming MMORPG set to launch in the second quarter of next year. The game aims to refine the sandbox gameplay loops of the original ArcheAge, focusing on progression, combat, competition, and conflict, with features like personal housing instances and cross-server PvP. Monetization will include a membership, passes, and a cosmetics shop.
ArcheAge Chronicles responds to issues during the network test and confirms gender locking will remain
The executive producer of ArcheAge Chronicles addressed player feedback from the recent network test, acknowledging issues like black screens and griefing, which will be fixed before early access. However, the game will retain gender-locked classes, with the developer stating it will remain for early access and be considered for future development, disappointing players who provided feedback on the matter.
MMO Week in Review: Foreverrrrr
BlizzCon 2026 saw major announcements including a new open-world StarCraft shooter, Diablo V for 2029, and World of Warcraft Forever launching soon. The event also revealed World of Warcraft's next retail expansion, The Last Titan, and sparked controversy over World of Warcraft Forever's monetization. Other news included the sunsetting of Ship of Heroes, layoffs at Pantheon Rise of the Fallen, and business dealings involving ArcheAge.
XL Games sells off most of the ArcheAge property to Kakao Games-owned entity
XL Games has sold the majority of the ArcheAge intellectual property, including sequels and ArcheAge S development, to Kakao Games' Align Studio for approximately $30 million. XL Games will retain ownership of ArcheAge Chronicles and ArcheAge War, and the right to develop new games.
ArcheAge Chronicles takes you on a whirlwind tour of its fantasy world
ArcheAge Chronicles, set to launch on Steam Early Access later this year, has released a new video offering a tour of its world, Auroria. The video showcases questing, puzzle solving, trading, and combat systems, aiming to attract players to the MMO.
ArcheAge S Strait of Freedom plots a second quarter 2027 release window and gameplay preview this month
Kakao and XL Games have announced that ArcheAge S: Strait of Freedom is targeting a second quarter 2027 release window on Steam. A developer preview video showcasing new gameplay and discussing design philosophy is set to premiere later this month.
Kakao Q2 2026: ArcheAge Chronicles hits early access this year as Kakao centers MMOs and older gamers
Kakao has announced that ArcheAge Chronicles will launch in early access in Q4 of this year, with ArcheAge S and Chrono Odyssey slated for 2027. The company is refocusing on its core MMORPG competitiveness and is also researching games for players aged 50 and older, expecting tangible results by Q3 of next year.
Betawatch: Palworld goes full mobile MMORPG as Guild Wars 3 talks species
This week's Betawatch covers several upcoming and in-development MMORPGs, including a mobile-only version of Palworld called Palworld Online and Guild Wars 3 confirming playable species. Updates are also provided on games like Runescape Dragonwilds, ArcheAge S: Strait of Freedom, and various titles in testing phases, highlighting the ongoing development and testing cycles within the MMO genre.
XL Games announces new MMORPG ArcheAge S: Strait of Freedom scheduled to arrive in 2027
XL Games and Kakao have announced ArcheAge S: Strait of Freedom, a new PC-first MMORPG set to release in 2027. Project director Kim Kyung-tae, who worked on the original ArcheAge, is leading the development to modernize the classic series while preserving its identity.
ArcheAge Chronicles previews the Ranger, Warrior, and player housing in new dev blogs
XL Games has released new details on ArcheAge Chronicles, focusing on the Warrior and Ranger classes, as well as player housing. The Warrior class can wield longswords or greatswords, while the Ranger can choose between a hatchet or longbow. The game has experienced multiple delays.
Massively OP Podcast Episode 570: Card Wars 3
The Massively OP Podcast episode 570 covers various MMO industry news, including Guild Wars' card game, a potential ArcheAge revival, and Richard Garriott's interest in Ultima. Discussions also touch on World of Warcraft's upcoming patch, Dungeons and Dragons Online's new race, and EverQuest Legends pre-orders.
OG ArcheAge is coming back as ArcheAge Returns… but not for you
XL Games and Chuangtian Interactive Entertainment have announced ArcheAge Returns, a reboot of the original MMORPG for the Chinese market. The game will feature enhanced graphics and fixes for existing issues, with PC signups now open. Western players are left with rogue servers as there is no indication of a global release.
Massively OP Podcast Episode 567: One… billion… dollars!
The Massively OP Podcast episode 567 covers Star Citizen's crowdfunding milestone, the shutdown of Destiny 2 and Closers Online, a mobile client for Guild Wars, and subscription cost increases for The Lord of the Rings Online. The hosts also discuss upcoming expansions for Dungeons & Dragons Online and Throne and Liberty, and Camelot Unchained entering early access.
Extraction shooter The Cube, Save Us has announced it's shutting down just three weeks after it launched
The post-apocalyptic extraction shooter The Cube, Save Us, developed by XLGames, has announced it is shutting down just three weeks after its launch. The game peaked at 5,177 concurrent players on Steam on March 18 but quickly dropped to the hundreds, which is problematic for a free-to-play title.
Yet Another Live-Service Game Is Shutting Down Just Weeks After Launch
The live-service extraction shooter The Cube, Save Us will shut down on May 8, just weeks after its March 18 launch. Developer XL Games cited low player numbers and poor reception as likely reasons for the closure, with refunds being issued for all purchased items on Steam. This marks another failure in the increasingly crowded live-service market, with other titles like Concord, Highguard, and Hawked also facing server closures.
