World of Warcraft
News, coverage and analysis tracking World of Warcraft across the outlets.
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A toast to the wild west weirdos of the MMO goldrush—from the game that unleashed pandora's lootbox, to a deeply strange mess based off a 1996 science fiction novel
This article reflects on the unique and often strange MMOs from the genre's goldrush era between 2005-2015, highlighting games like Zhengtu Online, which pioneered lootboxes, and The Matrix Online, an ambitious early example of live service elements. It contrasts these experimental titles with the more risk-averse nature of modern game development, suggesting that such creative and peculiar games are unlikely to emerge today.
WRUP: 2027 anime adaptations that will cross over with various MMORPGs edition
The Massively OP staff and community share their weekend gaming plans, with a focus on MMORPGs and other titles. Players are looking forward to titles like Pokopia, Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and World of Warcraft, among others. The discussion also touches on personal anecdotes and a bonus question about pet photography.
You can win tickets to Diablo's Infernal Symphony, celebrating 30 years of Blizzard's ARPG
Blizzard Entertainment is celebrating 30 years of Diablo with a special concert event, 'Diablo: The Infernal Symphony,' in London. The event will feature music from across the entire Diablo franchise. This article announces a giveaway for two tickets to the concert, with the giveaway open to UK residents aged seven and older.
Storyboard: The tiers of unseen places in MMORPGs
This article analyzes the concept of 'unseen places' in MMORPGs, categorizing them into three tiers: known but unseen, known of but not known, and unknown and unseen. It argues that only the 'known but unseen' areas are suitable for robust roleplaying within the game's established lore, while the other categories risk venturing into fan fiction territory.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is 2026's top new release by revenue to date | Newzoo charts
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream topped Newzoo's revenue charts for new releases in 2026 and overall console revenue in April, attributed to Nintendo's install base. New titles like Pragmata and Windrose also saw strong debuts, though displacing established live-service games remains challenging.
Massively Overthinking: How much effort do you put into your MMO characters’ backstories?
The Massively OP staff discusses the varying levels of effort they put into creating backstories and personalities for their MMORPG characters. While some players craft elaborate narratives, others prefer simpler concepts or let personalities emerge organically through gameplay, with some games like Palia naturally encouraging more in-depth role-playing.
Vague Patch Notes: You cannot balance an MMO for fun
This article argues that 'fun' cannot be directly balanced in Massively Multiplayer Online games, as it is a subjective and vague concept. While numbers and rewards can be tweaked, true fun is personal and cannot be universally achieved through game design adjustments. The author uses examples from World of Warcraft and other MMOs to illustrate the complexities of balancing player enjoyment with game mechanics.
Perfect Ten: Video games that spun off from MMORPGs
This article highlights ten video games that originated as spin-offs from MMORPGs, exploring various genres and platforms. Examples include Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes, RuneScape Dragonwilds, and EVE Online's Gunjack, showcasing how established MMO IPs have been adapted into different gaming experiences.
World of Warcraft housing expert recreates The Burning Crusade's iconic login screen on their in-game PC
A World of Warcraft player has recreated the iconic login screen for The Burning Crusade expansion within the game's new player housing system. The detailed recreation features a miniature PC setup, including a monitor displaying the login screen, a tower, keyboard, and desk lamp, all crafted using in-game items.
Tomo: Endless Blue Launches on Kickstarter With First Gameplay Trailer
Indie studio Onibi has launched a Kickstarter campaign for their open-world voxel RPG, Tomo: Endless Blue, featuring procedurally generated worlds and offline gameplay. The game's first trailer, which showcases gameplay mechanics like creature capture, physics-based building, and real-time combat, has garnered significant attention. Backers can receive early access and exclusive rewards, with the game also featuring a robust creative mode and modding support.
'People want MMOs', says veteran designer Jack Emmert, it's the publishers chasing WoW-level scope that…
Veteran designer Jack Emmert believes players still want MMOs, citing the sales of New World as proof, but argues that publishers' pursuit of WoW-level scope and budget leads to failure. He suggests that a more focused vision and reasonable expectations are key to creating successful new MMOs, rather than trying to replicate existing giants.
The Daily Grind: Do you ship any NPCs in MMORPGs?
This article discusses the concept of 'shipping' NPCs in MMORPGs, where players develop romantic or close relationships between non-player characters. Games like Palia allow players to facilitate these relationships, while titles such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2 offer rich NPC narratives that lend themselves to player-driven shipping.
Star Citizen tops $1 billion crowdfunding milestone as "$5000 JPEG" spaceship you cannot use yet goes on sale
Cloud Imperium Games' Star Citizen has surpassed $1 billion in crowdfunding from over 6.5 million players since its 2012 announcement. The milestone coincides with the sale of a new $5000 spaceship concept, the Anvil Odin, which is not yet available in the game. Founder Chris Roberts highlighted the ambitious scope of the project, which he believes would not be possible under traditional publishers.
World of Warcraft was a "savior" for the creator of Journey, and "beautiful moments" between Horde and Alliance players inspired his own games
Jenova Chen, founder of thatgamecompany, revealed that moments of cooperation in World of Warcraft inspired the multiplayer design of his games, Journey and Sky: Children of the Light. He found solace in the MMO during a lonely period in the US, experiencing wordless interactions with other players that led him to create games fostering judgment-free connections.
World of Warcraft Midnight events have moved. Is Blizzard taking more time for its next patch after the 12.0.5 disaster?
The release of World of Warcraft patch 12.0.7, 'Revelations,' appears to be delayed as the Turbulent Timeways event schedule on the Public Test Realm has been pushed back. This follows a problematic launch for patch 12.0.5, leading to speculation that Blizzard Entertainment is taking more time to ensure the quality of the upcoming update. The delay raises questions about MMORPG patch cadences and the balance between frequent content updates and stable releases.
Kickstarter rolls back new mature content guidelines after week of backlash
Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has reverted its new, more restrictive adult content guidelines after facing significant backlash from creators and users. The company cited pressure from its payment processor, Stripe, as the reason for the initial change, which banned content like "implied sex acts" and specific adult content terms. Kickstarter COO Sean Leow stated the company aims to regain user trust and continue supporting bold creative work.
Diablo 2 players made nearly 2 million warlocks in a single month
Blizzard Entertainment's 26-year-old game Diablo 2 saw a surge in popularity following the addition of the warlock class in its first expansion in 25 years. Between February 11 and March 11, players created nearly 2 million warlocks and collectively played the expansion for over 93 million hours. Lead producer Matthew Cederquist noted the rapid player engagement with new builds and guides.
PC Gamer's MMO readers are, according to you, fashion-forward healers who like your keybinds, and I couldn't…
This article analyzes reader demographics for PC Gamer's MMO column, 'Terminally Online,' based on reader polls. The data suggests that the readership primarily consists of players who prefer playing healer roles, value in-game fashion as the 'true endgame,' and are generally patient with dungeon run pacing. A significant portion also holds nostalgic views towards classic tab-target MMO mechanics.
Cryptic’s Jack Emmert on hungry MMO fans and games that are ‘basically features, but without any soul’
Cryptic Studios' Jack Emmert believes the MMORPG genre still has a strong audience, citing games like New World and World of Warcraft. He argues that many new MMORPGs fail due to a lack of focused design, resulting in "features without any soul" and bloated budgets, which publishers often push for.
Popular Online Video Games Right Now (2026)
This article discusses the factors contributing to the enduring popularity of online video games in 2026, focusing on competitive balance, social interaction, and continuous updates. It categorizes popular genres like tactical shooters, battle royales, MMORPGs, MOBAs, and co-op sandbox games, offering advice on choosing a game that fits individual preferences and schedules. The piece also touches upon the potential downsides of live-service models, such as pressure from daily rewards and battle passes, and emphasizes the importance of responsible play and time management.
