World of Warcraft
News, coverage and analysis tracking World of Warcraft across the outlets.
After 14 years, Guild Wars 3 is finally coming as "a modern evolution of the MMO" – and its beta opens…ArenaNet has officially announced Guild Wars 3, a modern evolution of the MMORPG genre, during Summer Game Fest. The game is set over a thousand years before the original Guild Wars and will feature deep character customization and skill-building gameplay. A beta is scheduled to open in the fall of 2027, with sign-ups available now.- Massively Overthinking: What’s the next best thing to your favorite MMORPG?The Massively OP staff discusses where players might migrate if their favorite MMORPGs were to shut down. Contributors share personal experiences of losing beloved games like City of Heroes and Star Wars Galaxies, and explore whether direct replacements are sought or if players move to different genres entirely. The consensus leans towards players finding games with familiar elements rather than exact replicas, or embracing a more transient gaming experience.
- Here are some of the Pride events happening across the MMORPG and multiplayer worldMultiple MMORPGs and multiplayer games are celebrating Pride Month with in-game events, cosmetic items, and charitable donations. Titles like Wizard101, Overwatch, Final Fantasy XIV, and World of Warcraft are offering special content and supporting LGBTQ+ organizations.
XBOX CEO wants XBOX to become the number one gaming company by 2030Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has set an ambitious goal for Microsoft's gaming division to become the number one gaming and entertainment company by 2030. Sharma emphasized that success will be measured by Xbox's overall industry position, not just profit margins, citing recent acquisitions like Activision Blizzard and ZeniMax Media as evidence of commitment. While acknowledging challenges, she believes continued investment in games, services, and major franchises will solidify Xbox's dominance.
Is Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal paying off? Xbox boss Asha Sharma says it's "hard to say how to think about those decisions"Xbox CEO Asha Sharma expressed uncertainty about whether Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is paying off, noting the deal occurred before the rise of AI and during a different strategic period for Xbox. While acknowledging the immense value of franchises like Call of Duty and Candy Crush, Sharma indicated it's difficult to evaluate the decision retrospectively, suggesting potential buyer's remorse despite continued investment in the acquired assets.
XBOX CEO Wants to Make It the “Number One Gaming and Entertainment Company” by 2030Xbox CEO Asha Sharma aims to make the company the leading gaming and entertainment entity by 2030, emphasizing industry leadership over profit margins. She highlighted significant investments in acquisitions like Activision Blizzard and Zenimax, and ongoing platform development as key to achieving this goal. Sharma also noted the substantial revenue generated by franchises such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, and World of Warcraft.- Some Assembly Required: Could MMORPGs benefit from computer ‘storytellers?’This article explores how computer-controlled storytellers, similar to those in Rimworld and Paralives, could enhance the player experience in MMORPGs. The author suggests that dynamic event systems and human Game Masters, as seen in Ultima Online, could break player routines and create more memorable gaming moments. While acknowledging the significant development effort, the potential for transforming stale MMOs is highlighted.
- Vague Patch Notes: Let’s talk about MMORPG balanceThis analysis delves into the critical concept of game balance, particularly within MMORPGs, emphasizing its necessity for a healthy and engaging player experience. It uses examples from games like chess, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy XI to illustrate how imbalances can negatively impact gameplay and player enjoyment, arguing that while achieving perfect balance is complex, its pursuit is essential for game design.
- World of Warcraft brings the Siege of Orgrimmar to Mists of Pandaria ClassicWorld of Warcraft is launching the Siege of Orgrimmar raid for its Mists of Pandaria Classic expansion. This update allows players to confront Garrosh Hellscream. The phase also includes the Timeless Isle, a new PvP season, and Proving Ground challenges.
Texturetown is a Frankenstein's MMO created by remixing Club Penguin, Pirates of the Caribbean Online and other dead MMOsTexturetown is an experimental MMO created by LA-based academic Aidan Strong, remixing assets from defunct children's MMOs like Club Penguin, Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Toontown, and Fusionfall. The game uses altered code, audio, text, and textures to evoke disjointed nostalgia for abandoned online spaces of the early 2000s.- Riot’s League of Legends MMO picks up former World of Warcraft lead designer Brian HolinkaBrian Holinka, former lead designer for World of Warcraft, has joined Riot Games as a principal game designer for their in-development League of Legends MMO. This follows Riot's recent hiring of other experienced MMORPG talent, indicating a strong focus on building a significant presence in the genre.
After a week of playing on nothing but Panther Lake laptops, it's safe to say that Intel has its gaming mojo backIntel's new Panther Lake mobile processors, specifically the Core Ultra Series 3, show significant promise for gaming on thin and light laptops. Despite past struggles, these chips, featuring integrated Arc B390 GPUs, deliver impressive frame rates in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Path of Exile 2 at 1080p, even performing comparably to discrete GPUs like the Nvidia RTX 4050. Performance remains consistent on battery power, and while ray tracing is not viable, features like XeSS offer a good balance of visual quality and performance.
Riot hires another World of Warcraft veteran to get its League of Legends MMO over the line as we approach 6 years since…Riot Games has hired former World of Warcraft veteran Brian Holinka as principal game designer for its upcoming League of Legends MMO. Holinka, who previously served as lead PvP designer and lead combat designer for World of Warcraft, joins other former Blizzard employees working on the project. Riot co-founder Marc Merrill recently reaffirmed the company's commitment to developing the MMO.
The League of Legends MMO adds another World of Warcraft vet to its teamRiot Games has hired Brian Holinka, former lead combat designer for World of Warcraft, as a principal game designer for its upcoming League of Legends MMO. This move follows the addition of other former Blizzard and World of Warcraft veterans to the development team, indicating continued progress on the long-in-development MMORPG.- TurtleWoW devs form Moonwhisper Games, announce plans to develop an original MMOThe developers behind the now-shuttered TurtleWoW rogue server have formed a new studio called Moonwhisper Games. The company plans to develop an original MMORPG with its own intellectual property, world, and story. Further details are expected as the studio lays its groundwork.
After being shut down by Blizzard, one of WoW's biggest private servers is saying screw it, we'll make our own…Following a shutdown by Blizzard Entertainment, the developers behind the World of Warcraft private server TurtleWoW have announced they are forming a new studio, Moonwhisper Games, to create their own MMO. The team cited their years of experience building and managing MMO experiences as preparation for this ambitious undertaking.- The Daily Grind: Do you want people to stare at your character while you’re AFK?This opinion piece discusses player preferences within MMORPGs, specifically questioning whether players desire their characters to be admired while AFK. It uses World of Warcraft's raid-centric design as a point of comparison for player motivations and endgame engagement.
The team behind Turtle WoW is starting fresh with a new MMO: "We know this is an enormous undertaking"The developers behind the defunct Turtle WoW private server have formed a new studio, Moonwhisper Games, to create an original MMORPG. Despite acknowledging the immense challenges of developing an MMO from scratch, the team aims to build a new world and IP, leveraging their years of experience managing communities and creating content for the genre.
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 novelThis 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 editionThe 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.