MMORPG
Ongoing coverage on MMORPG.
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University of Silicon Valley is offering gaming scholarships
The University of Silicon Valley is introducing new gaming scholarships, offering up to $15,000 annually to prospective students. These scholarships, divided into 'Legendary' and 'Mastery' tiers, recognize transferable skills like discipline and problem-solving developed through gaming achievements in titles such as Runescape, Dark Souls, and Beat Saber. The program aims to acknowledge completionists and has a history of supporting esports.
Will boss arrives July 23 as MapleStory N wraps its Hyper Summer season
MapleStory N's third Hyper Summer update, launching July 23, will introduce the Will boss and Cursed Spellbook equipment. This update concludes a season that added new classes, lands, and raised the level cap to 275. Some gear drops can be converted into NFTs and sold on the MapleStory Universe Marketplace, utilizing NESO and NXPC tokens on the Avalanche blockchain.
The Stream Team: The opening of Amityvale’s graveyard in AdventureQuest 3D
AdventureQuest 3D's Amityvale is expanding with the opening of its graveyard, which is already causing trouble with undead inhabitants. Massively OP's MJ will be exploring the new area and attempting to resolve the town's issues in a live stream.
Star Atlas Rolls Out SAGE C4 Phase Two With Combat V2 and the Nemesis Engine
Star Atlas has launched Phase Two of its SAGE C4 play-test realm, introducing significant gameplay updates including Combat V2, new NPC mechanics powered by the Nemesis Engine, and regional governance features. This phase emphasizes player progression through a sped-up Council Rank system and zXP tracking, with the goal of rigorous community testing before the official launch.
Final Fantasy XIV previews more of the North Horn and more Hildibrand ahead of patch 7.55
Final Fantasy XIV is preparing to release patch 7.55, which will include new content for the North Horn of the Occult Crescent and Phantom Weapon upgrades. This patch will also conclude the Dawntrail edition of the Hildibrand adventures.
MapleStory Classic World opens sign-ups to August’s test, including MacOS support
Nexon has opened registration for the second closed beta test of MapleStory Classic World, a legacy version of the MMORPG, running from August 4th to 12th. The test will include new features like 3rd Job Advancement, controller support, and MacOS compatibility, with sign-ups closing on July 29th. The article also briefly touches on recent balance discussions for the retail version of MapleStory.
Camelot Unchained deploys early access update 0.45 with a new quest log and UI tweaks
Camelot Unchained has released early access update 0.45, introducing a new quest log with tracking features, UI and map enhancements, and improved portal utility. The update also includes class balance adjustments, new sound and visual effects, and performance improvements to the party and warband UI. While the game's overall Steam score remains negative, recent reviews have shifted to mixed.
Echoes of Aincrad Review – An SAO opportunity not taken
Echoes of Aincrad attempts to capture the essence of Sword Art Online by focusing on player choice within the virtual world of Aincrad, but ultimately fails to deliver a meaningful experience. Despite opportunities for avatar and build customization, the game suffers from sluggish pacing, repetitive objectives, and mechanical friction, making its core premise an opportunity not taken. The review notes that while the atmosphere and lighting are pleasant, these positives are overshadowed by significant design flaws.
PlayStation Store Surprise Drops Intriguing PS5 RPG for Free
The PlayStation Store has made the multiplayer RPG Ultra Kingdoms available for free on PlayStation 5. Developed by Cyber Apes Yacht Club and published by Eight Galaxies, the game combines MMORPG and play-to-earn elements and is currently in beta. A PlayStation Plus subscription is required to play online.
FF14 Mobile is officially dead, will shut down in September
Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, a standalone adaptation of the MMORPG developed by Tencent's Lightspeed Studios under Square Enix's license, will cease operations in China on September 30, 2026. The licensing agreement has been terminated amicably, leading to the cancellation of its planned global release. Account registration and microtransactions have already been disabled.
Smilegate LORDNINE Launches Pre-Registration for New Growth-Accelerated Server ‘Helena’ in Celebration of 1st Anniversary with Tons of Reward Event
Smilegate has launched pre-registration for 'Helena,' a new growth-accelerated server for the MMORPG LORDNINE: Infinite Class, developed by NX3 Games. The server officially launches on July 29 and features systems like a Mastery Buff for 50% additional EXP, along with various reward events including a USDt reward event, limited edition skins, and summon tickets to celebrate the game's first anniversary.
The Stream Team: Dungeons and Dragons Online’s Trial by Fury
Massively OP's MJ is playing Dungeons and Dragons Online's 'Trial by Fury' quest arc, part one of 'Queen of the Demonweb'. MJ must retrieve an orb from the Demonweb and return it to the War Wizards of Cormyr for study, as Ana is being used as a power source by Llolth.
Go under the sea in Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame, launching July 24
Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame, the next major update for the action RPG, is set to launch on July 24th. This expansion introduces a new underwater environment, a new Ascendancy class for the Scion called the Luminary, and revamps to Abyss and Legion content. The update also features new crafting mechanics and significant changes to gem socketing.
Neverwinter adds new confirmation dialogues and updates item boosts as Siege of Neverwinter returns
Neverwinter has received a patch on PC that adds confirmation dialogues for loadout changes and updates character boost packs to item level 85,000. The game also sees the return of the Siege of Neverwinter event and new items added to the battle pass.
Entropia Universe gives all players a free apartment and improves the quality-of-life for Synths
Swedish developer MindArk has announced several updates for the MMORPG Entropia Universe, including a free instanced apartment for all players and significant quality-of-life improvements for Synth characters. Synths now have expanded abilities such as fishing, crafting, and operating vehicles, and the game's storyline has been updated with a new faction called the Umbranoids.
DC Universe Online teases the sidekick system and ally mission systems in development
Daybreak's Dimensional Ink team is developing new features for DC Universe Online, including a sidekick system and an ally mission system. Executive producer Andrew Emerson also detailed ongoing improvements to early game streamlining, such as tutorial skip options and a 'warp to current mission' feature, aimed at improving the experience for new and alternate characters.
Black Desert teases the ‘Deadeye’s sibling’ class due to be revealed at Heidel Ball 2026
Pearl Abyss is teasing a new class for Black Desert, referred to as 'Eddie' or 'Deadeye's sibling,' which will be fully revealed at the Heidel Ball 2026 event. The class is hinted to start with the letter 'G' and share abilities with the Deadeye class, including the use of a pistol. The latest PC patch also includes updates for wild horses, the Yar minigame, monster loot, and class adjustments, while console players can obtain a buff-granting item.
Vague Patch Notes: Long-term content vs. short-term content in MMORPGs
This analysis explores the distinction between short-term and long-term content in MMORPGs, using examples from Final Fantasy XIV, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Warframe. It argues that both types of content are crucial for player engagement and game longevity, with short-term content providing immediate experiences and long-term content offering sustained engagement.
WoW Factor: World of Warcraft’s content cadence and endgame focus exhausted me – so I escaped
A long-time World of Warcraft player expresses exhaustion with the game's relentless content cadence and endgame focus, despite appreciating Blizzard's efforts to improve content flow. The author found the constant influx of new activities and the treadmill-like nature of seasonal progression overwhelming, leading them to take a break from the MMORPG. They are now looking towards potential future content like WoW Classic Plus for a more manageable experience.
MMORPGs Equinox Homecoming and Pax Dei have both just kicked off free-play demos
Two indie MMORPGs, Equinox Homecoming and Pax Dei, have launched free-play demos. Equinox Homecoming's demo is available until July 21st, while Pax Dei offers a permanent 7-day trial for new players, featuring most of the game's content including building, crafting, and exploration.