MMORPG
Ongoing coverage on MMORPG.
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Albion Online makes tweaks to Ancient Lands portals to combat camping in PvP zones
Albion Online has implemented changes to its Ancient Lands portals to address player camping in PvP zones. The update reduces the lock time for small portals and increases entry times for medium and large portals, while also making portals appear on the map at all times. Sandbox Interactive plans further adjustments to portal rarity and spawn rates in the future.
Riders of Icarus appears to be coming back online a year after its sunsetting
The free-to-play MMORPG Riders of Icarus, which was sunsetted in February of last year, appears to be making a comeback under the name Icarus Online. Valofe, the company that previously took stewardship of the game from Nexon, is reportedly behind the return, with a reveal date set for September 10th and a promise of the game's return sometime this year.
Lineage II to Launch First New Live Server in More Than a Decade | Invision Game Community
NC (formerly NCSOFT) announced that Lineage II will launch a new Live server on September 15, the first in over a decade. This new server aims to provide a fresh start for both new and returning players of the 22-year-old MMORPG. Pre-registration is open, offering rewards and a 500% EXP boost to encourage player progression.
Humanity's best friend is coming to Old School RuneScape, and seeing a low-poly shiba has me temporally disoriented
Jagex has introduced a new members-only quest in Old School RuneScape called 'A Ruff Situation,' allowing players to adopt and raise puppies. These dogs can eventually assist in Treasure Trails by digging for steps. The update also includes a separate quest enabling players to talk to crabs.
What To Expect From BlizzCon 2026: StarCraft’s Return, A Whole Lot Of Warcraft
BlizzCon 2026, scheduled for September 12, is poised to be a major event for Blizzard Entertainment, with significant announcements expected across its key franchises. The convention will likely reveal more details about World of Warcraft's next expansion, The Last Titan, and potentially a new version of World of Warcraft Classic. StarCraft is set to make a substantial return, possibly with a new shooter title and a partnership with Nexon. Diablo will celebrate its 30th anniversary with news on Diablo 4 and potentially other franchise entries, while Overwatch will continue its momentum with new heroes and story developments.
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's final story patch is exactly what the game needed, and has the 4-month wait for Evercold suddenly feeling a whole lot longer
The final story patch for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, Patch 7.56, is praised as the greatest MSQ patch yet, acting as a prologue to the upcoming expansion, Evercold. It effectively introduces new characters, settings, and hints at future gameplay elements, generating significant hype despite initial criticisms of Dawntrail's narrative.
Guild Wars 2’s Code of Creation adds new zone, new fractal, and new raid on September 15
ArenaNet has announced that the final major update for Guild Wars 2: Visions of the Eternity, titled Code of Creation, will launch on September 15. The update will introduce a new zone, Leyspring Hollows, a 10-player raid called Nexus of Eternity, a five-person fractal, and new legendary weapons and armor.
WoW Factor: Exploring the content and systems of World of Warcraft’s Curse of Ula’tek
The 12.1 patch for World of Warcraft, Curse of Ula'tek, is described as a middle-of-the-road update with both improvements and drawbacks. While the core gameplay remains strong, new features like the Venomous Abyss raid, the 'lair' system for world bosses, and the Prey feature are criticized for visual monotony, reduced rewards, and lack of variety, respectively. The article suggests Blizzard is struggling to build upon the solid foundation of recent expansions.
Aion 2 confirms time-delayed content from the Korean launch and a lack of crossplay
Aion 2's global launch will include quality-of-life improvements made since its South Korean release but will not feature all content added over the past year. The game will not support crossplay between PC and planned console versions, and the mobile version will not be included. Developers aim to balance PvP interactions to be more optional.
Shroud of the Avatar heralds over 2000 changes and improvements are arriving this October
Shroud of the Avatar is preparing for a major release on October 1st, featuring over 2,000 changes including a Unity engine upgrade and new server infrastructure. Despite past controversies and criticisms regarding development and corporate practices, the team is aiming for a relaunch with a planned ad campaign during the holiday season.
The Daily Grind: If you won the lottery, would you spend it on MMO stuff?
This article discusses whether players would spend lottery winnings on MMORPG-related items, such as premium cosmetics like inflatable sharks. The author suggests that while they might not spend a large amount, winning the lottery would likely buy more time to play the genre rather than fundamentally change enjoyment.
Odin Valhalla Rising brings the thunder with the arrival of its Thunderbringer class
Odin: Valhalla Rising, a mobile MMORPG with a Nordic mythology theme, has introduced its new 'Thunderbringer' class. This class features hammer-based melee attacks and electricity-based skills for crowd control. A temporary class change option is available until September 9th, alongside new attack stats, events, and an automated Norns Schedule feature.
Here’s all you need to know about Monsters & Memories early access, from costs to content to start times
Monsters & Memories, a throwback MMORPG from Niche Worlds Cult, is launching its early access on Thursday, October 1st. The game will feature 28 zones, nine races, 18 classes, and a level 1-60 progression. Access requires a $15 monthly subscription fee, with no box price or in-game cash shop.
Rise of Agon’s 32-bit server shutters September 16 while its 64-bit server enters beta September 30
Toxic Rain Studios is sunsetting the 32-bit client for Darkfall Rise of Agon on September 16th, transitioning to a 64-bit client that will enter beta on September 30th. This update brings modernized technology, improved visuals, new features like tutorial islands and factional war, and quality-of-life additions, aiming to preserve the core sandbox experience.
Camelot Unchained revamps its unpopular class XP system and cleans up movement and control
Camelot Unchained has revamped its class experience point system following significant player backlash. The changes, implemented in the game's test build, include XP earnings from dealing damage and healing in RvR, shared XP from player kills and objective captures, and improved gathering XP. Unchained Entertainment acknowledged the system was more disliked than anticipated. The update also brought improvements to movement controls, UI, and group combat features.
The ‘grail’ of building an MMO is a ‘worthy quest,’ Riot Games founder Marc Merrill says
Riot Games founder Marc Merrill expressed the studio's continued dedication to developing its MMORPG, referring to the ambitious project internally as 'The Grail.' He acknowledged the difficulty and risk involved but emphasized the team's commitment to executing their vision and meeting player expectations.
The Daily Grind: Are you still wary about pay-to-win MMORPGs in 2026?
The article discusses player wariness towards pay-to-win mechanics in MMORPGs, using Ryzom's direct approach to monetization as an example. It questions whether such transparency can rebuild trust in the genre.
Stick Universe is a 2-D open world MMORPG that’s hosting an open playtest
Stick Universe, a 2D open-world MMORPG featuring stick figures, is currently hosting an open public playtest. The game offers typical MMORPG elements like combat, leveling, PvP, and loot, with a unique stick-figure aesthetic. Despite being light on content, it is free-to-play with no ads, subscriptions, or microtransactions.
The Daily Grind: Is there anything you’re looking forward to during BlizzCon 2026?
This article poses a question to readers about what they are looking forward to at BlizzCon 2026, mentioning potential game announcements, esports, and cosplay. It also touches on the MMORPG genre and briefly mentions Chris Metzen.
Riot Games knows its MMO is a big risk. "But f*** it, it's The Grail, so let's go."
Riot Games is proceeding with its ambitious MMORPG project, acknowledging the genre's high failure rate and calling the endeavor 'The Grail.' Despite a recent project reset and the cancellation of its fighter 2XKO due to sustainability concerns, studio co-founder Marc Merrill expressed confidence in the team's ability to execute and deliver a worthy experience.
