MMORPG
Ongoing coverage on MMORPG.
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Whatever happened to Unleashed Games’ cooperative-focused MMORPG Haven?
Developer Unleashed Games, comprised of industry veterans, is facing financial difficulties in securing publisher funding for its cooperative MMORPG, Haven. The studio has experienced a lack of communication and a shift in livestream broadcasts, leading to concerns about the game's future. The team is currently reassessing their project and plans to provide an update soon.
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen’s weekly dev report is a cornucopia of more tuning, tweaking, and polishing
Visionary Realms provided a weekly development update for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, detailing ongoing efforts in tuning, tweaking, and polishing the early access sandbox. The report highlights final passes on NPCs, optimization work on water, collision, and lighting, creature optimizations, server process revisions for scalability, and progress on Ranger's mastery.
One Shots: Quick, save your game!
This week's "One Shots" feature highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, including Dungeons and Dragons Online, Elite Dangerous, Fallout 76, Final Fantasy XIV, and Equinox: Homecoming. Players are encouraged to submit their own memorable in-game moments for a chance to be featured.
Coming Out in gaming this week — July 20, 2026
This week's gaming releases include Seed, Scarlet Deer Inn, LIFTED, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Disgaea Mayhem, Tormentum II, Helix: Descent N Ascent, Splatoon Raiders, and Gurei. The titles span various genres including MMORPG, Action, Adventure, Fighting, and Puzzle, launching on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.
Erenshor’s solo dev discusses retention issues, the use of LLMs, and the MMO sim’s path to 1.0
Brian Burgee, the sole developer of the single-player MMORPG sim Erenshor, discussed significant player retention issues, with many players leaving within the first few hours or even seconds of gameplay. He also shared his reservations about using Large Language Models for in-game AI due to ethical concerns and unreliability, and expressed optimism for the game's 1.0 launch in Q2 2027.
Bethesda confirms new Fallout 76 expansion, closer partnership with ZOS on Elder Scrolls franchise
Bethesda Game Studios and ZeniMax Online Studios have confirmed a major expansion for Fallout 76 titled Raven Rock, serving as a prequel to Fallout 3. The studios are also entering a closer partnership on the Elder Scrolls franchise, with The Elder Scrolls VI being a priority. Additionally, Fallout 5 is in pre-production, and Bethesda is collaborating with Obsidian Entertainment on a new Fallout project and remasters of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.
LOTRO Legendarium: Why LOTRO still matters in 2026
This opinion piece argues that The Lord of the Rings Online remains relevant in 2026 due to the enduring popularity of the Tolkien IP and the game's faithful recreation of Middle-earth. The article highlights the game's longevity, driven by a passionate development team and a dedicated community, suggesting it has a strong chance of continued success.
WRUP: Sonic the Hedgehog As Played In Kyle’s Basement edition
This week's 'What Are You Playing' roundup features staff and community members discussing their weekend gaming plans. Titles mentioned include Sonic the Hedgehog, Palworld, Final Fantasy XIV, Warframe, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, among others. The discussion also touches on game updates and personal preferences for dried fruits.
The Daily Grind: What was your last experimental or throwaway MMO character?
This article asks MMORPG players about their last experimental or throwaway characters created for fun or curiosity. It explores the reasons behind creating such characters, whether they end up being deleted or kept, and the potential for surprising experiences.
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.
