MMORPG
Ongoing coverage on MMORPG.
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FF14 Fanfest will look more into the MMO's future than you might expect, director Naoki Yoshida teases
Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida has teased that the upcoming North American Fan Festival will reveal significant future plans for the MMORPG, potentially including details about the 8.0 expansion and new storylines. The event, scheduled for April 24-25, will offer a glimpse into the game's future, with more in-depth information to follow at subsequent Fan Festivals in Europe and Japan. Yoshida also indicated that some announcements might precede the release of patch 7.5, surprising players with early reveals.
Two MMO Worlds: One Lives Without Players, the Other Falls Apart Without You
The MMO Simulation Bundle, featuring Erenshor and Don't Lose Aggro, is now available on Steam at a 10% discount. Erenshor, a "massively single-player" RPG released in April 2025, offers an offline MMO experience with simulated players, while Don't Lose Aggro, released today, is a fast-paced roguelite focused on party management and tanking.
EverQuest’s Rizlona server successfully merged into Aradune this week
Daybreak Game Company has merged the Rizlona server into the Aradune server for the MMORPG EverQuest. This consolidation aims to increase the player population on Aradune, with characters from Rizlona now accessible on the merged server. The Aradune server is named in honor of the late EverQuest designer Brad McQuaid.
New World of Warcraft Midnight class tuning update reduces the dramatic gap between healers
Blizzard Entertainment is implementing significant class tuning changes in the upcoming World of Warcraft update 12.0.5, 'Lingering Shadows,' to balance healer performance. The update aims to reduce the disparity between different healer classes, with nerfs for Discipline Priest, Preservation Evoker, and Mistweaver Monk, and buffs for Holy Paladin, Restoration Druid, and Restoration Shaman. Community manager Bethany Hudson detailed these adjustments, which will also include some PvP specific changes for Mistweaver Monks.
The Daily Grind: How do you feel about shields in MMOs?
This article discusses the role and perception of shields in MMORPGs, questioning why they are often solely viewed as defensive tools. It highlights player opinions on shield mechanics and their integration into combat alongside other weapons.
Ashes of Creation Director Responds
Ashes of Creation director Steven Sharif addressed recent claims about Intrepid Studios' finances, calling them "completely false" and "coordinated attacks." He described the ongoing situation as "one of the craziest stories gaming has ever seen."
Jagex to expand RuneScape: Dragonwilds into Asia-Pacific region
Jagex is expanding its survival crafting MMORPG RuneScape: Dragonwilds into the Asia-Pacific region later this year, with localization for Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. CEO Jon Bellamy stated this is the company's most significant international expansion, aiming to make RuneScape a truly global franchise. The game previously entered early access on Steam in April 2025 and expanded to Latin America in September.
Book of Travels Dropping Online Play
Book of Travels is transitioning from an MMORPG to a single-player RPG, as announced on Steam. The game, available on PC, macOS, and Linux, will no longer feature online multiplayer after its Early Access period.
Villagers & Heroes makes leveling and skilling faster and easier with this week’s update
Villagers & Heroes has released an update focused on accelerating player progression. The patch doubles experience gain for players level 96 and above, increases quest rewards, and reduces combat skill requirements. Additionally, it lowers the cost of certain items, adds teleporters, and improves drop rates to streamline the overall gameplay experience.
FFXIV Patch 7.5 Arrives April 28 with Emerald Gwiber Mount Event
Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.5 will launch on April 28, introducing the Emerald Gwiber mount event which requires players to collect irregular tomestones before maintenance. The patch is expected to advance the ongoing narrative and introduce new content, continuing the game's tradition of evolving storylines and community engagement through limited-time events.
OSRS Leagues 6 turns the MMORPG's progression on its head, with a demonic twist
Old School RuneScape's sixth seasonal league, 'Demonic Pacts,' has launched, introducing a new progression system starting players in Varlamore with unique demonic pacts and relics. This limited-time event offers accelerated XP rates and new gameplay mechanics, challenging both veteran and new players with a fresh take on the MMORPG's core experience.
15-year-old MMORPG Spiral Knights just got a ‘major update’ with a FFA PvP mode and a level editor
The 15-year-old free-to-play MMORPG Spiral Knights has received a significant update, its first major content addition in years. The update introduces a Free-For-All PvP mode called Super Brawl, a level editor for creating custom PvP maps, new servers for Australia and Brazil, and various quality-of-life improvements including updated Java versions for better performance.
Perfect Ten: Old MMORPGs we used to talk about all the time but aren’t mentioned today
This article discusses ten MMORPGs that were once highly anticipated and frequently discussed but have since faded into obscurity. Games like Tabula Rasa, RIFT, Mythos, The Secret World, and Marvel Heroes are highlighted, with reasons for their decline ranging from studio closures and mismanagement to shifting player interest and lack of sustained development.
Still struggling with its League of Legends MMO, Riot Games was reportedly willing to spend $250 million on acquiring…
Riot Games reportedly offered between $250 million and $500 million to acquire Intrepid Studios and its MMORPG, Ashes of Creation. The offer was revealed in court documents related to litigation involving Intrepid Studios CEO Steven Sharif. Ultimately, the acquisition did not go through, despite Riot's long-term plans for the game.
EVE Online Adding a New Player Experience
CCP announced that EVE Online will receive a new player experience called Exordium this summer. This update aims to address the notoriously steep learning curve for new players in the space-based MMORPG.
Morning Legal Briefs
Former Ashes of Creation boss Steven Sharif stated he was advised against a $250 million offer from Riot Games for the MMORPG. The article also briefly mentions unrelated news about a crypto kidnapping case in France.
Lost Ark rolls out a new raid with The Shadows Rise update as recent Steam reviews shrivel
Amazon has released 'The Shadows Rise' update for Lost Ark, introducing the Serca, Witch Of Pain Shadow Raid, new Tier 4 progression gear, and other endgame content. This update aims to revitalize the game's community and improve its recent performance on Steam, despite recent layoffs and the potential transfer of the game's management to Smilegate.
Ex Ashes of Creation boss Steven Sharif claims he was advised against a $250 million proposal from Riot Games to buy the MMORPG
Former Intrepid Studios founder Steven Sharif has made new claims in the ongoing lawsuit surrounding Ashes of Creation, alleging he was advised against a $250 million acquisition offer from Riot Games. Sharif asserts he is the victim of a defamation campaign and has provided court filings with witness statements. The legal battle continues with multiple parties involved, including investors and other former employees.
Recent Ashes of Creation court filings reveal Riot tried to purchase Intrepid for $250 million
Recent court filings reveal that Riot Games explored acquiring Intrepid Studios, the developer of Ashes of Creation, for $250-500 million in 2022. At the time, Riot was heavily invested in its own MMORPG projects, including Hytale and a separate internal MMO, amidst a period of high player interest in the genre following the performance of games like New World and Lost Ark.
Kickstarted tiny MMO Book of Travels will sunset in July, become a solo offline game, and welcome modding
Book of Travels, an MMORPG developed by Might and Delight, will cease its online operations on July 31st, 2026, transitioning into a solo, offline experience. The studio apologized for development challenges and lack of communication, citing unsustainable foundational issues. The game will be rebalanced for single-player, will be available for $4.99 on Steam, and will fully permit modding, with the studio actively supporting the modding community.