MMOs
Ongoing coverage on MMOs.
Latest coverage
MMOs You’ve Never Heard Of: Bread & Fred, Ashes of Jin, and No More Room in Hell 2
This article rounds up lesser-known multiplayer games, including Ashes of Jin, a living-world MMO with AI-driven demonic attackers; Bread & Fred, a co-op platformer where two penguins are tied together; and No More Room in Hell 2, a co-op zombie horror shooter that recently exited early access.
Industry vet who worked on Ultima Online says the next big thing needs to have 'sh*tty graphics' to escape the…
Industry veteran Raph Koster argues that the relentless pursuit of high-resolution graphics is unsustainable due to ballooning development costs and stagnant game prices. He suggests that the next major platform innovation needs to intentionally have 'shitty graphics' to reset the cost curve and allow for new gameplay affordances, preventing established companies from dominating.
World of Warcraft: Forever dev tells fans concerned by datamines and screenshots to "reserve judgment" until…
Blizzard Entertainment developer Josh Greenfield has urged fans concerned about the art style of World of Warcraft: Forever to reserve judgment until they can experience the game in person. He stated that datamined models and screenshots may not be fully representative of how assets appear in-engine, addressing community worries that the new MMO looks too similar to its retail counterpart.
Guild Wars 3 dev wants you to be able to take a break for months at a time and know you're "not going to be left behind"
ArenaNet studio head Colin Johanson believes the MMO genre is still thriving and that Guild Wars 3 aims to address common player concerns about time commitment. He emphasizes the need for games to allow meaningful progress in short sessions and for players to be able to take extended breaks without falling behind.
World of Sea Battle is an early access open-world MMO offering PvE and PvP fighting in the Age of Sail
World of Sea Battle, an open-world MMO set in the Golden Age of Sail, has launched in early access. Developed and published by Thera Interactive, the game features over 50 customizable ships for PvP and PvE combat, a player-driven economy, and guild wars. While planned to remain in early access for about 18 months, some user reviews mention concerns about pay-to-win monetization and developer favoritism.
World of Warcraft: Forever beta launch times: How to sign up and play Blizzard's twist on WoW Classic
Blizzard Entertainment is launching a month-long beta for World of Warcraft: Forever on September 17 for PC. This new branch of the MMO will feature new quests, dungeons, and class abilities, with a level cap that will increase from 20 to 30 during the beta period. Access is granted through premium pack purchases or via beta opt-in on the official website.
Bungie's mantra was "I love playing Destiny. I hate that it’s not better" in the MMO's early…
Former Bungie VP Mark Noseworthy reflected on Destiny's The Taken King expansion, calling it his personal favorite and a high point for the game. He described the development mantra as "I love playing Destiny. I hate that it’s not better," highlighting the game's constant struggle to reach its full potential despite its strong core appeal.
Eterspire’s Seeds of Growth update lets players raise a tree garden and adds quality-of-life features
The indie MMO Eterspire has released its 'Seeds of Growth' update, introducing a new tree garden feature that allows players to cultivate various tree types for resources and rewards. The update also brings significant quality-of-life improvements, including combat tweaks, enhanced camera zoom, click-to-move functionality, and localization enhancements. Additionally, the game has officially moved to the Unity 6 engine.
Guild Wars 2's Code of Creation update is now live, bringing an end to Visions of Eternity
ArenaNet has released the Code of Creation update for Guild Wars 2, marking the conclusion of the Visions of Eternity storyline. This update introduces a new explorable zone, Leyspring Hollows, six new story chapters, a new multistage meta-event, and new gear. It also adds the Nexus of Eternity raid encounter and the Solitary Throne Fractal. Future updates are planned through December, while the highly anticipated Guild Wars 3 is expected to innovate the MMO genre with features like a momentum system.
Anvil Empires showcases work on ships and shipyards, building updates, and map expansions
Siege Camp has provided a development update for their medieval persistent war MMO, Anvil Empires, detailing work on ships, shipyards, and map expansions. Updates include a revamped cargo boat with more crew seats and sail mechanics, a new shipyard structure for building vessels, and expanded continental landmasses and islands on the game map. The blog also highlighted balance changes to farming, water infrastructure, inventory management, and defensive emplacements.
Lineage II calls its ReLIVE servers a fresh start opportunity for new and veteran players
NCsoft is launching a new ReLIVE server for Lineage II on September 15th, aiming to provide a fresh start for both new and returning players. The server will feature a refreshed Giran town, original music, and various in-game events and boosts to celebrate its opening.
BlizzCon 2026: World of Warcraft Forever encouraged Blizzard to ‘go again!’ with its hardcore mode
Blizzard Entertainment announced at BlizzCon 2026 that World of Warcraft Forever will receive its own hardcore mode, inspired by Diablo II's single-life challenge. This mode, which will launch several months after the game, will feature enhanced preparation mechanics, character protection against lag, and the ability to transfer fallen characters to other realms with earned legacy points. The developers aim to offer a more 'pure' and 'fair' way to play the game, drawing parallels to roguelike design.
Casually Classic: Basking in the glow of World of Warcraft Forever
The author expresses immense excitement for Blizzard Entertainment's announcement of World of Warcraft Forever, a new iteration of World of Warcraft Classic. This new version is seen as a thoughtful evolution that retains the core Classic feel while incorporating modern features like transmog and account-wide perks, promising a long-term home for players weary of retail's endgame.
Diablo 4 was basically an MMO, will Diablo 5 follow suit? Blizzard is being coy for now
Blizzard Entertainment has revealed details about Diablo 5, which is slated for a 2029 release. While senior game director Joe Shely confirmed it will support both solo and multiplayer modes, the specifics of its multiplayer structure, which may differ from Diablo 4's MMO-like approach, are yet to be detailed. The game will feature procedural generation for dungeons and the overworld, similar to Diablo 3.
MMO Week in Review: Foreverrrrr
BlizzCon 2026 saw major announcements including a new open-world StarCraft shooter, Diablo V for 2029, and World of Warcraft Forever launching soon. The event also revealed World of Warcraft's next retail expansion, The Last Titan, and sparked controversy over World of Warcraft Forever's monetization. Other news included the sunsetting of Ship of Heroes, layoffs at Pantheon Rise of the Fallen, and business dealings involving ArcheAge.
Diablo 5 Will Support Multiplayer, Return of Diablo 4’s MMO Features is Unknown
Diablo 5 will feature multiplayer options, allowing players to tackle content solo or with friends, similar to Diablo 4. However, the extent of MMO-like features, such as meeting other players in the world or world events, remains unconfirmed and will be revealed closer to its 2029 release. The game will feature a procedurally generated overworld and will not include towns as hubs, differing from Diablo 4.
One Shots: Time to throw a balcony bash!
This week's "One Shots" feature highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, including Wayfinder, Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft, and Fallout 76. Players shared images of in-game views, character creations, and home exteriors, showcasing their virtual adventures.
Final Fantasy 14's funky new roguelike mode has me hyped for Evercold's combat revamp, which'll be a…
The Final Fantasy XIV Beastmaster limited job's roguelike mode, the Crucible of the Unbroken, showcases experimental job design that excites the author for the upcoming Evercold update. This mode moves beyond rote rotations, requiring strategic pet selection and ability usage to overcome unique mechanics, offering a glimpse into Square Enix's potential to reintroduce job identity.
Guild Wars 3 discusses its more approachable setting and being ‘meaningfully multiplayer’
ArenaNet developers discussed Guild Wars 3's approachable setting and its 'meaningfully multiplayer' design. The game will launch on Steam and consoles with a focus on a shared open world for 20 players, balancing the smaller party size of Guild Wars 1 with the larger scale of Guild Wars 2.
What we've been playing - "I don't think this is this game's biggest problem"
Several individuals share their recent gaming experiences, including Kelsey enjoying Hitman World of Assassination, Connor revisiting MapleStory in anticipation of its classic version, Chris offering further thoughts on Marvel's Wolverine, Bertie finding unexpected joy in the cooperative game Big Walk, and Marie replaying Spyro: Reignited Trilogy.
