MMOs
Ongoing coverage on MMOs.
Latest coverage
One Shots: Dogs and cats, mass hysteria!
This week's "One Shots" feature highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, including The Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, and The Secret World. Players shared humorous and striking in-game moments, with one player noting the incorporation of "Dogs Playing Poker" into The Elder Scrolls Online's questline. The article encourages readers to share their own virtual vacation screenshots.
SWG lead's new MMO, Stars Reach, almost lost me—until I met an animal conservationist mayor
Stars Reach, an MMO from Raph Koster, known for Star Wars: Galaxies, has launched in early access with a high price point and a messy, unfinished state. While the game's vision of a socially-driven experience with diverse skill trees is apparent, its current implementation suffers from janky mechanics, a poor first impression, and a lack of direction, though glimpses of compelling player-driven community building offer hope for its future.
2XKO's shutdown has me feeling glum about Riot's future MMO—because I don't think the genre can survive corporate cut-and-run tactics
The shutdown of Riot Games' fighting game 2XKO has raised concerns about the future of the company's upcoming MMO, due to perceived corporate impatience with long-term development cycles. The article argues that the high cost and long development time required for MMOs necessitate a sustained commitment that Riot's recent actions, including layoffs after 2XKO's release, do not inspire confidence in.
Stars Reach puts out a hotfix that attacks a wide list of bugs and issues
Playable Worlds has released a hotfix for their early access MMO, Stars Reach, addressing numerous bugs and issues. The patch includes fixes for rubberbanding, crafting, collection, and more, though the studio admits it's not a complete solution. User reviews remain mixed on Steam, with player concurrency numbers having dropped significantly since launch.
Eterspire celebrates its fifth anniversary by, why not, dusting off its old beta build for play
Eterspire is celebrating its fifth anniversary by making its original public beta build available to players. Developer Stonehollow Workshop restored the Beta I client and brought its server back online, allowing players to experience the game's earliest state. This older build will look and play differently from the current cross-platform version and will be available for a limited time on PC and MacOS.
EVE Frontier adds a new ship, new space hazard, and new items in its latest patch
EVE Frontier has released a new patch introducing the Reiver spacecraft, a new sentry turret, character raiments, and the temporal desync status effect. The update also includes significant quality-of-life improvements, particularly to the UI, such as updates for the fitting window and inventory, and moving some right-click context menu options to the 'F' key.
Vague Patch Notes: How do MMOs come back from bad launches?
This article analyzes how Massively Multiplayer Online games can recover from poor launches, emphasizing the critical role of leadership admitting fault and engaging with the player base. It contrasts successful turnarounds, like Final Fantasy XIV, with games that failed to gain traction, such as Ship of Heroes, highlighting that player perception must improve before the game itself can be fixed.
This week's Epic Games Store free games include an MMO bundle worth over $55 and mutants invading the 90s
The Epic Games Store is offering two titles for free this week: the 'Epic Mage Bundle' for the MMO Albion Online and the standard edition of Cardpocalypse. The bundle for Albion Online includes cosmetic items and boosts, while Cardpocalypse is a 90s-themed card battling game. Both offers are available from August 20 to August 27.
Choose My Adventure: Cat Bard goes marching through the open fields in EverQuest Legends
The author details their ongoing "Choose My Adventure" journey in EverQuest Legends, playing as a "Cat Bard" and facing challenges in Kerra Isle and Freeport. They discuss the game's difficulty, player input, and the experience of grinding levels while managing distractions.
Black Desert Mobile celebrates one year of its united global server with five weeks of events
Black Desert Mobile is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its united global server with five weeks of in-game events. These events will feature continent-themed activities, weekly rewards, a digital cake buff, and various quests and boss fights. The latest patch also includes updates to bounty missions, class adjustments, and overall game fixes.
Razer Naga V3 Pro review
The Razer Naga V3 Pro is a straightforward, albeit pricey, upgrade to the Naga V2 Pro, featuring updated switches and a superior sensor. While its swappable faceplates and extensive button options make it ideal for MMO players, its high cost and the divisive sound of its optical switches may deter some users. Despite these drawbacks, its solid performance, comfortable ergonomics, and robust feature set make it a compelling choice for dedicated MMO gamers.
Foxhole plans updates to aerial gameplay and quality-of-life August 18, promises more content into 2027
Siege Camp is releasing a significant update for the persistent war MMO Foxhole on August 18th, introducing improvements to aerial gameplay and quality-of-life features. The update includes UI enhancements like an ammo indicator, keybinding options for ships, and squad storage, alongside new aircraft and flight mechanics. Future updates are planned for late September and the end of the year, with content development extending into 2027.
SpiritVale shares a ban list, updates on dev team size, and a list of features for its next update
Baikun Interactive has provided an update on SpiritVale, detailing actions taken against bots and outlining upcoming features. The studio has banned over 5,000 accounts for unauthorized programs and RMT, and is hiring to address future content. The next update will include Asia region servers, a skateboard cosmetic, advanced artifacts and grimoires, a PvP revamp, and the Dragon Knight class.
MapleStory collabs with Frieren, MapleStory Idle RPG adds an XP system, and MapleStory Worlds highlights a new game
MapleStory is featuring multiple updates across its titles. MapleStory: Idle RPG has added a new XP system and quality-of-life improvements. MapleStory Worlds is highlighting the new tactical dungeon crawler 'Trailblazers' developed by Cometa Studio. The main MapleStory game is collaborating with the anime Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, introducing new quests and boss battles.
MMO Week in Review: Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty are going home
Amazon has announced it will cease publishing duties for the MMORPGs Lost Ark and Throne & Liberty, returning them to their respective studios, Smilegate and NCsoft. The article also touches on updates and developments for other MMOs including EverQuest Legends, World of Warcraft, Ashes of Creation, and Star Wars The Old Republic.
The MOP Up: RIFT’s Razorback Roundup is back, yeehaw!
This week's MMO news roundup includes the return of RIFT's Razorback Roundup event, updates for Marvel Rivals and Uncharged Waters Origin, and news from various games like Wizard101, Fiesta Online, and Gloria Victis. Gamigo announced upcoming releases, while War Thunder reported on bans, and Myth of Empires: Throne secured a publishing deal.
2003-era Korean shooter GunZ: The Duel once again returns to Steam
The 2003-era online shooter GunZ: The Duel has relaunched on Steam, developed by Masangsoft. This remastered version features improved graphics and user interface, aiming to recapture the 'K-style action' combat that defined the game. The free-to-play title includes both PvP and co-op PvE modes.
One Shots: There’s always something good behind every RPG waterfall
This week's One Shots column highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, including Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy XIV. Players shared images featuring in-game waterfalls, character costumes, and humorous moments, with a call for submissions for future features.
EverQuest Legends is the only MMO that could hook me in 2026
EverQuest Legends offers a modernized take on the classic MMO, aiming to recapture the nostalgia of its original 1999 release while making the experience more accessible. Developed by Game Jawn, it retains the core feel of EverQuest but removes harsh mechanics like corpse runs and adds features like in-game maps to encourage longer play sessions. While Project 1999 offers a free, more authentic classic experience, Legends seeks to be a game players will actively return to.
Star Wars: The Old Republic hopes to recapture the 'classic' experience with difficulty options and a new way…
Star Wars: The Old Republic is introducing update 8.0, which includes a raised level cap, new zones on Ryloth, and two new difficulty systems. The update aims to recapture a 'classic' experience with a difficulty slider and new 'venture' characters offering classic and expert modes with special rewards.
