MMOs
Ongoing coverage on MMOs.
Latest coverage
I'm sure whoever chose to charge for WoW: Forever beta access is feeling very chuffed, given Blizzard's had to…
Blizzard Entertainment has successfully sold beta access for World of Warcraft: Forever, a reinvented version of Classic, for $60, despite the game being part of the standard subscription and progress being wiped. The high demand has forced population cap increases twice, indicating a profitable early access model for the company. The author finds the game enjoyable with its quality-of-life improvements and new quests.
Suffering from success, WoW Forever beta gets yet another population cap increase as Blizzard struggles to fit everyone…
The beta for World of Warcraft: Forever is experiencing unprecedented player numbers, forcing Blizzard Entertainment to repeatedly increase the population cap. Senior game designer Josh Greenfield described the numbers as the "craziest" he's seen in 17 years, while executive producer Holly Longdale confirmed another cap increase over the weekend. The game's strong performance suggests a positive future for the MMO.
The MOP Up: Spirit Crossing celebrates the Feast of Bears
Spirit Crossing has launched Update 15.4, featuring the Feast of Bears seasonal event, revamped crafting stations, improved tournament rewards, and new flairs. The cozy social MMO is still targeting an early access release in November. The article also rounds up other smaller MMO news, including updates and early access launches for Delverium, Last Epoch, Neverwinter, and more.
One Shots: The coziest bakery in all of Eorzea
This week's 'One Shots' feature highlights community screenshots from various MMOs, showcasing cozy bakeries in Final Fantasy XIV, a dramatic Flow explosion in Palia, intense combat in Darktide, a unique encounter in Lord of the Rings Online, and a humorous glitch in Skate. The column encourages readers to submit their own memorable in-game moments.
Make My MMO: Loftia’s impending beginning, Ship of Heroes’ inevitable end
This column tracks the status of crowdfunded MMOs, highlighting upcoming early access launches for Loftia and Monsters & Memories. It also reports on the sunsetting of Ship of Heroes, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen's delay and layoffs, and updates on various other crowdfunded titles.
Whatever happened to Path of Titans, Realm of the Mad God, and EverRail?
This article provides an update on several overlooked MMOs in 2026. Realm of the Mad God has seen content updates including a reworked Third Dimension and new seasons. Path of Titans released on consoles and added new dinosaur species and features like interactive quests and climbing. EverRail entered early access in July and receives bi-weekly patches, with developers now focusing on larger content updates.
The Elder Scrolls Online's devs are pushing through hard times after layoffs and delays: 'We didn't want…
The Elder Scrolls Online's development team at Zenimax Online is navigating significant challenges following substantial layoffs and project delays. Despite a 60% reduction in staff over the past year, developers express commitment to the game and its community, pushing updates to 2027 to ensure quality over rushed releases. The team is also experimenting with new content types like 'rumours' to foster player discovery.
Betawatch: World of Warcraft Forever gets the beta explosion as Aion 2 cracks its doors open a bit
The beta for World of Warcraft Forever has launched with high player numbers, while Aion 2 has opened its doors for testing. The article also provides updates on State of Decay 3's development under an indie Undead Labs and Guild Wars 2's upcoming WvW map test. It serves as a weekly roundup of MMOs in various testing phases, including open betas, closed betas, and early access.
MMOs You’ve Never Heard Of: Illyros, Valdrys, and Outer Ring
This roundup highlights three lesser-known MMOs: Illyros, a mobile game with Soulslike combat inspired by ancient Balkan peoples; Outer Ring, a free-to-play sci-fi MMO from SOREDI Games featuring various PvP modes; and Valdrys, a buy-to-play fantasy MMO with classes, dungeons, and a PvP area. The article notes that some store page art for Valdrys was AI-generated.
My first MMO character #7: Andrea Shearon
Andrea Shearon recounts her early MMO experiences, starting with Priston Tale around 2002-2006. Despite initial struggles with lag and a low-end GPU, she developed fond memories of the game's community and competitive modes, even becoming a notorious player.
My first MMO character #6: Jacob Ridley
The author recounts their early experiences playing RuneScape as a child, focusing on their skill in fishing and cooking to acquire in-game armor. After their account was stolen and banned, they successfully appealed to Jagex support, specifically thanking 'Mod Frenzy' for recovering their long-lost character.
Mortal Online 2 heralds ‘the Era of Refinement’ as it shifts its patch cadence and focus
Developer Star Vault is shifting its patch cadence for Mortal Online 2 to a faster, monthly rate as part of an 'Era of Refinement.' Future updates will focus on balancing, tweaking, and smaller content additions to existing systems. The first patch under this new era is scheduled for the PTR on October 14th.
My first MMO character #5: Fraser Brown
Fraser Brown recounts his first MMO character, Zarwulf, an Orc Hunter from World of Warcraft, though he also mentions playing Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, and Guild Wars. He notes that while Zarwulf remains frozen in time, a character with the same name exists in Guild Wars 2.
I cannot believe this obscure MMO from my childhood is still going 23 years later
The author reflects on the enduring presence of Puzzle Pirates, an obscure MMO from their childhood, which is still available and playable 23 years later. Despite some paywalls and a smaller player base, the game retains its core mechanics and nostalgic charm, offering a comforting link to simpler times.
My first MMO character #3: Steve Haines
Steve Haines recounts his first MMO character, Ovidlords, a Night-elf Druid in World of Warcraft, created around 2006. He details his experience playing a Druid tank during The Burning Crusade, achieving difficult feats like tanking Gruul and obtaining a server-first Ashes of Al'ar.
Crystal of Atlan has unleashed a neon karate DJ class and collaborated with King of Fighters
Crystal of Atlan, the magipunk anime MMO, has introduced a new collaboration with The King of Fighters series, featuring the character Mai Shiranui. The game also received a significant update introducing the "Sugariff" class, a goth-styled DJ character who uses kicks and neon music. Recent patches have focused on balancing the new class and general game fixes.
World of Warcraft: Forever's first patch will bring back the number one thing seasoned players missed from the…
Blizzard Entertainment is enhancing weather effects in World of Warcraft: Forever's beta zones in an upcoming patch, addressing player feedback for more immersive atmospheric conditions. This update aims to restore the impactful weather previously present in older versions of the game, aligning with the title's focus on world immersion and the journey.
World of Warcraft: Forever dev addresses the debate over who it's made for: 'I did not spend the last year of my life relearning and mastering how to do things like we did it 20+ years ago for retail players'
World of Warcraft: Forever world builder Matthew Armstrong addresses the debate over the game's target audience, stating it's not made for retail players but for those who value artistic integrity and the spirit of the original 2004 MMO. The article suggests the game is for players who prioritize social interaction and world exploration over a linear storyline, highlighting its unsolved and uncategorized nature as a positive.
Sometimes it's fun to hit a scorpion with a club for 38 seconds
The author argues that modern MMOs, including World of Warcraft, have become too focused on speed and instant gratification, losing the meditative quality of slower gameplay. The experience of slowly bludgeoning a scorpion in WoW: Classic is highlighted as a positive example of how taking more time can enhance appreciation for the game world and design.
World of Warcraft: Forever is "for the millions of people who have had their accounts lapse" in Classic, dev…
World of Warcraft world builder Matthew Armstrong stated that World of Warcraft: Forever is designed for lapsed players and dedicated Classic fans who were unsatisfied with changes to the original game. He emphasized a commitment to an authentic vanilla experience, distinct from the retail version, and a philosophy that prioritizes artistic integrity over broad appeal.
