Atlas answers community questions about future plans for trade, ships, sea content, and the claim system
With no patch for Atlas arriving this week, the devs at Grapeshot Games have taken the opportunity to answer some player questions about what's next, calling out the game's trade system, claim system, and ships in specific. In regards to trading, the devs recognize that it's currently not friendly to small groups or solo players […]
Albion Online lays out its schedule and activities for the next season of guild warfare
Season 11 of Albion Online's competitive guild warfare is kicking off on December 5th, which means you'd best be prepared to fight for your right of dominance over the land. Of course, that doesn't mean that you'll be able to immediately storm every territory, which is why there's a very elaborate schedule of when various elements […]
Fallout 76 adds CAMP wheelchairs following a disabled player's petition
Disabled players aren't often represented in video games, especially multiplayer online ones that feature nothing but hearty and hale athletes leaping and running through virtual worlds. So even a gesture acknowledging that there are players like this is significant in its own way. Bethesda provided that gesture this week by adding wheelchairs as an option […]
Warframe has now formally launched on PlayStation 5
Who had any doubts that Warframe would be among the first to leap onto next-generation consoles? Pretty much nobody, I see. So for those of you who are enjoying your bright and Stormtrooper-looking PlayStation 5 this holiday weekend, you now have the option to shoot, slice, and dice your way through Digital Extremes' popular online […]
Massively Overthinking: Gratitude for the devs of the MMO genre
Thanksgiving conveniently falls on a Thursday every year, which means it's the perfect topic for our regular Thursday Massively Overthinking roundtable. I've asked our writers what they're grateful for in and around the MMO genre the last couple of years - and now we're gonna do it again.
World of Warcraft vows that fixing unstable servers is its 'number one priority'
While World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has, by and large, enjoyed a favorable launch week so far, that doesn't mean that the expansion is free from any issues. As an example, players on a handful of servers are seeing increased instability due to the amount of people trying to flood into those realms. The good news […]
Even Star Wars Galaxies emulators are getting in on The Mandalorian hype
Star Wars The Old Republic and Star Wars Squadrons aren't the only Star Wars games in town milking The Mandalorian's latest season and hefty popularity for all it's worth. And we're not even mad about it! Joining the fray now is Star Wars Galaxies emulator SWG Legends, which is running a giveaway of a life-size […]
The Daily Grind: How many MMO guilds are you in?
I'm always impressed when I talk to MOP's Justin and he's just joined a new guild in the MMORPG he's playing at the moment. He's spectacular at shopping around and finding good ones. Honestly, if I needed a new guild, I'd just figure out which one he's in and be in it. It'd save a […]
The Stream Team: Sidetracked in SWTOR
The home stretch of SWTOR's Shroud search is in sight, but Massively OP's Larry and MJ might get just a bit sidetracked. There are still more droids out there! Besides the missions to scout out transmitters on Alderaan and Balmora still, there are more droids in the galaxy, like on Makeb, Illum, and Hutta. Larry […]
Dark Age of Camelot is celebrating the harvest for Thanksgiving this year
It's time for the Harvest Celebration to return to Dark Age of Camelot once more, with the event currently running through December 1st. This means some persistent buffs to RvR while the event is ongoing, which is perhaps less thankful than you might otherwise expect, but it also means recovering lost shipments of food for festival […]
Black Desert announces the season server's end date on PC, brings back Field of Valor on mobile
This new week in Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile doesn't bring a whole lot to their respective games, but there are still some things of note for both PC and mobile players. So let's go ahead and note those things. For PC, the latest patch notes confirm that the fall season servers will close […]
Prosperous Universe announces an early access launch behind a monthly subscription
Prosperous Universe isn't quite so prosperous from a fiscal standpoint, apparently. The developers have announced that a monthly subscription to play the game is now a "necessity," as funding for the space-based multiplayer trading sandbox will soon run dry. "While the support from the community with supporter packages has been highly appreciated and has helped […]
Star Wars: The Old Republic talks up the creation of new Cartel Market items inspired by The Mandalorian
If watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ has made you want to dress up your own Bounty Hunter in Star Wars: The Old Republic (as it has for my husband), then that's getting easier thanks to the arrival of some new Cartel Market items inspired by the show, the creation of which was detailed in a […]
Torchlight III previews winter-themed cosmetics and Forged improvements for its upcoming Snow and Steam patch
Snow and steam don't tend to go together naturally, since steam is gaseous water and snow is frozen water. But they're colliding in the next Torchlight III patch, and the result is… winter-themed weapons and decorations! Yeah, not just ordinary water. It's more of a conceptual collision than an actual one as you deck your […]
Star Trek Online lets Klingons fly the new and improved Titan
If you haven't yet watched Star Trek: Lower Decks… well, what are you waiting for? But if you have, you'll know that there's an excellent arrival by the USS Titan, commanded by William Riker. Star Trek Online has had the Luna-class ship around for quite some time, but the appearance of a new Titan was […]
The best MMO sales and events of Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2020
Thanksgiving and Black Friday are pretty different in 2020 than in past years, but the online gaming sales and events? They're eternal. Join us for a run-down of all the best MMO events and Black Friday 2020 sales live now on Steam and elsewhere! (And no, these aren't affiliate links!) Aion – NCsoft's got a […]
Wild Terra 2's early access has been postponed to the end of January 2021
My inbox is telling an interesting story today – the story of how gaming studios are busy dumping all their bad news right before Thanksgiving. Fortunately, very little of it so far has been MMO-related. But this one is: Wild Terra 2 has just announced that it's delaying its planned early access all the way […]
PlayStation 5 launch is officially the biggest console launch in history
The PlayStation 5 has a lot to recommend it. It has backwards compatibility with a good library of games. It's rather nice to look at. It has current games. It makes you feel like you've gotten a rare toy. For all those reasons and more, it has apparently managed to surpass the sales of its immediate […]
Square-Enix announces a permanent program allowing employees to work from home
Like many companies, Square-Enix had to embrace work-from-home options earlier this year to deal with lockdowns across Japan. It appears those programs were considered a resounding success, as the company has announced that it will be launching a flexible work-from-home plan for all employees moving forward as of December, allowing the company's staff to use […]
Perfect Ten: 10 MMO blessings to be thankful for in 2020
There is no doubt that this has been a much more difficult year than most in many respects, almost to the point where it's become a very cynical meme. However, it's unfair to say that there has been nothing good in 2020, even in our small and nerdy neck of the woods. Without dismissing or […]
Blue Protocol shares a couple of sneak peeks at a new region as players share CBT gameplay footage
While we're still an indeterminate length of time before the in-development MMORPG Blue Protocol makes it to our shores, that doesn't mean we can't keep getting looks at how things are going over in Japan. To fit that bill, we start with some new previews from the game's official Twitter account, which offered a couple […]
TERA Console's crossplay finally, finally goes live
It's been a long road getting from there to here. It's been a long time, but my time is finally here. And I can feel the change in the wind right now, nothing's in my way. And they're not gonna hold me down no more! With apologies to Star Trek fans still suffering trauma from […]
Kickstarted MMO The Wagadu Chronicles teases its island-gen tool and rainforest art
We haven't heard much out of afrofantasy MMORPG The Wagadu Chronicles since it scored almost $200,000 in Kickstarter funding a month ago, but as it turns out, that's because studio Twin Drums has been busy working on the game. The latest Kickstarter update covers efforts on the rainforest terrain, the island generation tool, and a […]
Hearthstone's new Tavern Pass and Give C'thanks bundle light a tinderbox of player outcry
When Hearthstone released its Madness at the Darkmoon Faire update, it brought along with it a number of features, including the Tavern Pass, a battle pass-like reward track. And while most of the update was well-received, the Tavern Pass has been far less so. The primary uproar is related to earning Gold in-game via the […]
Mechwarrior Online's Piranha Games is being bought out for $24M+
If you were a bit surprised to see MechWarrior Online perk back up this fall after a long period of neglect in the wake of MechWarrior 5's development, then it's all going to make sense shortly, as apparently the studio behind both titles, Piranha Games, is being bought out. "Enad Global 7 AB (publ) ("EG7" […]
Surprise: Fallout 76 accidentally releases Steel Dawn a week early
While it's not yet December — we checked, using our keen investigative skills — Fallout 76's December update actually is live in the game. Originally scheduled to release next week, the Steel Dawn content patch accidentally rolled out to all Xbox players. Bethesda looked at that, shrugged, and decided to go with it by releasing […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best twist on the archer class?
Call 'em Archers, call 'em Rangers, call 'em Katnisses — whatever the designation, they're the ones who stand there with a bow looking all poster-worthy until the heavy cavalry rides them down and slaughters them on the spot. Yes, we've certainly seen plenty of people with long sticks shooting smaller, pointy sticks into bad guys […]
The Stream Team: The Way Forward in Guild Wars 2
The next step in Guild Wars 2's Path of Fire story is Chapter 8: The War Forward. But Massively OP's MJ will have to make her way without the help of the gods; the only hint Kormir gave was that and the answers are in the desert and Kasmeer already knows how. So tune in […]
A Secret World Legends fan has created a huge (free!) graphic novel based on the lore
There is no doubt that Secret World Legends (and its predecessor) have developed a strong cult following in the MMORPG community due to its captivating conspiracies and wonderful world-building. It's a universe in which players enjoy dwelling, often taking their fandom to creative heights. Such is the case for HolloPoint, who crafted a lengthy graphic […]
Roblox teases a Ready Player Two event starting on December 1
There's an event coming to Roblox. Something to do with Ready Player One but not quite. It's likely going to be in the same vein, anyway, as the teaser image shared by the game's Twitter has plenty of references to a story that subsumes all references into some sort of slapdash chimera made of fiction. […]
Path of Exile announces three events for December, plus the winners of a Hideout competition
Just because Path of Exile won't be releasing patch 3.13 until January to step out of the way for another game's release doesn't mean it wouldn't like you to visit now and again in December. How do we figure? Because there will be three different events over the course of the month. So, you know, […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 298: The one with the chocobo
Justin and Bree discuss WoW Shadowlands, LOTRO, Guild Wars 2 Truce, Final Fantasy XIV, and Wizard 101, with adventures in New World and City of Heroes, plus mailbag topics on WoW marketing and our defining MMORPGs.
RuneScape's latest patch is all about improved tooltips for abilities
You'll notice a lot of changes for the tooltips of combat abilities in RuneScape with the latest patch. The bright side is that this isn't because the abilities themselves have changed; instead, the tooltips have just been updated for improved readability, consistent use of terminology, and general clarity. Ability duration is now written consistently, ability damage […]
MapleStory announces spirited collabrotation with K-Pop band BTS
I'm starting to gradually come to accept that my age, ethnicity, and lack of singing talent means that my chances of being recruited for a Korean boy band are diminishing. But it's still fun to enjoy the catchy pop jingles of these groups, especially when they show up in your MMORPG. MapleStory is going nuts […]
CIG recruits Turbulent to open a new Montreal studio and build new star systems for Star Citizen
Star Citizen developer CIG already has studios in the US, UK, and Germany. What it didn't have was a studio in Montreal, Canada, up until a partnership with Turbulent that will now see a new studio open up in Montreal to help with the development of Star Citizen's PU. For those wondering just what Turbulent […]
Ship of Heroes outlines its mission creation process, promises about 40 hours of content for an alt
While the fact that Ship of Heroes is working on missions isn't anything exactly new, there is a dev blog posted today that takes an extremely close look at how the team approaches mission creation, from the flow of a mission narrative to the steps taken in putting a mission together to a list of […]
Choose My Adventure: Surprise storytelling in No Man's Sky's base building progression
It was often remarked going in to this week's Choose My Adventure task that base building in No Man's Sky is something of a black hole. I just sort of assumed that was in relation to chasing tech trees, unlocking items, and building up like usual survival sandboxes. However, I was pleasantly surprised by just […]
City of Heroes Homecoming Issue 27 with its major enhancement overhaul is live today
So it seems I picked the right week to head back into City of Heroes' Homecoming rogue servers, as the patch that's been in beta since October has moseyed over to the live servers as of today. Issue 27: Second Chances, Page 1 is massive and offers a little bit for everyone. For narrative fans, there's […]
Red Dead Online becomes a $4.99 standalone title next week, teases new bounty hunter content
If you thought it was a bit odd yesterday to see an uncritical interview in mainstream media on Red Dead Online after the game spent the year accumulating so little content that it prompted the Great Clown Uprising of 2020, then you've got a good eye. Apparently that interview was merely the vanguard for Rockstar's […]
Fortnite's new subscription option is a $12 monthly program called Fortnite Crew
Earlier this month, we covered a leak that seemed to suggest Epic Games was once again reviving its plan to implement a subscription service for Fortnite. While gamers in our neck of the woods seemed largely unimpressed with the idea, it seems as if Epic is plunging on anyway, as this morning the company has […]
First Impressions: Atlas Rogues' current early access is a broken imitation of Atlas Reactor
Thanks to some truly weird control scheme issues, it took me an absurdly long time to clear a tutorial level. That was my opening impression of Atlas Rogues, the co-op rogue-lite game that was an initial prototype of the sunsetted PvP title Atlas Reactor. And while the absolute fun of that game's battle system is […]
NCsoft Q3 2020: Guild Wars 2 just had its best revenue quarter in two years
Let's get the best news for western players in this NCsoft financial report out first: Guild Wars 2 just saw a bit of a welcome upswing in revenue, with its best showing since Q3 2018. We assume this is owing largely to the formal announcement of End of Dragons and its nostalgia-driven Cantha content this […]
We're years away from an open beta for Amazon's new Lord of the Rings MMO
How far away is the next Lord of the Rings MMORPG? Years, fam, so get comfy where you are. The news comes via Wccftech, which dug up documents relating to the Tencent buyout of Leyou Technologies, which is working with Amazon on the new game. For example, a game license amendment from a year ago […]
Pantheon mourns the loss of technology lead Kurt 'Molad' Habetler
A dark cloud has once again settled over Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen. Yesterday, Visionary Realms announced that it recently lost one of its key teammates — this time, Technology Lead Kurt Habetler. "With heavy hearts, we regret to share that Kurt 'Molad' Habetler has passed away," the studio posted. "He was a kind and […]
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands enjoys a relatively smooth launch, sees first level 60
World of Warcraft may have just experienced one of its smoothest expansion rollouts yet. Yesterday evening, Shadowlands launched simultaneously around the globe, and by many reports, pulled it off rather well. Personally, I did not see a queue or any serious bugs during my first few hours. The phrase "smooth as butter" has been thrown […]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite 'oh shit' button in an MMO?
Last summer, I put up a Daily Grind on how people feel about "oh shit" buttons in MMOs – you know, those long-cooldown panic powers that take up tray and screen real estate. Generally speaking, I don't like them. I don't remember to use them in most MMOs that offer them. But of course, MMORPGs […]
The Stream Team: Getting rid of the Gray Host in Elder Scrolls Online
With Fennorian found, Massively OP's MJ is one step closer to eradicating the coven menace in Elder Scrolls Online's Greymoor. However, the king still refuses to act, so his daughter Svana has decided to take matters into her own hands — with MJ and Fennorian's help, of course! Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. as […]
Twitch begins beta testing 'multiplayer ads' as the company's co-founder leaves for his 'next adventure'
Twitch, as a business, is powered by ad revenue. It's a fact that viewers have to live with when watching their favorite streamers. However, Twitch is looking to make that experience a little more interactive as well as directly rewarding to creators with Multiplayer Ads, a new form of advertisement that lets viewers see the […]
GTA Online players take on an entire island in December 15's Cayo Perico Heist
For those who have been regularly taking on the heists available in Grand Theft Auto Online, there's been something of an escalation in terms of targets, whether it's helping a spy organization, stopping a tech billionaire, or hitting a highly secure casino. So where does one go from there? How about an entire island? Rockstar […]
Destiny 2 announces SMS verification to access certain activities, a charity livestream, and world-first raid clear
When your game is free-to-play, there's bound to be a lot of folks who set up throwaway accounts so they can cheat ad infinitum. In order to curb some of this behavior in Destiny 2 on PC, free players will soon have to use SMS verification in order to access certain in-game activities. The new […]
