MMO Week in Review: Marching to Markarth
If the last couple of years have taught us anything, it's to appreciate a low-key week when everything was fine and nothing was actively on fire. This week had plenty of fun bits for MMO players: Guild Wars 2 dropped its Truce trailer, Elder Scrolls Online released Markarth, ArcheAge previewed Rise of Nehliya, Bless Unleashed […]
Conan Exiles plans anti-undermesh features for PC, updates on the Xbox version's woes
Busy times over in Conan Exiles land. There's things for both PC players and Xbox players to report on, so let's dig right in: First, the PC version's recent crafting-minded update has gotten a hotfixing, with changes to placement boxes for Tanneries, Furnaces, Delving, and Alchemist Benches, fixes for a number of building piece pivots […]
The MOP Up: Runes of Magic gets a headstart on Thanksgiving
It's still early in November, but Runes of Magic has already laid out a tasty spread for its Autumn Banquet in the game. Eat up, my friends! Gotta stretch that stomach for later events! "Travelers that happen to pass by are also warmly welcomed to join the festivities," Runewalker said. "Travelers that learned of the […]
Project Gorgon bestows much love upon its playable cows, rabbits, and spirit foxes
We still have a ways to go — at least a year and a half — until Project Gorgon officially launches, and the hard-working team is going to make the best of that time to get the indie MMO into top form. In pursuit of a good balance and the right feel for combat, the […]
Jukebox Heroes: The best of EverQuest's MIDI soundtrack
I've always felt that MIDI tunes were to computers what chiptunes were to 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. Before storage media expanded and technology increased to the level of using regular instruments, practically every PC game had a MIDI soundtrack at its back (as did quite a few early and misguided websites). MIDI wasn't a file […]
EverQuest II celebrates its 16th anniversary with Heroes' Fest 2020
A very happy birthday to EverQuest II, which is celebrating 16 years of live operation this month! But the MMO doesn't need us to make a big deal out of this fact; it's doing so itself! Heroes' Fest 2020 is raging in EQII right now, bringing back the game's anniversary event with all the style […]
One Shots: Don't stare directly at the book
In most games, a book is a dumping ground for ignored lore or, at best, a prop to make you look extra-nerdy for all your nerd friends. But in Final Fantasy XIV, a book is an all-powerful weapon of unimaginable destructive power that will sear your retinas if you happen to read to chapter four. […]
The Daily Grind: Are there MMO quests you refuse to do?
Today's Daily Grind comes to us courtesy of MOP's Carlo, who is really not about this one quest in Black Desert. "So I'm questing in Black Desert, and I met a poacher that wants me to poach some animals in Kamasylvia," he says. "Since I know the story of the region, I refuse to do […]
Battle Bards Episode 180: Moonlight Blade
While Moonlight Blade is not yet a known quantity over here in the west, its soundtrack has gone before it and landed right into the laps of Steff, Syl, and Syp — otherwise known as the Battle Bards! In this contentious episode, the three dance, flow, and fly through this big and distinct score. Battle […]
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is pretty much ready to go now
We are just about two weeks away from World of Warcraft's latest expansion launch, but if the test servers are any indication, this sucker is pretty much ready to release now. The folks over at Wowhead noted that the latest Shadowlands build on the PTR is a release — rather than a beta — candidate […]
Diablo III Season 22 introduces shadow clones and a fourth Kanai's Cube slot on November 20
The seasons keep rolling on in Diablo III, with the ARPG's 22nd season, Shades of the Nephalem, confirmed for Friday, November 20th. As the season's name suggests, the wrinkle this time around is the ability to summon a shadow clone of your character when interacting a shrine or pylon, which matches your character's strength and […]
The Stream Team: Searching for skilled labor in a Conan Exiles super surge
Massively OP's MJ ran a lower-level surge on Conan Exiles' Isle of Siptah, but she's eager to test the system's limits and run some at max! Today the crew is summoning forth more thralls from the Exiled Lands in search of some talented skilled labor to relocate permanently to the Isle. Join us live at […]
LOTRO Legendarium: How to make Lord of the Rings Online Classic work
Twice now this year we have heard from Standing Stone Games' Jeff Libby that, no, a hypothetical LOTRO Classic isn't in the works, nor is it something that's feasible and desirable for the studio to do. Libby seems to be approaching this subject from an engineering angle, saying that to roll back the servers to […]
Guild Wars 2 offers up another colorful Baby Aurene bundle for Extra Life charity drive
The list of MMOs joining in to raise money for Extra Life and children's hospitals continues to grow: As we noted earlier this week, Guild Wars 2 once more joined in the charitable fundraising drives with a variety of things being done to help the cause. The headliner of this drive is a bundle for […]
WRUP: Googly eyes
So! That was a week. Since we are all super mature adults here, we're going to spend the traditional Saturday morning What Are You Playing talking about video games, blowing off steam, and indulging Carlo's bonus question: If you had a pair of googly eyes, what would you put them on and why? Andrew Ross (@dengarsw): Pokemon […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best playable cat race?
Despite the very real evidence that a feline lurks somewhere in my home, I am not what you would call a cat person. I don't get the appeal of trying to cuddle with something that could produce little knives at a moment's notice or attempting to get on the good side of a beast that […]
The Stream team: Happy Heisting in Path of Exile
Much has been distracting Massively OP's MJ from her life of virtual crime, but she's back at it now! Path of Exile will need to lock up those valuable even better than before because she's aiming to rob, rob, rob, the place blind. (She just needs to survive during the getaway!). Tune in live at […]
Betawatch: Fractured's fall alpha is underway
MMORPG sandbox Fractured pushed its way into its fall alpha this week, in spite of technical difficulties and a downtime outage on Wednesday that resulted in lost character progression for some players, but don't worry because everyone who's leaped in so far is being compensated with tokens to take the sting out. (Thanks for the […]
Steam introduces a new tool that lets game devs invite players to playtests via the platform
You're a game developer unicorn who values actually collecting player input via playtesting instead of selling early access. You also don't really like having to manage your own mailing list to mail out access keys. And you've got your eyes on launching via Steam. What do you do? You take advantage of the new Steam […]
Hytale reels back regular update posts in favor of 'a more significant set of reveals'
Continuing our sometimes Sisyphean task of keeping eyes on every developing MMO under creation, we're plucking Hytale from the lower decks of our Golden Yacht and dusting it off to reveal what's been happening. For those who don't remember, Hytale is something of a Minecraft-like sorta-sandbox that spun away from the popular Hypixel Minecraft server […]
Mobile MMO Warhammer Odyssey shows us a very familiar game world
Those Warhammer Online veterans who are missing their dearly departed MMORPG (the ones not playing on the Return of Reckoning rogue server, that is), have a new opportunity brewing that might help to soothe past wounds. Warhammer Odyssey, a mobile MMO being developed by Virtual Realms, is growing ever-closer to release on iOS and Android. […]
Last Oasis adds a heavy-duty walker and a new event map, tests base decay mechanics in its beta build
There's been yet another weekly update to the woodpunk survival sandbox Last Oasis, this time bringing with it a new Hercul heavy walker and the new Ancient City event map that promises new lootsites, rupu camps, and merchants to find. The update has also made a variety of changes to the game's economy and applied […]
The Stream Team: Into the Tower of Necromancy in AdventureQuest 3D
The Tower of Necromancy's doors have finally opened in AQ3D, and Massively OP's MJ is ready to investigate. She'll be traveling to the Isle of the Dead to test if there tower's master really an unkillable lich — by trying try to kill it, of course! Join us live at 2:00 p.m. as Massively OP's […]
ArcheAge's Rise of Nehliya update is heading to the game's public test server
Are you curious about that blue lady that walked out of a mirror in that initial announcement for ArcheAge's latest update? Then feel free to find out, as the Rise of Nehliya update is coming to PTS once it opens over "the next couple of days." The PTS build offers up nine new main story […]
Rockstar confirms backwards compatibility for GTA Online and Red Dead Online on next-gen consoles
If you were among those deeply invested in either Grand Theft Auto Online or Red Dead Online but worried you'd have to put those games on the shelf when the PS5 or Xbox Series X and S arrived, consider your fears assuaged: Rockstar has confirmed that backwards compatibility for both GTA V and RDR 2 […]
Black Desert launches $29.99 'prestige' editions for console today
As promised, Pearl Abyss is today launching its Prestige edition for MMORPG Black Desert, making it one of the few modern MMORPGs to actually get a proper console box edition, this one coming in at $29.99 for the Xbox One and PS4 versions. And yes, next-gen play will be properly supported. "Starting November 6, Adventurers […]
Elder Scrolls Online moves Markarth DLC launch on console by a day, promise next-gen news 'soon'
Elder Scrolls Online's Markarth DLC and update 28, which launched for PC players earlier this week and put a mighty fine hat on the Dark Heart of Skyrim plotline, was supposed to roll out to PS4 and Xbox One next week. It still will – but it's been moved earlier by an extra day. "We're […]
Star Citizen shows off item interaction, more homestead progress, and refinery deck exteriors
Things interacting with other things. That's part of the focus for Star Citizen's latest video. That sounds pretty rudimentary, but is part of a "zoo" — an internal playtesting playground — that provides a look at a variety of new interactions that currently aren't in the game right now, such as power relays shutting down […]
WoW Factor: Ego, philosophy, and learning the right lessons in MMOs
Picture the scene, if you will. The year is 2006, and I am working in a library with a number of people whom I get along with and one girl who I have an overwhelming crush on. She is dating someone, of course, and I like her as a friend and thus don't let that creep […]
iOS players may be able to play Fortnite after all thanks to Nvidia's cloud gaming service
As the ongoing "titans into tweens" legal slap fight between Epic and Apple wears on, players of Fortnite on iOS have been left twisting in the wind. There may yet be hope on that horizon, however, as BBC has reported that Nvidia's GeForce NOW cloud gaming service could be coming to the Safari mobile web […]
Legends of Aria deep-dives The Outlands' Necromancer class
Legends of Aria has a fresh dev vlog out this week previewing its upcoming Outlands release, both its locations and its planned Necromancer class. "The Outlands is shaping up to be a truly unique landmass and we are ready to showcase two new points of interest: the Hangman's Tree and Necropolis," Citadel Studios says. The […]
PSA: ARK: Survival Evolved is free this weekend (and on sale)
World of Warcraft isn't the only online game that's hoping to lure in players with a free weekend; ARK: Survival Evolved also is running a promotion this week to allow any and all wanna-be survivalists to jump into the Steam version of the game. From now through the morning of November 10th, players can download […]
DC Universe Online battles across time in its latest episode, Long Live the Legion
"Protect the future. Save the past." That's a tall order for any superhero squad, but it's totally within the abilities of the 31st century Legion of Super-Heroes. In DC Universe Online's latest episode release, heroes are called to fight the sorcerer Mordru, who is jumping into his past — our present — to alter the […]
The Daily Grind: What MMO really shouldn't attempt a classic server?
Back in August, Standing Stone Games told players to stop trying to make a classic Lord of the Rings Online server happen. It is not going to happen. "You think it was perfect back then, but I remember our bug queues at the time and I can assure you it was not," SSG's Jeff Libby […]
The Stream Team: Doing good deeds for Neverwinter's Dwarves
The Dwarves of Icespire Peaks are having a few different problems in Neverwinter, and Massively OP's MJ is all set to keep lending a helping hand. From slaughtering nasties to chiseling ice off of vents, there's no shortage of ways to aid. Tune in live at 9:00 p.m. as MJ does her good deeds for […]
Massively Overthinking: Does early access kill an MMO's buzz?
A while back on the Massively OP Podcast, Justin and I were flipping through Steamcharts checking in on Torchlight III, and we were a little dismayed at what we saw: At least on Steam, the game's launch peak exceeded its early access launch peak by only a few hundred players. Naturally, we wondered aloud whether […]
Phoenix Labs CEO announces future update plans and next-gen console launch for Dauntless
A letter from Phoenix Labs CEO and co-founder Jesse Houston has got plenty to say regarding the future of Dauntless, including plans for the game's next major updates and its arrival to the next generation of consoles. In the letter, Houston confirms that the multiplayer monster slayer will be arriving on day one to PS5 […]
Buckle up: Phantasy Star Online 2 has the mother of all escort quests for you
Armor up, Phantasy Star Online 2 fans, because you've got orders to deploy to your latest mission. This week, SEGA dropped a new urgent quest that could take you up to an hour to complete — if you have the chops to beat it at all. The quest in question is Queen's Nightmare: Earth Depths, […]
EVE Online reports on the war in Delve and the Triglavian-occupied region of Pochven
EVE Online has released another episode of The Scope, the in-universe news show that reports on the goings-on in New Eden, and this episode certainly has some things to talk about. The report opens up with the war in the Delve region, with P.A.P.I's successful creation of a Keepstar within Imperium space. Prior to this […]
Fallout 76 demos the quests and rewards of the Steel Dawn update
Bethsoft is pumping up Fallout 76 players for the December launch of Steel Dawn today with a new dev gameplay video. "The Brotherhood of Steel is returning to Appalachia in our Steel Dawn Update that's on its way to Fallout 76 in December," the studio says. "Alongside the group's arrival, we're adding the first part of […]
Pantheon studio Visionary Realms seeks a technical artist for its dev team
As Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen gears up for a momentous year of development and testing, the project needs additional help to get the MMORPG looking its best. As such, Visionary Realms posted a job listing in search of a temporary technical artist to join the team. "Visionary Realms is looking for an experienced Technical […]
Inactive World of Warcraft players can return for free starting today through the weekend
I dunno how your circle of friends is handling the World of Warcraft patch and Shadowlands expansion plan, but over here at Massively OP, several writers are toying with playing, going back, or even trying out the game for the first time. Good news for all of them, then, as Blizzard announced today that it's […]
Star Citizen's October report notes progress on Orison, job-specific armors, and new weapons and ships
The beginning of November means a wrap-up of October's developments for Star Citizen, which once more offers a few peeks at some of the features that are on the game's long-reaching and distant horizon. The report points to progress by the environment team regarding refinery decks, ship-to-station docking arms, and gas clouds, along with a […]
SWTOR on how Feast of Prosperity revives old planets and makes the galaxy 'feel more lived-in'
With Star Wars The Old Republic's Feast of Prosperity update out in the wild, BioWare has put together a dev blog interview from World Designer Allison Berryman discussing the studio's thoughts behind the patch. "There were plenty of reasons to make a new seasonal event, but one of the main motivators for me was to […]
Warframe is launching on PlayStation 5 this year with cross-gen play and upgraded visuals
Big news for Digital Extremes' Warframe today: The company is pushing the game to next-gen consoles a release on PlayStation 5 "this year" and Xbox Series X "later." The company is promising improved graphics, lighting, and textures for the 2013 MMOFPS, along with cross-gen play, which allows players to "move seamlessly between platforms, playing with […]
Vague Patch Notes: Managing the MMO message, volume two: How to shut up
It wasn't so long ago that we talked about managing the message when it comes to fans and the like, but today I want to talk about a more advanced and yet still simple technique. Something so obvious that you would think it doesn't need to be mentioned, and yet you also see so many […]
NBA 2K21 dips its toes into MMO territory with its City gameplay mode
Alright, who here had "NBA 2K21 decides to go MMO" on their 2020 bingo cards? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, me neither, but here we are with a full-on MMO-like gameplay mode for a basketball game. This new mode is called The City, and it's essentially an extension of the series' Neighborhoods mode blown up to larger […]
ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained announce Rise of Nehliya for November 12
If you caught Gamigo's teases earlier this week on Twitter, you might have wondered what ArcheAge was up to. Wonder no more: The company announced today another update for ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained. It's called Rise of Nehliya, and it launches on November 12th. "Daring adventurers can look forward to new quests in the previously […]
Dungeons and Dragons Online: Fables of the Feywild launches
It's like your Trapper Keeper covers have come to life, only in MMO form. Dungeons and Dragons Online's Fables of the Feywild expansion is launching today, bringing players into a more fantastic realm of mythical beasts and terrible legends. Today's Update 48 is bringing a huge chunk of content to the long-running MMO: "Fables of […]
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands explains legendary item crafting, shows off the Maw
Legendary items have been a contentious topic for World of Warcraft players ever since Legion made them easier to acquire. Blizzard's been struggling to figure out the best way to dole out these super-powerful pieces of gear ever since, and with Shadowlands, it appears that the approach will be to let players simply, you know, […]
