The Stream Team: Escaping the Dual Universe tutorial trap
It's been some time since Massively OP's MJ tried (and failed) to stake her claim in Dual Universe — she couldn't even escape the tutorial world! Now, she's added new RAM to her computer help things run smoother and she's looking forward to finally checking out her friends' bases. Tune in live at 2:00 p.m. […]
Global Chat: Shadowlands impressions from the community
With one of this year's biggest releases out this week, we've taken to the mean streets of Blogtown to see what MMO gamers are saying about World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. What's the word out there? Read on to find out! Kamalia thought that the first day seemed rather quiet: "The Maw is, of course, unsettling […]
Hearthstone's community is in open revolt over the new reward system
It's been an ugly month in Hearthstone's neck of the woods — and it's only getting worse. Community outcry over what it's seeing as stingy and greedy business tactics with the game's revised reward structure and new its Tavern Pass system are sparking riots and protests pretty much anywhere that Hearthstone and its studio rears […]
WRUP: Reasons you should not punch a goat edition
Goats are our friends. Goats provide milk which may be turned into soft and delicious cheeses. It's really more unusual to think of reasons why you would want to punch a goat, as the goat has almost certainly done nothing to harm you. Goats have long memories and the allegiance of Bin-Y'thak, the Crow of […]
The Daily Grind: Is RuneScape part of your MMO gaming history?
Several times on the podcast we've marveled at how there is this bizarre disconnect between the apparent huge popularity of RuneScape and how little engagement it seems to drive. In trying to understand this phenomenon, we've mused about how many younger gamers may have cut their teeth on this game back when it was a […]
The Stream Team: Completing Warframe's The Glassmaker
Last time, Massively OP's MJ investigated the first three crime scenes that Glassmaker left behind in Warframe. Tonight, her goal is to finish the final episodes and solve the mystery. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. for the conclusion of The Glassmaker series. What: Warframe Who: MJ Guthrie When: 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, November 27th, 2020 […]
Betawatch: Blue Protocol's players share its closed beta goodness
If you're anything like me… well, I'm so sorry. This must be hellish for you. Also, you're really looking forward to the upcoming Blue Protocol, which is still in beta testing in Japan and has recently benefited from some players showing off the game in its current form. So that sounds fun, yes? Yes. Other […]
Whatever happened to Darkfall's Rise of Agon and New Dawn?
Hey, whatever did happen to those Darkfall community spin-offs? It has been a while since we've touched base with these dueling projects, so let's see what is going on with both of them this year. Darkfall: Rise of Agon celebrated its three-year anniversary this past May and hosted several patches since then. Some of the […]
Monster Hunter World celebrates the upcoming Monster Hunter film by bringing Milla Jovovich in-game
So the general plot of the upcoming Monster Hunter film is an isekai story — a bunch of military folks are somehow sucked into the world of big angry monsters through some reason or another. That's sort of what's happening to the film's star Milla Jovovich in Monster Hunter World, as she's being brought into […]
MMOs You've Never Heard Of: 4Story, Wing of Misadventure, Legendarium Online, Apsis Online, TwoKinds
Welcome back to another quick roundup of some MMOs and MMO-adjacent titles you've probably never heard of. Please, by all means, go down into the comments and tell us that this title is fake news because actually you have heard of one of these. Be that guy! Everyone loves that guy! 4Story: Wow, remember Papaya […]
Ultima Online's New Legacy will introduce family surnames and heraldry
In September 2020, Ultima Online studio Broadsword announced something new for the 23-year-old MMORPG: New Legacy, which is basically a shard for newbies with a simplified ruleset and proper onboarding for the game's complex systems. The studio has stressed that it's not a fresh start or classic server but rather a new style of server […]
The Stream Team: Black Knight Friday quests in AQ3D
It's Black Knight Friday in AQ3D, and Artix Entertainments promises it's the darkest one yet! There are new quests, a new cosmetic trove, and – of course — deals. Massively OP's MJ may not be into shopping, but she's definitely into both AQ3D and deals, so she's diving right into the darkness. Join us live […]
Shroud of the Avatar discusses butchery, artifact salvage, and Release 84 adjustments
As is very often the case with Shroud of the Avatar, things are changing, since the game is still in development. This week's update newsletter has a host of details about what's changing, from butchery to artifact salvage to combat. In-game butchers will get to enjoy new animal processing recipes that replace old meat recipes […]
World of Warcraft explains the Threads of Fate system in Shadowlands
The basic flow of zones in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is fixed. You start out in Bastion and finish up in Revendreth by following the main story, and if you choose to do the main story again, it'll go the same way. But that's an if indeed, because the Threads of Fate system that has […]
Dauntless posts an in-depth dev blog about the Slayer's Path progression system and gear reforging
Dauntless is changing how the game is played wholesale with its Reforged update, replacing Pursuits and Patrols with the Hunting Grounds and adjusting how characters and equipment progress. Those progression systems were the focus of a rather beefy dev blog that talked about the new Slayer's Path and the new reforging mechanic. Character progression will […]
Desert Oasis: So, is the PlayStation 5 an upgrade for Black Desert on console?
Way back in August, I did a first impression of Black Desert for the PlayStation 4. It was a solid game, but I couldn't stick to it. The game just isn't as good on consoles. It ran sluggishly and it felt slower on a controller. And I'm not really a console player at heart. I […]
First Impressions of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, part one: Story and leveling
In a lot of ways, the problem with talking about World of Warcraft is the same problem when you try to talk about The Simpsons. At this point, its longevity and cultural spot exists as such a defining facet of its existence that the only real thing you can compare it to is itself, and […]
Mortal Online 2 celebrates its arrival to beta with an attempt to break a world record
Today will mark the transition of Mortal Online 2 from alpha to beta and the game is doing it in the biggest possible way: by going for a world record for the most players logged in to a single uninstanced server. The attempt, and the beta itself, will begin at 3:00 p.m. EST, and while […]
Final Fantasy XIV drops a trailer and previews the content of patch 5.4, Futures Rewritten
The next major patch for Final Fantasy XIV is launching on December 8th, just a little under two weeks from today. Unsurprisingly, that also means a new trailer for the patch, which we've helpfully included just below if you want a visual glance at things. And there's a lot in this patch, so if you […]
XLGAMES founder Jake Song shares a few lore and gameplay details for ArcheAge 2
The news on ArcheAge 2 has been, admittedly, pretty thin, but that's likely a result of the fact that we've only learned of its existence this past September and work on the game has likely made its first steps. That said, we've gotten a few more details out of XLGAMES' Jake Song during this year's […]
EverQuest's Claws of Veeshan expansion gets a December launch date (and a $250 edition)
Pull your excited face out of long-term storage, boys and girls, because EverQuest's latest expansion is coming sooner than you'd think. In fact, Daybreak Game Company just announced that Claws of Veeshan is scheduled for a December 8th release. Daybreak first revealed the expansion back in October, saying, "Our 27th Expansion for EverQuest is named Claws of Veeshan and […]
The Daily Grind: Do server merges make you worried about an MMO's health?
I've been covering the MMORPG genre professionally for well over 10 years now, and a whole lot has changed in that timespan, including the way people react to server merges. A decade ago, just uttering the word "merge" was enough to send a playerbase into a swirl of panic. Articles covering merges always got plenty […]
The Stream Team: Turkeytopia 2020 in Trove
Turkeytopia is in trouble in Trove! Not terribly surprising for 2020, right? Even so, Massively OP's MJ is ready to lend a hand (or maybe a turkey leg). Can she find Diggsly down in the delves? Success might mean a SWEET new magrider. Grab more pie and join us live at 8:00 p.m. as Massively […]
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 […]
