The Stream Team: Into the Mists of Dungeons & Dragons Online's Ravenloft
With the free access to DDO's Ravenloft quests going away at the end of August, Massively OP's MJ is aiming to get some of those quest lines in. And her first foray will be Into the Mists, a quest involving getting lost in a dark and forbidding forest. Nothing to worry about, right? Tune in […]
Crucible's latest beta patch introduces a big overhaul for scenarios and objectives
Crucible has been one of online gaming's punching bags of the summer, what with Amazon's decision to pull the once-launched title back into closed beta for reworking after players just didn't connect with it. In fact, last week, the game delayed its next round of testing a pinch more thanks to bugs. Well, that update […]
'Our mentors are leaving in droves': Blizzard staff are organizing to demand better compensation
Yesterday, we covered Bloomberg's report on how Blizzard employees were circulating a spreadsheet of their wages and raises in an effort to determine whether Blizzard had gone far enough with its promises to dispense fair pay, particularly in light of increased duties following the 2019 layoffs. As we noted, employees told stories of skipping meals […]
Ashes of Creation's newsletter gets pumped for Alpha One
Are you ready for Alpha One? That's the question that Ashes of Creation's community as the game barrels toward this momentous test event this fall. In this month's newsletter, the team hyped up the progress being made toward the alpha while rounding up a lot of the interviews and AMAs that Intrepid Studios did in […]
Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout's launch day initially trips and falls, gets back up to big numbers
This is pretty much a "water is wet" sort of story, especially for those of us who have seen messy MMO and online game launches before, but we still want to touch back on Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout as the game officially launched yesterday with a bit of a sputtering start. The game first tried […]
GDC Summer 2020: Immersive multiplayer storytelling with Disney's Star Wars Galaxy's Edge
Prior to this whole virus thing, one thing that I was enjoying about MMOs was how they (along with ideas taken from social media) were influencing other genres, particularly when that involves merging tech and real-life spaces to create immersive spaces and games. The idea of themeparks playing with this has been awesome in the […]
TERA NA's next PC update will bring a 64-bit client and a new 20-person raid
Whenever an MMO touts its client getting an upgrade in bits, I'm brought screaming backwards in time to my console war years when the bit size of a system was somehow an effective marketing strategy. In the case of the PC version of TERA, the upcoming update to a 64-bit client is less about marketing […]
Desert Oasis: Our guide to playing Black Desert's season servers
The introduction of Black Desert's season servers this summer was my chocolate-in-peanut-butter moment of the year. I didn't know the combination would be so good! Other players seem to think so as well. The special season servers were pretty packed throughout the entire season, and there was never a dull moment in server chat! It […]
Overwatch's Summer Games have returned with a new twist on Lucioball
Sportsball is pretty strange in pandemic times, as the professional leagues and kiddie teams alike are struggling to find safe ways to return to group sports. The same isn't true in Overwatch, where the shooter's version of The Olympics has returned once again. "Grab your beach ball and join the fun in Overwatch Summer Games […]
GDC Summer 2020: How Niantic adapted Pokemon Go gameplay in the time of COVID-19
GDC Summer 2020 is running all this week, and I'm, well, at home. But much like Pokemon Go, the convention adapted, and while I've had a few "con" moments already, it doesn't feel like it's adapted quite as well as POGO. Lucky for GDC and us, Niantic "sent" Product Lead Matt Slemon and Senior Game Designer […]
Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds returns August 11
It's been only a week since Guild Wars 2 dropped its latest content episode, but already the ArenaNet team is moving to the next festival: Festival of the Four Winds, launching once again on August 11th. "The Festival of the Four Winds returns on August 11! Whether you relax by chilling out at the beach […]
Perfect Ten: Then things to do when you just want to chill out in an MMO
Let's face it: Sometimes, playing MMORPGs — as with any video game — has the potential to stress us out. We might feel under pressure to get all of those dailies done, to bring our A-game to raids, or to scramble to get holiday events done before the end date arrives. Personally, I'm not a […]
Black Desert Mobile adds a new tower defense mode, PC lets players graduate season servers early
Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile both have some things going on in the news today, as is very often the case for these games, so allow me to once again offer you this bundle of Black Desert treats to look over. We'll start with the mobile version, which has introduced a new mode known […]
Fallout 76's Colossal Problem patch lives up to its name as the communuty melts down over massive building bugs
So yesterday's Fallout 76 patch did… not go to plan. Bethsoft added the foundation for A Colossal Problem to the game, and that's not a euphemism, mind you; that's actually what it's called, though the playable part was pulled before it went live. In any case, the patch has been a colossal problem indeed since […]
No, Lord of the Rings Online Classic isn't going to happen, Standing Stone says
When any MMORPG has gone on long enough, a movement among fans to return to the earlier days of the game tends to emerge. Call it "legacy fever" or what have you, but the nostalgia for old systems and a more limited scope seems to appeal to some players. But for those calling for a […]
Phantasy Star Online 2 episode 4 brings new quests and events, a PvP arena, and arrival on Steam
Today is a pretty big day for Phantasy Star Online 2 as the game is releasing its big episode 4 update, bringing new quests and new monsters, an all-new PvP battle arena, and the addition of Bonus Quests which can offer up huge XP, Mesata, and item rewards, though those quests can only be accessed […]
Riot is closing up shop for a week to grant devs a break from crunch and deadlines
It's not at all uncommon for senior staff to take holiday vacations in the USA, nor is it uncommon for whole studios in Europe to close down for a summer break, but you seldom see the latter here. Riot Games, however, will be the exception, as it's announced it'll close down the studio – which […]
War breaks out in WoW Classic as Horde players retaliate for Alliance Ahn'Qiraj Scarab Lord griefing
It would seem that the factional drama over getting the Scarab Lord title in WoW Classic was simply the flashpoint for a major bonfire on the Sulfuras server, as the re-opening of the gates of Ahn'Qiraj touched off a massive battle between Horde and Alliance guilds, with members of the slighted Horde guild reportedly seeking […]
The Daily Grind: Who is the greatest female NPC in an MMO?
From Jaina to Wonder Woman, Vette to Galadriel, MMORPGs sport an inspiring roster of strong and fascinating women. Sometimes they headline the game, as in the case of Tabula Rasa's Sarah Morrison. Sometimes they serve as protector figures, such as Destiny 2's Sloane, while other times they serve as antagonists, such as Star Wars: The […]
The Stream Team: Completing concert collection and powering a ranger in AQ3D
The end of the Breaking Benjamin battle concert in AQ3D is eminent, and the conclusions of that 54+ step quest is in sight for Massively OP's MJ. Today is the day! She will complete the concert. But not only that, MJ will also power up her new ranger. It's a double-header of wrap-ups. Join us […]
Trove has a celestial summer with the launch of the Lunar Plunge event
It's about time to reach for the stars — quite literally — in Trove as the game kicks off the Lunar Plunge event where players can gather up all sorts of celestial-themed goodies. During the Lunar Plunge, Invasions will be replaced with Starfalls that will see Stars and Lunar Drops randomly appear around the world. […]
Shroud of the Avatar adds player town teleporters and previews new building block types
Release 80 is now live in Shroud of the Avatar and with it are new ways for players to blip between player-created towns. The teleporter items that were previewed earlier are now in-game, with a number of different types of things that can function as a route between player-created towns, from the previewed wagon to […]
Activision-Blizzard Q2 2020: Year-over-year revenues are up for the first time in six quarters
We're back with another dip into Activision-Blizzard's financials, this one Q2 2020, the first report since shareholders lambasted the company for excessive executive pay and the first report since BlizzCon 2020 was outright canceled. MMO readers will recall that Q1's report was heavily focused on on COVID-19 impacts and talking up better-than-expected returns, but as […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 282: Gate crashers
Justin and Bree discuss WoW Classic, Dragon's Prophet, Warhammer Online's Return of Reckoning, Phantasy Star Online 2, and EVE Echoes, with adventures in LOTRO, SWTOR, WoW, and SWG Legends, plus mailbag topics on memorable MMO stories and the greediest games.
Rebirth Online makes its early access arrival to Steam
Steam is now home to another free-to-play MMORPG from our friends in South Korea. This time it's Rebirth Online, which appears to be the PC version of the mobile MMO Rebirth M now released on Steam Early Access. As we covered when publisher/developer Caret Games first announce the arrival of Rebirth Online, this title hits […]
Past Fate promises new spells and skill trees to alpha as its Kickstarter marches on
As the second Kickstarter drive for sandbox MMORPG Past Fate rolls on, the devs at Icy North Games are still hard at work improving the game's alpha build, kicking out a bug fix-loaded update and planning on future updates that will include more spells & abilities for Necromancer, Warrior and Priest classes as well as […]
For Science: Meta-analysis of aggression studies shows no link between aggression and video games
Do video games make people violent? The dispatch from the APA back in March certainly seems to indicate that it thinks so, which runs counter to what even researchers connected to the studies cited believed. But a new meta-analysis released on the Royal Society site went through 28 different studies and analyzed the data from […]
Fallout 76 patches in a new public event and the communal Brotherhood of Steel base building effort
I'll be honest, the only reason I enjoy the Brotherhood of Steel is that they have neat toys, which I suspect would be a prime reason for Fallout 76 players to join in on the community goal of building a Brotherhood of Steel base, which is something that can now be done with the latest […]
Choose My Adventure: The absurd tsunami that is AdventureQuest 3D
Let's see… I was flung across the world, I fought an extremely hyperactive unicorn bro, I nearly got defeated by chickens, and I fought a monstrous tree stump that spoke only in puns. And that was just the beginning of my AdventureQuest 3D adventures. To be honest, I was expecting plenty of silliness. I used […]
Final Fantasy XIV will be down for 24 hours for patch 5.3 maintenance
Get anything you need to have done in Final Fantasy XIV done before August 10th. Anything you want done before the patch, at least, because that's when patch 5.3 comes roaring on to the game's servers with a 24-hour long maintenance window. Yes, it starts at 6:00 a.m. EDT on August 10th and ends at […]
Not So Massively: First impressions of StarCraft II's co-op prestige system
Last week, StarCraft II celebrated its tenth anniversary by launching the major 5.0 patch. With it came the new "prestige" system for co-op mode, offering a wealth of new strategic options for every commander. It would take weeks — if not months — to explore all the new options in detail, but for now I can […]
Yet another Ubisoft executive is out of a job in the wake of ongoing sexual misconduct allegations
Ubisoft is still feeling the effects of sexual harassment allegations at the executive level as Tommy Francois, VP of editorial and creative services, is how gone from the company entirely. Francois was previously put on administrative leave in June and widely reported to have left earlier this week, though Gamasutra's source says he was in […]
Trove interview: Gamigo on console's future, Bomber Royale, and the next class for a revamp
With Trove's fifth birthday and its Delves expansion now behind it, we're curious about what's next for the game. Gamigo's Cornelia and Coby – Product Manager and Game Designer on Trove, respectively – kindly chatted with us about that and a few other burning questions, like what's up with console, which class is next up […]
Phantasy Star Online Director on working on the original: 'The pressure was intense'
We wouldn't have Phantasy Star Online 2 without the original Phantasy Star Online – not just because numbers work like that, but because a big part of what made PSO2 possible was the foundational work done on PSO. A new interview with director Takao Miyoshi looking back on the original includes, among other things, his […]
Blizzard staffers agitate against poor worker pay as Activision-Blizzard rakes in billions
Blizzard's labor practices have been under scrutiny over the last couple of years, propelled in large part due to mass-layoffs at the top of 2019 that coincided with Blizzard's "historic" $7.5B revenue haul. Apparently, those who survived the layoffs haven't given up agitating, as a new report on Bloomberg covers the World of Warcraft, Diablo, […]
New World wraps up 'density test,' and the community is impressed
With all the activity flitting about Amazon's New World these days, you wouldn't think that the upcoming MMORPG has been delayed all the way into 2021. This past weekend, the studio ran a "density" (read "stress") test to prepare the servers for the promised pre-order preview that's coming later this month. Said density test has […]
Lord of the Rings Online opens the doors to Rohan housing and Helm's Deep
It's always a momentous occasion in Lord of the Rings Online when a brand-new type of housing is added to the servers, and today's may be even more so. The long-awaited Rohan housing is now open for purchase, offering themed premium houses for players to inhabit. Update 27.2 adds two Rohan neighborhoods with regular and […]
The Daily Grind: How can MMO communities revive a dying playerbase?
A while back, I read a Reddit thread from players of a certain small MMO who were discussing what the community could do to, well, save the game and give it the prominence it deserves. "Honestly this game is awesome, and has so much potential," the OP said. "I'd love to see it thrive – […]
The Stream Team: Speed gardening in Path of Exile
Massively OP's MJ wants to get in some more gardening before she's gone on her moving excursion. With all the packing and moving, she hasn't been able to play Path of Exile's latest league and her melee Scion nearly as much as she's wanted to. And now she'll be facing an undetermined time of being […]
Massively Uplifting: Good deeds don't take the summer off for Bungie, Niantic, and Trolls in WoW
When summer comes, some lucky folks get to take the season off. Even those who continue on their regular labors often head out on real life adventures and vacations. Conventions, family reunions, fairs and amusement parks — these were standard July activities. 2020, however, has certainly put the kibosh on many summer plans all across […]
Lord of the Rings Online community reschedules Weatherstock for September
In hindsight, Lord of the Rings Online's greatest annual player concert series couldn't have picked a worse time to try to host the event. Last month's Weatherstock was originally going to rage all day on July 18th, but that's about when the servers caught on fire and the game went mostly offline for great periods […]
Closed alpha testing results see survival sandbox Craftopia delay its early access launch
MOP's Bree and I — and probably some other staffers here — are pretty eager to see what Craftopia is all about. For those who don't remember the last time we cast eyes on this one, it styles itself as an open world survival crafting game with farming, crafting (obviously), dungeon delving, monster hunting, and […]
Black Desert addresses caster-heavy Conquest Wars, new regions, and gear progress walls
We're back once again with another set of Black Desert Heidel Ball player questions. Who knew that we'd be getting so much mileage out of an image of the Black Spirit adorably holding a microphone? In this Q&A round we get a number of answers from a wide variety of topics. One of the very […]
Fortnite's receding water level reveals a new Atlantis-like location known as Coral Castle
As the water level recedes in the battle royale island of Fortnite, more locations are revealed, yet those who have been exploring the area (when they're not being shot by other players) have been curiously peering at a particular corner of the map that was previously covered by a whirlpool that seemed to suggest a […]
ARK discusses balance changes and Genesis part 2 release, Atlas answers player questions
Hi there! Do you love some survival sandboxes developed by Studio Wildcard and Grapeshot Games? Then you're in the right place as both ARK: Survival Evolved and Atlas are in the news. Let's get to it. In ARK's latest community crunch, players are given the rather unhappy news that Genesis part 2's release is being […]
Final Fantasy XI: The Voracious Resurgence gets its own teaser site
It turns out that Final Fantasy XI will just keep going forever. The game has been pumping out monthly updates reliably ever since its supposed maintenance mode kicked off, of course, but now it's getting new story content… and as a demonstration of scope, the new story has a subtitle and even a full special […]
Path of Exile lays out a rough timeline for its next major expansion
Now that Path of Exile has effectively completed work on the Harvest League (sort of), the time has come for the devs at Grinding Gear Games to look ahead to 3.12 with a general idea of when players can expect the next League. As a result of a 14 week development cycle to create Harvest, […]
Star Citizen discusses its plans for finalizing the Stanton system
The Stanton system of Star Citizen (aka the only star system available to explore in the alpha right now) is almost fully built. Sort of. Maybe? It's a work in progress. That's the broad strokes message from the latest Calling All Devs video, though there are more specific details that should be noted before you […]
World of Warcraft ad accidentally shows up in Disney's Spaceship Earth
So for those brave foolhardy souls venturing into Walt Disney World during this year of the pandemic, it must be a surreal experience to see normally crowded parks spread out and subject to all manner of extra precautions. But it must be even more surreal when an MMORPG just happens to pop up in one […]
World of Warships enters into a crossover with Transformers for unique skins and voices
It's time for Transformers to cross over with World of Warships, and that means… ship skins. Like, seriously, that's the thing. You might think that you would get ships based on some of the numerous Transformers with sea-based alternate modes (Tidal Wave, Broadside, Seaspray, Thunderblast, Depthcharge, Splashdown, Undertow, Flattop, Manta Ray, and Waterlog all spring […]
