Ashes of Creation plans a new website, 20 biomes, and February 19 milestone test
The month of January is almost over, but there's still some news to be heard from the devs of Ashes of Creation in the form of their monthly development update stream, which gives fans and backers a progress report on what's being worked on and what's coming next for the MMORPG. In terms of updates, […]
World of Warcraft makes Torghast unlocks account-wide
Here's some really good news for players who are groaning in anticipation at running those lengthy Torghast levels in World of Warcraft! Blizzard hotfixed a way to share those achievements across your entire account, meaning that you only have to accomplish this once to enjoy the benefits for your army of alts. "Now, when you've […]
The Game Archaeologist: Lost Continents, the Jules Verne MMO we never got
If you're looking for an alternate vision of futuristic science fiction, you would do well to dive back into the worlds of 19th century author Jules Verne. His forward-thinking designs and stories influenced movies such as Back to the Future Part III and theme parks such as Euro Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea. Jules Verne's imaginary […]
The Stream Team: Checking in on the now free-to-play Will to Live Online
Although development has been steady (and the game is now free-to-play), it has been a very long time since Massively OP's MJ has been in to check out Will to Live Online. Maybe her will just wasn't strong enough, or perhaps she was scarred too much by the rats! Whatever the reason, she has blocked […]
Camelot Unchained previews the Verdant Forest and creation of 21 different races
The latest Unveiled newsletter from Camelot Unchained has a lot to talk about, but then again when you're trying to describe the creation of a forest biome and 21 different in-game races, you're going to end up with a lengthy newsletter and a monthly blog recap to top it off. On the subject of the […]
Report exposes mismanagement, bro culture, and trend-chasing at Amazon Game Studios
We've all heard about how someone or something is "too big to fail," but in the case of Amazon Game Studios, it's been one failure after another, with the cancellation of Breakaway after a development hiatus, the beta do-over and then full cancellation of Crucible, and a wholesale direction shift for New World, which led […]
WRUP: Beekeeping strategies edition
DON'T: Yell at your bees. DO: Yell encouraging things at flowers while making it clear that the yelling is not directed at the bees. DON'T: Throw fire at your bees. DO: Teach your bees about alternating and direct current in electricity. DON'T: Take all of your clothing off and run around your beehives while dripping […]
The Daily Grind: How often do you start over in MMOs?
One of my all-time favorite things to do in MMORPGs is to wipe the slate clean and start over. I've been going nuts doing that this month, rerolling in several of my favorite games and experiencing that "fresh character smell" that hints of possibility and future adventures. Sure, this isn't always practical if you have […]
The Stream Team: AdventureQuest 3D's Blood Moon is about to rise
AQ3D's Darkovia story continues this week with the release of the next chapter, Before the Blood Moon. Now that Saferia and Constantine are in charge of the Vampires and werewolves, peace between the two races can finally happen. But there is an ancient power that can disrupt it all — or perhaps even help! Massively […]
Betawatch: Magic Legends hits open beta on March 23
It took a bit longer than expected, possibly longer than the developers had hoped, but it's finally happening. Magic Legends has an official open beta date of March 23rd, far enough away that there's time for refinement ahead of the date itself but close enough that it's worth looking forward to. Isn't it nice when things […]
Mu Online launches Season 15 Part 2, Mu Origin 2 introduces a new Rune system
Talk about MMOs that have way too many versions of themselves; it's time to look at some new updates to Mu! Specifically, the PC game Mu Online and the mobile title MU Origin 2, both of which have gotten some fresh injections of content. In Mu Online, Season 15 Part 2 is now live, bringing […]
Aion asks players to defend the Garden of Growth with its new auto-hunting mechanics
Darn, hunting things in the Garden of Growth in Aion is going to take a while. Seriously, the whole thing that players are doing is popping enemies for an hour while gaining experience boosters and occasional stones. If only there were a way to just set the game to play itself for you during the […]
Runes of Magic opens the Dasein's Labyrinth event zone for a limited time
Yes, the event zone that has been introduced in Runes of Magic calls itself Dasein's Labyrinth, which implies that it introduces one of our community's most hated MMO features. This one, however, doesn't sound so bad, and there's even an option to fight a boss instead. From now until Thursday, February 4th, players that are […]
Gamigo's Echo of Soul gets a new level cap, dungeons, and advancement systems in 3.0 update
Echo of Soul has received a pretty sizeable update. Normally that would be enough of a lede before getting in to the details, but this game requires a bit more specificity, as this update is for the EOS Phoenix version run by Gamigo and not EOS The Blue run by Blue Potion Games on Steam, […]
Shroud of the Avatar brings a new scene, buff-providing statues, and quality-of-life features in Release 86
Most of the recent news out of Shroud of the Avatar has been leading up to this point: the launch of Release 86, which brings a number of features and paves the way for some other things to come down the pike. In terms of immediate updates, R86 adds the Well of Aldur adventure scene […]
Magic Legends previews overland combat and map ahead of spring open beta
I kinda feel a smidge sorry for Magic Legends this week as its open beta announcement and slew of videos have been a bit overshadowed by the runaway train that is Gamestock. Nevertheless, on Tuesday PWE dropped a deckbuilding trailer and state-of-the-game video, along with the announcement that it's rolling into open beta come March […]
Star Trek Online previews its Legendary Anniversary Pack's first ship, a Legendary Bird of Prey
The 10th anniversary pack for Star Trek Online gave players access to some legendary ships with new and improved visuals, and the same style of pack is back for the 11th anniversary in the near future. The full pack will contain four legendary ships (two Klingon ships, two Federation ships) along with a variety of other […]
Discrimination class-action lawsuit against Riot proceeds in spite of Riot's arbitration success
In the summer of 2018, which seems like an eternity ago now, Kotaku published a massive expose of Riot Games' "culture of sexism," the poor corporate response to which ultimately triggered an employee walkout, multiple lawsuits, and a story about how a VP who repeatedly grabbed subordinates' balls was punished with only unpaid leave over […]
Path of Exile is still working out some post-Echoes of the Atlas bugs and issues
With Echoes of the Atlas and its first patch behind us, Path of Exile is looking ahead to a few other changes in the near future. To wit: The team is working on multiple bug fixes that are in or will be soon, including Maven invites not sending, invisible enemies during rituals, Mark on Hit […]
Lawful Neutral: The bizarre corporate effort to buy RuneScape studio Jagex
Would it really be a new year without Runescape developer Jagex being involved in some sort of weird corporate sale only to be blocked by a lawsuit that says, "You can't sell because you don't own it?" Well, technically, yes it would be a new year. But it's hard to feel as if Jagex's ownership […]
Destiny 2 adds new seasonal challenges, discontinues Crimson Days event
There's good news and bad news for Destiny 2 fans. The bad news is that the Season of the Hunt is almost over. The good news is that means a new season is gearing up to begin. We don't know what it's called yet, but Bungie says it'll reveal that with the new trailer this […]
WoW Factor: The pros and cons of deterministic gear systems
One of the big changes that's hit World of Warcraft over the years is in regard to deterministic gear systems. In the original launch version of the game, gear was entirely randomized and obtained through nothing but random drops, but the game's first two expansions built up a deterministic system over time in which you could […]
Star Citizen discusses the creation of logos, docking arms, outpost buildings, and more vehicles
It's time for your weekly dose of Star Citizen news in video form as CIG has released another episode of Inside Star Citizen. The video first kicks off with a look at how the devs create the logos for in-game brands like microTech, Crusader, and in a more detailed look, Gino's Hot Bird. Incidentally, I […]
With some trading restrictions lifted, GameStop stock is taking off again
The GME train keeps on a rollin' here on Friday. As daytraders and retail stock-buyers have been organizing on Reddit to buy GameStop stock and urging each other to "hold the line," the price of that stock has lurched around all week and been the star of even the mainstream news cycle as politicians rage, […]
Fallen Earth sees 'significant pre-production,' APB Reloaded gets a marketing push
The small studio of Little Orbit has a whole lot on its plate for 2021, starting with the recent early access launch of Unsung Story, a tactical RPG. But of particular interest to us is the studio's recent mentions of both Fallen Earth and APB Reloaded. As for the post-apocalyptic MMORPG, Little Orbit CEO Matt […]
Blade and Soul Revolution starts taking mobile pre-registrations
Fans of Blade and Soul are just a short time away from having that experience in the palm of their hands. Blade and Soul Revolution, the mobile edition created by Netmarble, has opened pre-registrations in advance of the game's release. While there's no set date for the launch as of yet, this move is a […]
The Daily Grind: How do you handle MMO sunsets?
You probably read the news over the holidays that Zynga finally shut the original FarmVille down, owing to the deprecation of Flash and development of other titles in the franchise. I haven't looked at the game in over a decade, but as it turns out, my dad was still playing and was pretty peeved about […]
The Stream Team: A Neverwinter night raid to put Drow slavers out of business
Massively OP's MJ and her D&D night crew have moved on to Neverwinter's Rothe Valley to rid the area of Drow slavers who've come to bolster their commodities with locals. The group is going to put a stop to it, starting with tonight's The Night Raid. Tune in live at 9:00 p.m. to smash some […]
Massively Overthinking: Are you susceptible to second-hand MMO hype?
So there's a thing going around the MOP virtual offices lately: Elite Dangerous hype. Between Chris and Ben especially, the excitement for Odyssey is palpable. I didn't do a formal headcount, but I bet half our staff seems to be hyped for it, and the other half is watching it with a curious eye. This […]
There's lots to love in Pokemon Go's February update and new events
Ah, February. A time for love. For nostalgia. For fighting back criminals who steal items and monsters. Well, at least in Pokemon Go. Niantic has jammed the month full of events, from holidays from Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year to a retro-Rocket week and the regional tour finale that is the Kanto Tour. We're […]
Nine Chronicles is a 'decentralized' peer-to-peer blockchain MMO with open source modification features
Admittedly, that headline has a lot of techbro buzzword nonsense in it, so let's try to break down what Nine Chronicles is. At the brass tacks level, it's a side-scrolling MMO that promises dungeons, crafting, trading, arena-based PvP, and nine worlds to explore. The game is also open-source, making it fully customizable thanks to a […]
Final Fantasy XI preps for big campaigns in early February
The next major update for Final Fantasy XI is due in early February, with more Voracious Resurgence content along with Odyssey updates. But why stop there? The game certainly isn't as it kicks off a series of enhancement campaigns starting on February 11th, with the campaigns running one week before kicking into even higher gear with […]
Path of Exile promises more texture-streaming and frame-rate adjustments
If you've ever been annoyed by dropped frames and stutter in Path of Exile, take heart: Grinding Gear Games is still working on the problem. "Historically, Path of Exile's engine would drop a lot of frames (causing a bad stutter) whenever a new asset needed to be rendered but hadn't been loaded yet," GGG's Chris […]
The Day Before is an open-world survival MMO set in a post-zombie pandemic apocalypse
Zombies? Check. Surviving in a post-apoc world? Check. Guns to shoot? Yup. Plenty of familiar tropes are present and accounted for in the upcoming open-world MMO The Day Before, but it's still worth a moment to cast a spotlight on the upcoming title because that's just what we do here at MOP. Also, at least […]
Fallout 76's next update will finally allow players to build and store multiple C.A.M.P.s
Fallout 76 just pumped out an update – and Bethesda is already looking ahead to the next one. Most notably, the studio is working on what it's calling S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Loadouts – i.e., ways to reset your attributes – plus a new aim assist setting, batch crafting, world activity menu tweaks, melee buffs, and an expansion […]
Old School RuneScape is finally launching on Steam
Every once in a while, I'll bump into a long-running MMORPG that isn't on Steam and think, wait, what? How is that thing not on here yet? Old School RuneScape gave me just that sort of head-spin today as it's announced that's it's finally dropping on Steam on February 24th, joining core RuneScape itself, which […]
Cubox is a blocky open-world MMORPG mixture of building, crafting, and fighting
What do you get when a game smashes together elements from Minecraft, Diablo, Tibia, and Don't Starve? You apparently get something like Cubox, at least by the lone developer's own reckoning. This self-described stew of games offers up a blocky open world for players to explore, craft, and build in, with open-world PvP, battle royale […]
MMO Business Roundup: Activision-Blizzard rebuffs diversity proposal, gaming Kickstarters are on the rise again
Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent gaming industry news! MMO Kickstarters may have lost the faith of the genre's playerbase, but for video games on the whole, the platform is raising more money than ever. According to a new ICO Partners report (via GIbiz), video games scored $23M through Kickstarter last year, […]
Final Fantasy XIV previews Delubrum Reginae, Blue Mage updates, and Skysteel Tool improvements
Patch 5.45 arrives in Final Fantasy XIV on February 2nd, and that means the game's special site for patch content has been updated with previews of the new content involved. Blue Mage fans, for example, can start leveling up to 70 along with the Blue Mage log being updated for 4.x content, and naturally there are […]
Vague Patch Notes: The difficult value of MMOs
If given the option, I would probably get a lifetime subscription to Final Fantasy XIV. But the key word there is probably, and this is a game where I have spent lots of money over the years. It'd be a bit hard to convince me that there was some particular additional value to having a one-time lifetime price […]
Dual Universe offers up a detailed look at its upcoming mission system
Making money in Dual Universe requires a bit more legwork than most MMO players might be used to, particularly since traders need to haul their items to specific markets to sell. That's being fixed with the upcoming mission system, which seeks to not only help merchants focus on creating products but also help new players […]
Elyon KR unveils the new Slayer class arriving on February 3
Sure, Elyon already has a class that wields a really big weapon (a couple of them, arguably), but none of those classes have a heckin' big sword paired with a lot of anger. That's what the Slayer class is bringing to the MMORPG, which was recently unveiled for the Korean version of the game as […]
Phantasy Star Online 2 preps new Luster class for February 3 update
Still waiting for the arrival of New Genesis? SEGA is dropping some new content in Phantasy Star Online 2 to tide you over. Well, new to the global edition, anyhow. Coming on February 3rd is a brand-new class, along with a level bump to 100, new quests, upgraded training for risk realm, a new summoner […]
Star Trek Online's House Reborn update sees the highest level of player numbers since 2018
This year's anniversary event for Star Trek Online bet big on the Klingons with new Klingon episodes, Klingon recruitment, and a Klingon-themed anniversary ship. Turns out that was a good bet, as the team announced on Twitter that the game saw its best player numbers since 2018's Victory is Life update. That's pretty darn good for […]
Neverwinter buffs Wizards and fixes some scaling issues in latest patch
For the record, we love Neverwinter's patch numbering system because what schoolyard chum won't be gushing about how much he or she loves "Patch NW.123.20210105a.8?" In any case, Patch NW.123.20210105a.8 is indeed here, and Patch NW.123.20210105a.8 will delight and awe you with its offerings. Notably for people still upset over the recent combat rebalance, there […]
Elder Scrolls Online starts testing Oblivion-themed dungeons
With this week's official announcement of Elder Scrolls Online's 2021 roadmap, the Gates of Oblivion-themed year has begun. While we have a while to wait before Blackwood arrives, the first batch of Oblivion content is already on the test server. ZeniMax posted the patch notes for Update 29, which is divided up between the paid […]
The Daily Grind: Do shutdown fears influence your MMO play habits?
It's hard to ignore the long-term health of a game when it comes time to play an MMO. If one of the big elements of an MMO that contributes to the feel is a sense of persistence – and I would argue that it is – the thought that you may be starting to play […]
The Stream Team: The Epicness of LOTRO's Mirkwood
There are a number of books of LOTRO's epic story that Massively OP's MJ hasn't finished, but until she wraps up the Mirkwood one, she won't be able to fully participate in the skirmish events. So today, she's fighting her way through that dark forest to unlock more skirmishes. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. […]
Kingdoms in Chaos is an open world PvP MMORPG 'where murderer and monster co-exist'
That quote in the headline is directly pulled from the description of Kingdoms in Chaos, a new open world MMORPG that recently arrived to Steam Early Access. And that's not the only bit of flex that this game is showing off: "A place where murderer and monster co-exist. Huge open world where players can travel […]
Mobile MMO Warhammer Odyssey makes a combat balance pass and adds some quality-of-life features
Hey, remember Warhammer Odyssey? We've touched on this game a few times over the past couple of years, including a look at a very familiar game world in November of last year. Since then, the mobile MMO has been soft-launching across the globe with plans to fully release at the end of January, but before […]
