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 […]
Atlas Rogues readies the release of two new characters in an update next week
Last week, the multiplayer tactical rogue-lite Atlas Rogues unveiled plans for a new content drop in their January patch notes. A press release from Gamigo has sort of supplemented this information with a couple of other details as well as a release window for the update. According to the presser, the next content drop will […]
Habbo Hotel developer Sulake is fully bought out by gaming and adtech firm Azerion
It's time for some games business news that may or may not be good for Habbo Hotel! The multiplayer social game's developer Sulake has been fully bought out by Azerion, which recently purchased the final remaining shares from the game's only other sole investor. Azerion is a pan-European firm that specializes in gaming and adtech. […]
Neverwinter shows off its upcoming rewards from the new Sharandar campaign
Are you ready to venture into a new Sharandar campaign in Neverwinter? The answer may very well be, "no, I can't fight anything any longer and so I'm not really down for that at the moment," but let's put that to one side for now because the latest preview is all about the rewards you'll get for […]
World of Tanks rolls out Italian heavy tanks as Wargaming's infringement lawsuit is dismissed in California
We've got three World of Tanks and Wargaming stories to truck through this afternoon. The Blitz lawsuit: First, Wargaming had apparently filed a California lawsuit against Blitz Team (now called Press Fire Games), which itself was made up of members of the original World of Tanks: Blitz team. Wargaming had argued that its ex-employees had […]
The Reddit-driven GameStop stock spike isn't going to end well
(We're continuing to update this piece on the latest at the end!) If I had told you last year that GameStop, the retail business that was already struggling even before COVID hampered its plans for rescue, would make headlines in 2021 for a massive stock surge involving Elon Musk, Reddit shitposters, and hedge fund villains, […]
SMITE releases new Conquest map, new battle pass, and new tutorials with the launch of Season 8
Goodbye creepy Sleeper purple, hello resplendent Tiamat marble. It's the start of Season 8 in SMITE, which has brought along with it a fresh bundle of content updates, all of which holds no surprises for you if you checked out Hi-Rez's presentation from earlier this month. As a refresher, Season 8 introduces a refreshed Conquest […]
NCsoft Korea's office literally turns away employees that have worked too many hours
It's not too terribly often we get the opportunity to report on gaming companies doing the right thing by its employees (even if it is also to not run afoul of local government), so allow us a moment to eagerly report on NCsoft's "Gate Off" protocol, which effectively prevents employees that have been working at […]
Black Desert PC adds new chicken chasing quests, opens Western transfers from Kakao
As sure as the sun will rise and set, the latest update to Black Desert on PC has added a bunch of new events and quests. This time around, though, they don't really have any overarching theme as the headline alludes to, unless you tell a story where your character rides their horse to earn […]
Stick and Rudder: Nine non-combat activities to enjoy in Elite Dangerous
I'm horrible at combat in Elite Dangerous. It took me several tries to get past the bot in the combat tutorial. Not the advanced combat tutorial, mind you – the basic one. Due to my astounding level of ineptitude, I've outfitted my ships to be able to run from trouble, not confront it. It should […]
RuneScape studio Jagex disputes RICO-tinged lawsuit over its convoluted ownership
Earlier this week, RuneScape studio Jagex announced it had been sold to a new investment company, The Carlyle Group. But then we learned another company, Plutos Sama Holdings, had contested that sale, having filed a multi-defendant lawsuit that claimed it had purchased Jagex at auction in China in 2019 and that Jagex's previous sale to […]
End-of-Year Eleven: The best-value MMOs at the start of 2021
What exactly is value, especially when it comes to MMOs? We all know what the word means, but the thing about "best value" is that it's highly variable. Is a buy-to-play game with an aggressive cash shop better value than a free-to-play game with a less aggressive cash shop? What about if the former game has […]
Bless Mobile has officially made its global debut on Android and Apple devices
Bless Mobile, the 800th version of MMORPG Bless, has officially made its global launch today. Yes, 800 is a bit of an exaggeration, but only if you concern yourself with numbers. Bless first dropped in the west as the incredibly short-lived and much-maligned Bless Online, then returned in a new format for console and then […]
Indie MMO Wild Terra 2 begins early access with a 'spirit of adventure'
The sequel to Wild Terra is finally here for players looking for a dash of fresh winter gaming. Wild Terra 2: New Lands has officially kicked off its no-wipe early access period on Steam with plans to further expand the MMO via "seasons" starting this June. It does sound like the current iteration won't quite […]
Animal Crossing New Horizons returns with series staple Mardi 'Festivale'
A festivale's coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but please, keep your shirts and pants on. ACNH's version of Mardi Gras involves a peacock, feathers, and new emotes, including some dances, finally! It's no Shrunk Funk Shuffle, but hopefully, it means we're closing in on it. The new reactions will be available from the Nooklings' shelf for […]
Fallout 76's new patch gives you more room for your junk
The life of a wasteland scavenger is a hard one, with killer mutants, radioactive pools, and cannibals ready to ruin your day. But the greatest hardship, bar none, is not having enough room for all the great stuff you find during your trips. That's why this week's Fallout 76 patch is a wonderful gift to […]
The Daily Grind: What MMO fuels your wanderlust?
As much as I do appreciate solid direction and guidance from my MMOs when I'm looking for useful content, sometimes I like to strike off the expected path and head for distant horizons. Games that empower and encourage me to explore are wonderful treasures, especially if they have delightful things to discover. Of course, not […]
The Stream Team: Exploring EverQuest II's Echo Caverns
While exploring EQII's Reign of Shadows, Massively OP's MJ entered an area where a voice proclaimed she would only find death there and then demanded she leave. As if! MJ isn't one to listen to anyone who tries to curtail her exploration! In fact, such a challenge makes her all the more interested in poking […]
Pirates of the Burning Sea wants to make new content and break up the pirate faction
With some of the more critical infrastructure issues addressed, free-to-play Pirates of the Burning Sea is now sailing into the waters of possible content development — but it's hampered in this effort. The only problem for this community dev team is that creating new content is impossible without a "proprietary third-party tool" that Sony Online […]
Atlas developers state that the game is not yet where they want it to be in a new Q&A
It's kind of nice to have a developer outright tell you that a game still deep in development is not yet into a finished state. The newest community Q&A from Atlas did precisely that, with a succinct and clear developer response explaining that the game's development is in part a collaborative process of seeing where players […]
The Blackwood chapter will headline Elder Scrolls Online's Gates of Oblivion year, launching in June
Here we go, folks: Tonight we're finally getting some hard details on what The Elder Scrolls Online is up to in 2021, courtesy of the ZeniMax Online Studios livestream this evening. What can we expect? ZeniMax already teased the year's theme – Gates of Oblivion – with a brief video back in December, so we're […]
