Massively Overthinking: Are MMO social hubs overrated?
MMO reader Random recently winged us an article from Kotaku arguing for the abolishment of pointless social hubs in video games. "Here's a radical idea," it begins, "Turn every social space in a video game into a menu." It suggests that many social hubs are wastes of time and space and we'd all be better […]
Starbase discusses the creation of new tools and new devices in latest updates
We're back with another peek into the ongoing development of Starbase, the building-focused space sandbox being crafted by Finnish studio Frozenbyte. First up, the past couple of weekly updates have the usual extremely specific development alerts like work on Ship Diagnostic Scanner and Salvage Collector tools, continued work on easy build mode, the end of […]
Multiplayer survival shooter Scavengers touts the features of SpatialOS and how the tech changes gameplay
Stop me if you've heard this before: Improbable's SpatialOS is going to be leveraged by the developers of Scavengers in a way that other multiplayer games are incapable of thanks to the scales it can work with. That's part of the message in a recent interview with Improbable chief technology officer Lincoln Wallen and developer […]
Star Wars The Old Republic announces The Dark Descent update with new flashpoint and 'galactic seasons'
Remember when Star Wars The Old Republic's last update fell a little flat and we said we hoped that the promised influx of updates for the game in the wake of Anthem Next's cancelation really brought the goods? You can be the judge of whether that's the case, as as BioWare announced 6.3: The Dark […]
Former Halo Wars game designer talks about the Halo MMO we never got to see
How do you think an MMO in the Halo universe would have played out? Would it just be like a really large multiplayer deathmatch? Would it work like the open-world single-player portion of Halo Infinite at scale? Or would it just be another Destiny 2? We don't necessarily need to wonder, as game designer Sandy […]
DreamWorld promises an 'infinite open world MMO,' seeks $10K on Kickstarter
DreamWorld Realities, Inc. says its new MMO, DreamWorld, is "the last game you'll ever play," and we're not sure whether that's a threat, but it's definitely a slogan. In its new Kickstarter, the game is billed as an "infinite open world MMO" with "millions of players" in "one single world" made up of "thousands of […]
The Stream Team: Dancing with the Bad Luck Sneevils for AQ3D's Lucky Day
Silly and St. Patrick's Day fit perfectly together, so Massively OP's MJ is delighted to find the two combined for AdventureQuest 3D's Lucky Day festivities. There's definitely silliness afoot: She'll be dancing with Bad Luck Sneevil and Cloverzards while collecting the best in shamrock attire. Join us live at 2:00 p.m. to see Sneevils, stay […]
Darkfall: Rise of Agon introduces buff-granting Obelisks in its latest update
Ready for a bit of capture the flag in Darkfall: Rise of Agon? No, it's not a separate game mode, but the Dayar update has introduced Obelisks that grant buffs to players so long as they bring them back to their clan cities. So it's a bit like CTF except the match never really ends. […]
Magic Legends outlines the regional reputations system and previews each area's rewards
Yes, Magic Legends will have a rep grind according to the game's latest preview post. Specifically, the multiplayer ARPG's reputation system won't be with a particular faction so much as a specific region, unlocking 100 levels of reputations and daily quests once players have completed that region's specific story missions. So why go through this […]
Past Fate's new video series shows off the alpha's new dynamic combat and gloomy New Harbor
This week, Icy North Games began a new series of dev videos that give players a glimpse into the current state of Past Fate's development – this first one in particularly showing off the latest alpha patch. The walkthrough starts in an area called New Harbor, which is gloomy and dank and has apparently been […]
Crayta is a newer, Fortniteyer Roblox, and it's now live on the Epic Games Store
If Roblox hasn't already permanently taken the "games-within-a-game" spot in your heart – or on your kids' devices – then you might want to take a peek at its most likely competitor: Unit 2 Games' Crayta. Launched last summer as a Stadia exclusive, the game looks like a Roblox and Fortnite mash-up; it essentially allows […]
EVE Online's upcoming March 23 patch adjusts Jump Clone installation, Burst Jammers, and wormholes
If we're judging by the contents and the literal title of EVE Online's next update, there's some quality-of-life improvements coming to the internet spaceship sandbox on Tuesday, March 23rd. This update will introduce the ability to install multiple Jump Clones in the same station or structure, as long as it has a Clone Bay facility; […]
Torchlight III hoists the sails (and upgrades the engine) for its next update
Hope you got everything done with Torchlight III's Snow & Steam contract because Echtra and PWE disabled that content in preparation for the next phase of the game. "The update this afternoon turns off the Snow & Steam contract and includes an engine update which further prepares us for the next upcoming content patch," the […]
Final Fantasy XIV posts the first iteration of the special site for patch 5.5, Death Unto Dawn
The next major patch for Final Fantasy XIV arrives in just under a month, and that means it's high time for players to scope out some of what's coming next with the first iteration of the patch's special site. It's a bit bare-bones at the moment, but it does show off the key art for the […]
Blade and Soul's Slithering Shadows update is live
Yesterday was patch day for Blade and Soul, introducing the Slithering Shadows update to the game along with a set of patch notes to accompany the launch. As one might expect, the notes give some more details about the refreshed Soulstone Plains and the rewards awaiting within, the new raid weapon, and the new Twisted […]
The first part of Dual Universe's 'biggest beta update' arrives with fancier graphics and better jetpacks
Better-looking eye candy? Jetpacks that perform as expected? Wallets to organize all of your hard-earned currency? Yes, please, and pile on some more of that delicious Dual Universe 0.24 patch while you're at it! The first part of the space sandbox's "biggest update since beta began" last summer is now live on the servers. The […]
Hands-on with Magic Legends: A solid action game that could be even more
So, real talk: I am kind of an easy mark for Magic Legends. The initial conception of it, at least. I was very excited to see an MMO using Magic: the Gathering as a starting point rather than simply adapting the card game directly, and I was similarly more than a little disappointed at the […]
The Daily Grind: Do you know the names of the people behind your favorite MMO?
Part of my job involves interviewing developers and talking with them. That means that it's important for me to remember who these people are, obviously. A good chunk of my job centers around knowing who works as the director, the producer, the leads of various departments, and so forth with any given game. This is […]
The Stream Team: Relishing the Republic side of SWTOR's droid hunt
Massively OP's Larry may not be very fond of the Republic side of SWTOR, but MJ is relishing her time there! Her Jedi is happy to be wandering around, searching for droids on Taris and Balmorra. She's going to savor every moment on the light side. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. as Massively OP's […]
Ashes of Creation asks its players about guild hall features they want to see
Most of the time when a game developer or studio asks its players a question, it's usually nothing more than a means to engage with its fanbase at a fun but shallow level or to drum up hype for a new release. A question being asked by fans of Ashes of Creation is a little […]
RuneScape announces an upcoming picture book to mark the MMORPG's 20-year history
When you have a game that's been running for 20 years, there's bound to be a whole lot of artwork to share. That's just what Jagex intends to do when it releases a new picture book with Dark Horse that chronicles the history of RuneScape in pictures and developer insights. The book, RuneScape: The First […]
Ultima Online releases pub 110, stresses that New Legacy is not just Classic UO
Ultima Online's 110th update has officially rolled out to the live shards this week, and as promised, it includes tweaks to dynamic events and a new round of Black Market rewards and veteran rewards, including an option for three-year-plus accounts that allows the storage of up to 25 runebooks in a single storage object. Unfortunately, […]
Elder Scrolls Online's Flames of Ambition lands on console as ZeniMax preps April Fools' shenanigans
If Neverwinter's Iron Tooth isn't whetting your console MMO whistle, then point your eyeballs over at Elder Scrolls Online's Flames of Ambition and update 29, which dropped on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this week as promised. Update 29 is free for everyone and introduces the massive overhaul to the Champion Point system, while […]
The Stream Team: St. Qubeslick's shenanigans in Trove
Being Irish herself, Massively OP's MJ loves to celebrate St. Patrick's Day any and everywhere. And Trove's St Qubeslick event is the perfect place to spend the holiday! It involves feats, farming, and tater tots… er, totter tates. Bring some luck o' the Irish and join us live at 3:00 p.m. for some shenanigans. What: […]
Conan Exiles improves Siptah with more NPCs, new Purges, new factions, and an offline mode
The latest update for Conan Exiles is out now for PC players, and it's chiefly focused around a pretty big revamp to the Isle of Siptah. Broadly, this is split between two different sides of things. One is adding new stuff to the island, which includes more NPC camps, more factions, and points of interest across […]
Skyforge celebrates green week with costumes and emotes
Green costumes! Emotes that feature the color green! Mounts that are also probably green! Envy! Money! Yes, it's Green Week in Skyforge, and that means a whole lot of green across the game, with players finding green dancers throughout the game that they are best served by helping out. They're a bit mysterious and they […]
Star Citizen's devs answer questions about customization, aliens, and animated cloth
Members of CIG's character tech teams took to the Star Citizen forums to host an AMA about all things character-related, and while much of the answers probably won't blow doors open, it did provide a little more detail about what's in the works for in-game avatars. The very first question was simply: "Beards?" which was […]
Neverwinter's Sharandar: Iron Tooth episode has officially launched on PS4 and Xbox One
It's a happy week for console MMO players, as not only can Black Desert consolers begin designing their very own Sage, but two big content drops that were previously playable only by PC gamers have finally landed on the console versions. One of those games is Neverwinter, where Sharandar's first episode, Iron Tooth, rolled out […]
Phantasy Star Online 2 introduces an ultra hard fight against the Face of the Abyss
If the headline for this particular bit of Phantasy Star Online 2 content makes things sound rather dire, that would be by design, as one of the recently added Urgent Quests beseeches players to "let the love and aspirations of those [they] care about empower [them] with light, that we might chase this darkness back […]
Aliens Fireteam devs discuss City of Heroes' lasting popularity and Cryptic's canceled Marvel MMO
Earlier this month, we finally got some hard info on Cold Iron's Aliens Fireteam, the Alien-franchise shooter that's been under wraps for six years while the former Cryptic devs who founded it tinkered on the game and teased its MMO pedigree. Last year, the studio was bought out by Daybreak, which itself was bought out […]
Lord of the Rings Online's Wildwood update is here with new quests, instances, and the spring festival
It's patch day over in Lord of the Rings Online – everyone come to me! I mean to Bree! Bree-land! Because that's where the new Wildwood stuff is! OK, now that I've made it weird for you to make it less weird for me, here's what's actually in today's big LOTRO patch. This is update […]
Perfect Ten: 10 ways that MMOs kind of used to be worse
Believe you me, I know quite well the arguments that have been rehashed over the years about how the MMORPG genre and these online games in general have declined in quality. If you come out with a rant about how MMOs have gotten worse, you're not making any sort of radical statement — you're preaching […]
Black Desert releases the Sage class on PC, introduces Life Skill Mastery and Caphras Stones to console
PC players of Black Desert can now rock enemy faces with the power of cubes. Today's update has introduced the Sage class to the MMORPG, along with a special event full of login rewards and goodies for leveling up a Sage. The latest update has also added new level 59 Awakening skills for every class, […]
Albion Online's Call to Arms update is live today with new faction and buffed faction PvP
As promised, Albion Online's Call to Arms update is live today, with gobs of new content and systems reworks. To wit: Sandbox Interactive has completely revamped faction warfare; factions can now take regions in addition to outposts, with spiffed-up rewards too. The game's added its sixth faction, Caerleon, with new trade missions and a "lawless" […]
VR MMO Zenith starts 'early bird' alpha next month, posts new gameplay video
Are you ready, player one, to enter the world of Zenith? The virtual reality MMORPG is still in its pre-alpha stage, but it's heading toward closed alpha this week. The small indie team announced this month that the MMO has been "approved and greenlit for development on SteamVR, PS VR, as well as Oculus Quest/Rift." […]
RIFT's 10th birthday is here, but it ignores the elephant in the room
With the desperate, frenzied actions of a parent trying to redirect a kid's attention away from tragedy, Gamigo invites one and all to RIFT's 10th anniversary events this week. The fantasy MMORPG, which launched on March 1st, 2011, is marking the occasion belatedly with a bartender scavenger hunt that involves making a QR code from […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO game sounds trigger happy memories?
MMORPGs are large, enormous repositories of sound design. You may never consciously think about it, but trust me, you notice it. From leveling up to casting spells to being alerted that an enemy is heading your way, the audio of your MMO plays a huge part in your experience with it. And as with any […]
The Stream Team: Poaching eggs in Guild Wars 2's Crystal Oasis
The work toward a griffon mount continues in Guild Wars 2, and that means Massively OP's MJ has many more eggs to poach! OK, so she's not really poaching them — she's rescuing them. Truly! She'll be raiding the griffon nests in Crystal Oasis to rescue the next batch. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. […]
Wakfu's 1.71 update is live with the Xelor class revamp and more
Any kind of time-based class in an MMO can be complicated to get working just right, and it appears that Wakfu's Xelor class has suffered from the sheer complexity involved in properly modeling chronomantic abilities. In a recent dev blog, the team explained class was too complicated to play properly and its spells were too […]
Activision-Blizzard has laid off another round of employees
Don't look now, but Activision-Blizzard just laid off another batch of people. According to a Bloomberg report, the company has slashed just under 190 jobs, 50 of them relating to esports and live events (this seems to be the reason for some sites reporting 50 layoffs and some reporting under 2%/under 190, but Bloomberg's piece […]
A modder earns $10,000 for finding a loading issue in Grand Theft Auto Online
Normally modding video games, even ones that are all about earning fat stacks, will not produce fat stacks in real life. But a modder by the name t0st proved the exception to the rule with Grand Theft Auto Online by taking a peek at the game's code and identifying an issue with the game's loading times… […]
MechWarrior Online introduces a weapons balance pass and new Trial 'Mechs in today's patch
It's patch day for MechWarrior Online and that means patch notes! With today's update, players of the online stompy robot battler can look forward to a host of balance tweaks to PPC weapon variants, Gauss Rifle variants, and MRM Missle Racks; an adjustment to the MASC that brings a temporary sprint speed boost instead of […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 313: Hope you saved your game!
Justin and Bree discuss the RIFT layoffs, OVH fire, Saga of Lucimia drama, Elder Scrolls Online and Guild Wars 2 patches, LOTRO's roadmap, and Ashes of Creation's delay, with adventures in WoW Classic, ESO, SWG Legends, and City of Heroes, plus mailbag topics on onboarding returning players, crafting MMOs, and Last Oasis.
The Stream Team: Frolicking Frogloks as EverQuest turns 22 today!
Do you remember playing EQ back when it launched? If so, you probably might be feeling old now as EverQuest turns 22 today! But age is only a number, and Massively OP's MJ feels just fine frolicking on her Froglok. Join us live at 3:30 p.m. to hop into Norrath and celebrate this milestone with […]
Alienware cut its League of Legends esports sponsorships short over ongoing Riot Games scandals
Last month, we covered yet another sexual harassment lawsuit swirling around Riot Games, this one a wrongful termination suit from a former executive assistant who alleges she was fired from Riot last summer after enduring sexist language and sexual advances from no less than Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent. In response, Riot formed a "special […]
Albion Online details the changes coming to Hellgates with its patch tomorrow
Jumping into a demonic hellscape can be a fun time if you're playing Albion Online, or at least a rewarding one. It'll be even more true when tomorrow's Call to Arms update revamps the game's Hellgates, with a new dispatch from the development team specifying the changes coming to the content. Rather than opening Hellgates by […]
New World's latest alpha update adds Ebonscale Reach, flags all gear BOE or BOP
Amazon Games' New World is inching toward its new-new launch with a new patch unleashed on the alpha. The update includes the brand-new level 51+ Ebonscale Reach zone, with its stunning vistas and clear East Asian influences. "Ebonscale Reach is a fertile territory named for the black fungus that grows in abundance there. The area […]
Fortnite rolls out Primal season, disqualifies esports pro over vile tweet
If you're hoping for Fortnite's lore to make sense with its latest patch, I have to question whether you've been paying any attention. And also I have to tell you no, as today, both Lara Croft of Tomb Raider fame and Raven from teen Titans have dropped into the game as skins for Fortnite's "Primal" […]
Choose My Adventure: The point where Wizard101 blends in with other MMOs
I feel like I've got the general thrust of Wizard101. For the most part, anyway. This week it was all about trying to clear the quest list, which ended up being a bit more daunting than I expected. That's not to say it was impossible by any means but that there are a lot more […]
EVE Online begins open beta testing of its browser-based EVE Anywhere client
If you're eager to play EVE Online somewhere you probably shouldn't be, you just want to keep appraised of goings on in New Eden, or you're curious to try the game without a full install, then you might be interested in the browser-based cloud client of the game, which has expanded its testing to include […]
