Nexon and Square canceled the Final Fantasy XI R mobile MMO, citing an insufficient 'level of creative differentiation'
Last fall, we poked around trying to figure out what happened to the Final Fantasy XI Remake, the mobile game that was originally announced in 2015 as a Square and Nexon project. As Eliot noted at the time, there wasn't a whole lot to report, as the companies had been pretty quiet about it, apart […]
No, the Burning Crusade Classic beta has not (yet) begun
Last night it looked as though the highly anticipated closed beta test for World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic had started — but that turned out to be a false alarm triggered by a bug. Some players loaded up their Blizzard launcher to see what looked like access to the test, but apparently that screen […]
The Daily Grind: Do MMOs need 'friction' for social bonding?
Not quite a year ago, World of Warcraft Game Director Ion Hazzikostas sat for a Wired interview in which he discusses social bonding in MMOs, effectively arguing that "friction" was an essential component of old-school MMOs. "There's an inverse relationship between friction and the strength of bonds that are formed as a result of that […]
The Stream Team: Seeking side quests in Elder Scrolls Online
Massively OP's MJ has finished the main story of ESO's Greymoor, but she missed quite a few side quests along the way. Not only that, but she's missed sidequests all over in every zone! Before she picks another (older) expansion to play through, she wants to seek out and finish a number of those side […]
Whatever happened to sci-fi MMO ECO?
It has been the hottest of minutes since we cast eyes on ECO, the multiplayer planetary simulator that entered early access in February 2018; we reported on an April 2018 update that was all about (actual) garbage, and we even had a livestreamed peek with the devs ahead of its early access release. But if […]
Netease's SpatialOS-built multiplayer VR RPG Nostos is being shuttered after less than two years
Back in August 2018, we cast our eyes in the direction of Nostos, an "open-world VR RPG with online elements" that let four players explore a large open world. We noted then that the game was being built using SpatialOS, an engine that readers will recall is tuned to simulate massive worlds and support player […]
World of Warships revamps and reintroduces its Key Battle mode and rolls out more Italian battleships
Do you recall the World of Warships sci-fi themed Key Battle LTM, where players had to fight it out against each other and space squids to get a key and exit the map's portal? Well, it's back in the game's latest update, but with less key and more battling, along with a new title: Big […]
Kickstarted Civil War game War of Rights adds big guns, infantry flags, and anti-trolling measures
It's been a good while since we last checked in on the controversial War of Rights, the Civil War battlefield simulator developed by Denmark-based Campfire Games. It's currently priced at $30, although sometimes it goes on sale for a good portion off of that. War of Rights went into Steam early access back in December […]
Whatever happened to Mark Kern's crowdfunded Firefall-successor Em8er?
We're taking a trip back to the halcyon days of Firefall to set the stage for this piece, so hop aboard the esports bus and let's find out what happened to Mark Kern and his next big thing. Kern has been a controversial figure in the MMORPG genre for years. He was probably most notable […]
Last Oasis plans for a server wipe on Friday as Season 3 arrives
The next major update for Last Oasis is on its way soon, as it has been confirmed by the developers that a server wipe is incoming at some point on Friday. That's meant to clear the deck for the launch of the game's third season, along with a patch that's promising to involve fundamental changes to […]
Ecclesia Online offers dubious Diablo thrills
There's a new Diablo-esque MMO on the market — but you may want to approach this one with caution. Ecclesia Online is billing itself as an isometric fast-paced RPG, and according to its Reddit thread, it went into open alpha testing on March 19th. However, a lot of the former information about this game has […]
Bless Unleashed is reworking the game's interface and controls for PC
Believe it or not, Bless Unleashed has still not launched for PC, after launching on pretty much everything else. But it is still slated for this year, in spite of the fact that Round8 and Neowiz still aren't talking about founder's packs and head starts. Part of the slow rollout appears to come down to the […]
Book of Travels introduces fans to four of the game's NPCs
Ideally, walking around in tiny multiplayer online title Book of Travels will see players running into one another and perhaps linking up for some shared wandering. That said, there are going to certainly be NPCs in the game to interact with as well, and the devs of Might & Delight have offered up an introduction […]
Fight or Kite: Project Winter plays like Among Us mixed with survival mechanics for a unique experience
What do you get if you take the Among Us crew and traitor system, MMO staples like gathering and crafting, survival games' hunger and warmth stats, and then get stuck on a mountain in a blizzard with seven other players? The answer: Project Winter. Add in different game modes and shiny cosmetics and… well, you've […]
Fallout 76 posts its roadmap for the rest of 2021 with the Brotherhood of Steel, daily ops, and four-star legendaries
The next patch for Fallout 76 is currently on the game's test server, so anyone who would like to check out C.A.M.P. slots, S.P.E.C.I.A.L. loadouts, or various other things that aren't forced acronyms can do so right now. But the developers aren't resting on their laurels just yet, with the remainder of the 2021 roadmap now […]
Development of a Warframe-inspired tabletop RPG is halted thanks to toxic fans
A particularly toxic sect of the Warframe community has ensured that a tabletop RPG intended as a love letter to the game will never see the light of day. The entire sordid story is outlined in a Dicebreaker interview with Spencer Campbell, the indie developer behind the TTRPG Frame and a fan of the multiplayer […]
Wisdom of Nym: The Final Fantasy XIV Ascians we know
Look, sometimes you just want to do some lore stuff for Final Fantasy XIV, and this is one of those times. Especially since… well, there's a paucity of stuff to talk about right now otherwise. Not that it's anyone's fault or a problem, but it's a good time to take stock of the Ascians we […]
RuneScape isn't resuming updates today after all, puts all focus on account repair
RuneScape's server woes continue this week, though there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. MMO gamers will recall that at the beginning of March, Jagex took down the servers and rolled them back, then held off planned content updates for both versions of the game, all to correct multiple issues with […]
Composer Alex Moukala re-imagines the Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker trailer music as a boss track
If you're not already following composer Alex Moukala on YouTube, you may still remember him from when he added a funky bass line to the boss track from Final Fantasy XIV patch 5.3. Moukala's back in the composition saddle here, though, and with the help of fellow YouTuber and musician Husky by the Geek he's put […]
Datamining unearths new mount skins, cosmetics, minions, and Artifact set for RIFT's Carnival of the Ascended
The 10th anniversary of RIFT is still rolling on despite concerns players likely still harbor about the game's immediate future after Gamigo slashed the game's developer head count and sunsetted several other games (while also promising the MMO is still contributing to Gamigo's bottom line), and no more is that evident than the arrival of […]
Blizzard admits to more layoffs, starts up alumni network
Last week, Blizzard Entertainment began laying off 190 employees, 50 of whom reportedly came from esports and live events. Now we know which other departments might be affected, as over the weekend we learned the studio is also putting an undisclosed number of European staff out of work due to closing and consolidating its publishing offices […]
The Daily Grind: What classes in your current MMO desperately need some love?
So a while back I was thinking of rolling up a new Mastermind on the City of Heroes rogue servers I play, and so I naturally went to the forums to check with the expert build min-maxers to see whether the pairings I had in mind are any good. Friends, they are definitely not any […]
MMO Week in Review: Wildwood, Dark Descent, and EverQuest's 22nd
It wasn't a bad week for MMOs at all, we're happy to report, as LOTRO launched the Wildwood patch, EverQuest kicked off its 22nd anniversary, New World updated its alpha with an Eastern-inspired zone, Black Desert released the Sage, Albion Online posted its Call to Arms update, and SWTOR announced Dark Descent. Plus, we got […]
OrbusVR plans a beta for its hard mode raid, new quests, and balancing for tanks and healers in next updates
Whether it's taking on harder content, exploring new farms, or tanking and healing, OrbusVR has plans for the game's next couple of patches, all of which were laid out in the game's latest dev blog. The post kicks things off with content arriving on April 6th, which is headlined by a week-long beta test of […]
The MOP Up: The Day Before's romantic apocalypse
Massively OP reader Lily tipped us off that The Day Before's devs recently sat down with WCCFTech for an interview about this upcoming survival MMO. It definitely sounds as though those making the game have a love affair with the setting. "The Day Before features a large open world that you can freely navigate both […]
PvP sandbox MMO Profane shares details about its new combat skills
Being a PvP sandbox about territorial domination, it would stand to reason that Profane would be creating plenty of combat skills. Information about those skills was outlined in a Twitter thread, offering curious fans a glimpse into the way developer Insane does things as well as illustration of why Twitter is bad for making blog […]
Battle Bards Episode 189: Spooky and Magical 3
Is that a chill creeping down your spine? Did your ears just perk up at the hint of fae music in the trees? Is Tinkerbell blasting you with a cannon full of musical confetti? Then you must be in a good place to listen to some more spooky and magical music from MMORPGs with the […]
A3: Still Alive introduces a cross-server battleground and a new equipment dungeon in latest update
Mobile MMO A3: Still Alive, as its name suggests, is about staying alive through challenges meted out by the game's environment and others in PvP, but perhaps you've found staying alive a bit too easy. Perhaps, then, you're ready to take on the Velangort Fortress, a new cross-server battlefield added in the game's latest update […]
One Shots: Past your curfew
One lesser-known fact about the life of adventurers is that they all have to submit to a daily curfew. By the time the sun's setting, they need to be home so that they can wash the gore off of their armor, the mud off of their boots, and sit down with the family to enjoy […]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite mount in an MMO?
In a lot of MMOs, the way to get from place to place as fast as possible is by riding something. You sit on the back of an animal and you go. There are a lot of mounts in MMOs as a result, covering everything from actual stuff human beings ride realistically (like horses) to things […]
Warframe's new and improved Railjack blasts out of spacedock
Grab a friend or three and board the completely revamped Railjack spacecraft in Warframe for some galactic fun. Digital Extremes' March patch for the game focused on retrofitting the previously subpar Railjack experience and lowering the barrier to entry for the ship. "Take on new missions and battle new enemies in Railjack, or take to […]
Daybreak's Z1 Battle Royale is enjoying another renaissance
Remember last year when Z1 Battle Royale — the retitled version of H1Z1 that Daybreak still appears to operate — saw an astonishing increase in player concurrency thanks to the attention of some high-profile streamers? It's happening all over again: Z1 has enjoyed a higher user count over the past month-and-a-half, not because of anything […]
Magic Legends starts open beta pre-loading for next Tuesday's test
Are you ready for the beta? Magic Legends is cracking open its boosters and shuffling its decks in anticipation for this coming Tuesday's open beta test. And while you can't play until then, you can at least go ahead and download the title right now to be ready to go when the servers flip from […]
The Stream Team: Finding piece(s of yourself) in the mountains of Valheim
Ahh, the serenity of the mountains. Massively OP's MJ goes there to find peace. But in Valheim, she's likely to find pieces of herself! That's because there are wolves and drakes mixed in with the trolls. Not that any of those will deter her, of course. Tune in live at 2:00 p.m. as MJ's friends […]
The Game Archaeologist: The online world of Diablo II
Most of us probably weren't expecting to see Diablo II once again propelled into the spotlight in the year 2021, but the BlizzCon announcement of that classic game's remaster had a whole lot of fans salivating at the thought of diving back into this action RPG. For a game that came out two decades ago […]
Chronicles of Elyria outlines the basic gameplay beats of the colony sim Kingdoms of Elyria
Soulbound Studios CEO Jeromy Walsh would like you to ignore the elephant in the room and instead take a look at the overall gameplay cadence of Kingdoms of Elyria, the standalone colony management sim title that is being developed in parallel to MMORPG Chronicles of Elyria. In a recent development vlog, Walsh provides a look […]
WRUP: Talking about how much I specifically hate Kyle edition
Please note, the following is to be read if you are not Kyle only. If you are Kyle, do not read beyond this warning note. Only non-Kyle reading past this point! Kyle is stupid and dumb. He thinks we are friends but we are not friends because I don't like Kyle. His fashion sense is […]
The Daily Grind: What's the most recent milestone you've crossed in MMOs?
It's only natural to want to celebrate when you reach a certain milestone in an MMORPG. Maybe it's reaching the level cap, making your first large sum of money, getting that first purple item, or crossing off that rare achievement you've been chasing. I hit two such milestones this past weekend, thank you for asking. […]
The Stream Team: Checking out Warframe's big Corpus Proxima Railjack update
Warframe's big Corpus Railjack update is live, and Massively OP's MJ can't wait to check it out! She can finally get her own railjack, and now she can even hire crew. There are also new railjack missions to run with Corpus to cull, so join us live at 8:00 p.m. to launch into some new […]
Betawatch: Dual Universe gets better graphics in its biggest beta update
This is the biggest update for Dual Universe since it was first playable, according to the studio itself. That's sizable! This update is big (yeah, yeah, yeah)! And it includes not only better graphics but better jet packs, if you felt yourself previously weighed down by poorer graphics and less enjoyable jet packs. More beta […]
Frozen Flame introduces a prologue, a new starter location, and an updated combat system
While the axiom says you never get a second chance to make a first impression, the opening hours of multiplayer survival RPG Frozen Flame would beg to differ as the game's latest early access update has made a number of changes to the starting experience. First off, the update has added a prologue that tells […]
Wild Terra 2's newest patch adds criminal status, more farming crops, and a new combat skill
Good news to all innocent players who don't want your stuff ruined in Wild Terra 2: The game's latest patch has added something to help you! This sounds like good news until you notice that it's just flagging people who do untoward things as "criminals" and give them a risk to lose items even in […]
Dauntless outlines plans to make Trials 'more accessible, more fair, more fun' in the next two patches
For a while now, the developers of Dauntless have been promising that Trials mode would be getting some attention, and it looks like the next couple of patches will be when that promise is kept. An official Reddit post has outlined what these two patches will do to Trials as Phoenix Labs seeks to make […]
Crowfall player demonstrates how fast it is to reach max level via the new tutorial progression system
Crowfall's latest update made a number of changes to the game that our PvP columnist found to be extremely beneficial, but one of those adjustments — the new player progression and tutorial — has a video spotlight to showcase just how far its come as well as to demonstrate how quickly a new arrival can […]
Among Us will launch The Airship patch at the end of March
Don't tell my kids, but Among Us is getting a juicy free update this month. It's called The Airship, and studio Innersloth says it constitutes the game's largest map ever. "This free update will have all new tasks, the ability to pick the room you start in, ladders, a basic account system for moderation and… […]
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Online takes the single-player sandbox and turns it into an MMO
If you enjoy the sandbox nonsense you can get up to in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord but wish that you had other people to share in your shenanigans, we've got good news for you. Bannerlord Online is a mod for the game that lets up to 800 people at once stomp around the medieval sandbox, meaning […]
Champions Online hosts a costume contest to make a player action figure
Costume contests and superhero games go together like Blizzard Entertainment and layoffs. However, in most of them you don't get a chance to immortalize your character in the game itself. That's what the upcoming contest in Champions Online is going to change. On March 26th, a contest hosted by the developers will take place at […]
GDC 2021: What attracts – and motivates – mobile and MMO gamers?
GDC 2021 has been running this week, but sadly there aren't a lot of relevant panels for MMO or online game enthusiasts. However, it hasn't been a total wash for industry watchers. One nice thing that GDC does that other cons don't is focus on developers and their strategies, and that means we can see […]
PlanetSide 2 announces delays for PTS testing and release for Chapter 3
For those players of PlanetSide 2 who are eager for Chapter 3's release, there's some bad news. The game's lead designer has reported that the new update is being pushed back in order to "hit the quality bar" that the devs want. This means that the PTS launch of the update is obviously not meeting […]
GDC 2021: Intel and Spirit AI's Bleep aims to filter live audio – and toxicity
At Intel's GDC 2021 panel "Billions of Gamers, Thousands of Needs" this week, Intel and Spirit AI announced a new end-user application designed "to detect and redact audio" based on a list of preferences. Called Bleep, the application seems to be a kind of Windows overlay, though the details were scant and there was no […]
