One of City of Heroes' rogue servers, Sanctuary, has apparently been taken out by hackers
It appears as though City of Heroes' Sanctuary rogue server has suffered what could turn out to be a catastrophic outage. The troubles began last Wednesday when the server went down – and didn't come back. Neither did the website. By Saturday, the server owner told players on Discord that the hacking wasn't a one-off […]
The Daily Grind: What's your favorite MMO bonus for not-playing?
So I've been playing a lot of City of Heroes lately, and I've roped in my son to play with me, which is always a treat – watching him go between flashy modern games and antiques that were old when he was born and sunsetted before he could talk. I recently tried to explain the […]
MMO Week in Review: RIFT deserves better
Gamigo's bad news continued this week as we learned that multiple RIFT developers had been laid off. While Gamigo says RIFT is "contributing a great deal to [its] roster," it stopped short of calling the game one of its core MMOs, couldn't discuss future content for the MMO beyond its anniversary events, and wouldn't tell […]
Destiny 2 outlines the return of Grandmaster Nightfalls and upcoming Stasis PvP adjustments
The next couple of weeks in Destiny 2 are going to be interesting, depending on players' point of view or preferred activity. The latest newsletter from Bungie offers a look at some updates coming to the looter shooter in the form of returning Grandmaster Nightfalls and tweaks to Stasis in the endless, thankless, and ultimately […]
The MOP Up: Destiny 2 sanctions unorthodox raiding
Just because the devs think you're going to play the game one way doesn't mean that players aren't going to pour a whole lot of ingenuity and effort into a different method. Just look at what's happening in Destiny 2 these days. "The big buzz around the [Destiny 2] community this week has been players […]
New World sets the scene for its Ebonscale Reach endgame location with a lore post
The last thing we heard out of New World was from this past February, and that was to let players know that the game's launch is being delayed, but it also provided a peek at things that are being worked on for its next closed beta test on July 20th, including five-player Expeditions, 20v20 Outpost […]
Global Chat: RIFT's melancholy birthday
Any MMO's 10th anniversary is a significant milestone and a reason for celebration, but for RIFT's birthday, this year is more like a funeral than a party thanks to the Gamigo layoffs. Nerdy Bookahs summed up the mood in the room by saying, "We do worry about RIFT and that game was the focus here but […]
Blade and Soul's March patch gives players more gear tiers to chase
How's your gear in Blade and Soul looking these days? Perhaps it needs a bit of freshening up, a bit of an upgrade. Well then hold on to your +5 pantaloons of progress, because March 17th's Slithering Shadows update has a few new ways you can improve your battle loadout. The patch will allow players […]
One Shots: Impossible sky architecture
Lethia seems to be waging a very successful campaign to convince us all that Allods Online has it going on in the eye candy department, at the very least. Of course, seeing something like this always brings up the question of how any buildings can just hang out in the sky, all casual-like. Not to […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the worst general chat channel?
Yes, yes, I know all of the jokes, World of Warcraft general chat is vile enough to be used as a biotoxin and all of that. Heck, I was there when the jokes were being written. The thing is that the jokes are also not entirely accurate. Sure, it could be bad, but I've seen some […]
Make My MMO: Saga of Lucimia development pushes onward after founder begins new game
Welcome back to another Make My MMO, the long-running MMORPG crowdfunding column where we keep track of crowdfunded MMOs be they launched or lingering, only to be told next week by someone that no crowdfunded MMOs ever launch even though they definitely do! Saga of Lucimia, which was partly funded on Indiegogo and partly through […]
Blade and Soul Revolution introduces a large-scale Faction War PvP battleground in latest update
It's only been a week since Blade and Soul Revolution debuted on mobile devices, but that isn't stopping the game's devs from kicking out a fresh update to the title. The game's first update has introduced, among other things, a Faction War encounter that lets players choose one of two sides and promises large-scale battles […]
China shuts down Genshin Impact KFC promotion at certain locations due to pandemic concerns
I'm pretty sure we were all expecting the Genshin Impact KFC crossover promotion in China was just going to be a one-and-done sort of story, but there's been a new development in the matter. Apparently, the promotion was so popular that it had to be shut down, ostensibly due to crowding concerns related to the […]
WoW Classic 'Fresh Crusade' movement boasts 10,000 players and counting
Leave it to the endlessly innovative and motivated MMO community to make their own fun when game developers won't play ball. After Blizzard declined to announce fresh start servers for the upcoming Burning Crusade Classic, WoW Classic players decided to do it anyway after a fashion by organizing a widespread "Fresh Crusade" restart on a […]
City of Heroes' Homecoming begins testing exploration missions, travel power buffs in i27p2
City of Heroes' Homecoming players have a bit to look forward to this weekend, as Page 2 of Issue 27 has dropped on the beta/test server. While it's not as massive as Page 1, it's still plenty big – and might even make more people happy. Let's dig into the highlights: Tour Guide Missions – […]
Ashes of Creation delays its alpha one test to June for 'additional polish'
The moment of Ashes of Creation's first large-scale alpha test won't be as soon as previously anticipated. Intrepid Studios came out this week to announce that due to performance "challenges" and a need for additional polish, the month-long Alpha One playtest has been delayed until June. "We will be prolonging the NDA testing based on […]
WRUP: Ring of Hedgehog Defense edition
While wearing this ring, you cannot be harmed by a hedgehog in any way. You cannot take damage from any hedgehog-related source. If a hedgehog hits you, it will not hurt. If someone has a sword named "hedgehog," it can't hurt you. If a hedgehog wields a sword, you should be very proud of it […]
The Daily Grind: What's the most embarrassing thing you ever said in MMO chat?
It's one of my favorite things when someone else does it, but it's so cringy when I do. It's when you drop a big fat "MT" — or "mistell" — in your guild or world chat. Sometimes it can be a weird non sequitur, while sometimes it can be mortifying. Especially when you're trying to […]
The Stream Team: Start your weekend with boss bashing in AdventureQuest 3D
Friday is bash the bosses day in AQ3D! At least it is for Massively OP's MJ! King Drachus, that conniving vampire lord, has been added to the daily boss fights, and there are still so many challenges MJ needs to gather goodies from. Join us live at 8:00 p.m. to start the weekend by beating […]
Betawatch: The Burning Crusade Classic may be entering beta this month
It might be time to beta test World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade! You know, again. See, there's a rumor that the next update to the game's classic servers will be in beta testing this month, and while it's not certain it sure is plausible. Who wants to beta test an expansion that came out years ago? […]
Conqueror's Blade gets the Viking touch with Season VII: Wolves of Ragnarok on March 18
We all likely figured that Vikings would become a hot commodity in gaming thanks to a certain title's success, but regardless of that assumption, the fact remains that the MMORTS Conqueror's Blade is about to get some Viking flavor when Season VII: Wolves of Ragnarok kicks off on Thursday, March 18th. The new season will […]
Whatever happened to turn-based MMO Stash?
I really wanted this "Whatever Happened To" article to be a positive one, and in a way, part of it is: Frogdice's MMO Stash is still alive, it's still playable, and it's still free. Gamers will recall that this indie turn-based MMO entered early access in 2016 and launched in 2018, featuring a cutesy tabletop […]
MMO Business Roundup: ROBLOX's IPO, NCsoft, Nexon's next big thing, and FIFA's latest scandal
Welcome back to another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news. ROBLOX: As planned, ROBLOX went public (publix?) this week, opening its first day of trading on Wall Street at $64.50 a share and pushing up to as much as $74. The NYSE reference price was $45, so that's juicy indeed. As Kotaku quipped, that […]
Wurm Online introduces combat changes and achievements as players create an in-game social space
The latest newsletter from Wurm Online has a little bit of everything, whether you like to fight, like to chase achievements, or seek a place to meet other players and hang out. The post kicks off with the latest update and its changes to combat, which promises more interactive combat thanks to the ability to […]
Blade and Soul adds a new dungeon, new raid weapon, and renewed Soulstone Plains on March 17
While a lot of focus has understandably been about Blade and Soul's upgrade to Unreal Engine 4, that doesn't mean there won't be updates in between now and then. To wit, the Slithering Shadows update on Wednesday, March 17th, will be introducing some new things for players to do. The update's main party piece is […]
DC Universe Online rolls out its second Survival Mode season and its St. Patrick's Day event
Sometimes you just want to run a gauntlet. DC Universe Online is letting you do precisely that with the game's second season of Survival Mode, with players taking on 30 waves of increasingly difficult challenges to earn currency, materials, and of course the ever-inimitable bragging rights. This four-player gauntlet will test the abilities of players to make […]
EVE Online introduces new landmarks, spaceship racing, and an Abyssal Proving Ground event
On your marks, get set, tap in the coordinates of a location into your nav computer, spool up the warp drives, and go! Admittedly, the way to call the start of a race in EVE Online might need a bit of work, but that's just what's happening with the Federation Grand Prix event. The Federation […]
Bless Unleashed's spring update introduces auto-pathing and anniversary gifts
Hey, let's talk about auto-pathing for a moment! This feature is quite prevalent in mobile MMORPGs, where the screen size and lack of mini-map make navigation more difficult, but it does creep into the occasional regular MMO from time to time. For instance, Bless Unleashed. For instance, this week. Auto-pathing is just one of the […]
Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76 launched on Xbox Game Pass as ESO celebrates 18M total players
Yesterday's Xbox and Bethsoft roundtable dropped a bit of information about the merger and the future of the games as well as the current state of one of the games at the heart of our modern MMO genre. Let's do a recap! For starters, a ton of Bethsoft games have launched on the Xbox Game […]
Magic Legends lays out its ZEN market, broker system, and battlepass tracks
Anyone who has played a Cryptic game probably is well-acquainted with its slightly convoluted business model. Basically, the studio has a cash shop (the ZEN Store) with all of the really good stuff, but players can buy and sell the currency for that store using a special in-game currency. If it works — works for […]
Star Citizen talks up land vehicle physics changes as CIG devs rebut claims of mistreatment during Texas snowstorm
While Star Citizen certainly loves its spaceships, there are a number of land-based vehicles that deserve love too, and that's just what the latest Inside Star Citizen video provides as it outlines changes to vehicle physics that are in the works that are intended to be more sim-focused instead of arcadey. Players can soon expect […]
LOTRO Legendarium: Analyzing the 2021 LOTRO producer letter
Despite the title of the "February 2021" producer's letter, Standing Stone Games' official annual roadmap was welcomed when it arrived last week. In March. Anyway, it's here, and as always, that means we have a whole lot to talk about as we look ahead to what Lord of the Rings Online has in store for […]
Some RuneScape accounts are still disabled as Jagex enters second week of server issues
RuneScape has not had the best run here in March. Last week, Jagex was forced to pull down the MMORPG's servers and roll them back several hours to correct multiple issues that extended through the weekend and across this week. At one point, the game's website was even toast. While the studio promised that no […]
Path of Exile's upcoming nerfs to Harvest crafting sets the community on fire
According to the devs of Path of Exile, the crafting mechanics introduced in the Harvest league, even after adjustments made in update 3.13.0, made getting good items way too easy. Grinding Gear Games put out a lengthy dev blog that discussed what the team considered to be unintended effects of the system, as players made […]
New test strings hint that The Burning Crusade Classic may be arriving as soon as May 18
The machinery behind the scenes at Blizzard is moving fast on the classic version of the first World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade, and there's reason to start speculating about how soon players will be able to jump in. Among a number of other new strings discovered by Wowhead while mining out the new test server […]
Gamigo says RIFT is 'contributing a great deal' to the studio, promises 10th anny events
Earlier this week, we learned from one of our sources that multiple developers from Gamigo's RIFT team had been laid off from the company, which further added to the fears of MMO players that RIFT was in trouble following the sunset announcements of four other Gamigo MMOs. Initially, the studio did not respond to our […]
The Daily Grind: Do you wish Guild Wars 2 had proper player housing?
A few weeks back, in response to a dumb joke I made about Guild Wars 2's endless parade of cash-shop chairs, MOP's Justin quipped, "Imagine if they had housing," echoing the sentiments of hundreds of MOP readers over the years, including me. I've always considered it a damn shame that Guild Wars 2 doesn't have […]
The Stream Team: Loving the land of lava in Neverwinter
What better place for our favorite fire-lover than the luscious lava of Neverwinter's Mount Hotenow? Massively OP's MJ feels like she's in flame-thrower's heaven dancing around those flowing rivers of lava. D&D night adventures continue with MJ whispering "I lava you" as she wanders the volcano. Tune in live at 9:00 p.m.for MJ's hot date […]
Massively Overthinking: Picking the 'wrong' MMORPG class
Last month, the MMORPG subreddit slept on a good thread about picking classes in MMOs. Let's wake this sucker up. "Am I the only one who is afraid of picking a class and said class ending as the 'wrong' class and get rejected from guild/raid groups just because I picked the weak class to play?" […]
Alien invader survival title Drake's Odds: Survive espouses the virtues of the UFO tractor beam
What self-respecting Earth-invading aliens would arrive without a classic UFO complete with an iconic beam of light that lets them haul things around? Luckily, the players of Drake's Odds: Survive won't have to suffer such ignominy, as the survival sandbox game will most definitely feature a UFO with a tractor beam. According to the related […]
Blade and Soul 2 showcases a cooperative horde mode in latest game footage trailer
We already know that Blade and Soul 2 players are going to have to fight things, but not all threats roam the game's world; some come from a fiery sky fissure. That's the focus of the latest trailer from the game, which offers a in-engine animated look (according to the video's auto-translated title) at this […]
Black Desert just revealed the new Sage class on its afternoon stream
On its splashy reveal stream this afternoon, Pearl Abyss took the wraps off the latest playable class in Black Desert: The Sage. "Armed with the cube-shaped Kyve, an ancient, god-defying weapon, Sage can open rifts in space, calling on Ator's Fist and a range of offensive spells to smite his foes," the studio explains. "He can […]
Fall Guys shows off one of the new maps arriving as part of its fourth season
The fourth season of Fall Guys is supposedly being announced on March 15th with a whole trailer for what to expect, but fans of the game can whet their appetites with the latest preview from the game's official Twitter account. It's showing off one of the seven new levels being added with the update, Skyline Stumble, […]
Whatever happened to Snail Games' Outlaws of the Old West?
In the spring of 2019, Snail Games launched Virtual Basement's then-new survival sandbox MMO Outlaws of the Old West into Steam early access under the Wandering Wizard label, intending to keep it in early access for just a year. Well, it's now been two, and the game is still right there in early access, with […]
Albion Online offers a closer look at the upcoming loadouts feature
Managing your equipment is a vital yet sometimes obnoxious chore, especially when you want to switch gears from combat to crafting as an example. Albion Online's loadouts feature, which is due to arrive with the Call to Arms update on March 17th, looks to not only ease this pain point but introduce a number of […]
Fallout 76's Locked and Loaded update isn't landing until April 27
Fallout 76 players already know that the Bethsoft team's been prepping the Locked and Loaded update this past season, and as of today, we now know when the update is coming: April 27th. Yeah, that's a bit of a long wait. In the meantime, the PTS will come back online tomorrowday for players to check […]
Star Citizen XenoThreat postmortem talks co-op gameplay, performance issues, and PvP imbalance
Players of Star Citizen certainly have opinions about how the game's first dynamic event played out, but how do the devs at CIG think? A postmortem about the event has some insight as several teams chimed in on what went well, what went wrong, and what plans will be made to improve things for the […]
Desert Oasis: A brief history Kakao Games, Black Desert's former PC publisher
It's been a busy couple of months for Pearl Abyss and Kakao games. While Black Desert players knew about Pearl Abyss taking up self publishing duties for the game's western PC release a whole year before the announcement, news of the split became official in December. Fast forward to today, and Black Desert is now fully […]
MechWarrior Online and RUST are slowly recovering after data center fire yesterday
As we reported yesterday morning, a massive fire in Strasbourg, France, took out multiple buildings at the OVH data center where countless companies, including gaming companies, hosted websites and games. While no one was physically harmed in the blaze, several games in our wheelhouse were dealt a nasty blow. Piranha Games' MechWarrior Online, for example, […]
DC Universe Online ushers in St. Patty's Day event and brutal survival mode
Little green-clad men offering magical riches may not seem that out of place in DC Universe Online. We have to imagine that nobody in Gotham or Metropolis will blink twice to see Mister Mxyzptlk frolicking about during St. Patrick's Day. The yearly event is expected to launch today in the game, offering players a special […]
