The Stream Team: Starting up the new Sand Sea story in AQ3D
Massively OP's MJ has been eagerly awaiting new story in AQ3D, and now it's here! The Sand Sea story is starting in the town of Bastion, and she's ready to dig right in. There's rumor of an artifact she needs to find to face Vane again, and MJ will excavate the entire desert to find […]
Betawatch: Magic Legends hits the open beta soft launch
If you're worried about your launches being too hard-edged and solid, consider a nice soft launch like the one Magic Legends has done. The open beta is here, and since the game isn't planning another character wipe, that means that the game is in soft launch state now. It has, uh… been a bit of a […]
Genshin Impact has made a billion dollars in its first six months of operation
For a while there it seemed like no one would stop with the Genshin Impact memes, huh? But six months out from launch, it seems that the game has genuinely made quite an impact, as analyst SensorTower is reporting that the game has hit $1 billion in player spending six months after its release in September. […]
Starbase talks up planetary atmospheres and adds a ship diagnostic scanner, eyes early access for May 2021
Starbase has a number of updates to share, but one of the larger ones that we'll be leading off with is a more narrow release window for the space building sandbox's early access. Developer Frozenbyte is now eyeballing an early access launch for sometime in May 2021, with a date to be announced sometime in […]
Wild Terra 2 patches in the ability to brew alcohol and get drunk
Huh? What? What do you want? What's the problem? Oh. Right. News items. We've all been playing some Wild Terra 2, you know? The new patch added… it added… it added beer. So much beer. You can get, like… you can get drunk now. You can brew some beer. And other liquors. Gonna… gonna make some […]
The Stream Team: Warframe's Space Ninjas turn eight
Do Space Ninjas celebrate birthdays? Of course! And Massively OP's MJ is ready to party with all the space ninjas in Warframe. With eight years under its belt, there's plenty do do, so MJ has her pick of many activities. Tune in live at 3:00 p.m. to help us celebrate in space. What: Warframe Who: MJ Guthrie […]
Final Fantasy XI gears up for a lighter patch in April
The bad news for Final Fantasy XI fans is that the next version update for the game in early April will be a little bit thinner than it has been in recent months. The good news is that it's not for any reason more elaborate than just having less development time and thus opting to spend […]
Destiny 2 launches a new Strike, adjusts PvP lobby balancing, and swings a banhammer at cheaters
The Season of the Chosen continues to roll on in Destiny 2, and the latest addition to the game's content cadence is the Proving Grounds Strike, where players must face the Champion of the Cabal in a Rite of Proving. The latest patch has also introduced Crucible adjustments for Stasis abilities, added some PvP functions […]
Tencent is launching multiplayer survival game Undawn on PC and mobile this year
Did the world need another multiplayer survival title? Maybe not, but nobody's gonna be sad to get a good one from a solid publisher sitting on a giant pile of money, I suspect. And that's what's happening, as this week Tencent – under its Lightspeed & Quantum banner – took the wraps off of Undawn, […]
Aion NA is offering players a limited-time free boost to level 80
Let's say you're curious about what's been happening at the tippy-top end of Aion, but you're not exactly keen on climbing the 80 levels to get there. If that's the case, then the game's new level 80 boost event has your number. This event will grant players that have at least one level 10 character […]
Star Citizen talks up the new reputation system arriving in alpha 3.13
This week, Star Citizen's regular video series is all about earning that rep, outlining the reputation system that's arriving in alpha 3.13 as well as detailing what the system means for the game and how it will evolve and grow. At its core, reputation in Star Citizen is about filling up two bars with NPCs […]
Blue Protocol shares some selfie time with a preview of photo mode
If it wasn't really obvious, we love screenshots taken in MMOs. We also love when those MMOs offer a way for players to take dynamic screenshots, and that's just what Blue Protocol will let its players do thanks to its photo mode. The feature was showcased by the game's Japanese Twitter account, which offered a […]
Bless Unleashed details planned changes coming to field combat and dungeon mechanics
Bless Unleashed is planning some changes to its overall experience according to the latest dispatch from the development team. A lot of changes, really. For example, out in the field players can look forward to a smoother overall quest flow as well as a variety of new NPCs to meet and interact with while exploring the […]
WoW Factor: Why aren't we getting more customization options in Shadowlands?
You might be surprised that I haven't written a piece in WoW Factor yet about the BlizzConline announcement that we would get no new customization options in World of Warcraft throughout this expansion. But the reason is that there's not actually much to write about there. This was a bad choice that ultimately hurts the […]
Elite Dangerous shares an on-foot tour of an Odyssey starport, planetary missions, and alpha test schedule
Last night was an absolute info dumping from Elite: Dangerous regarding its upcoming Odyssey expansion, with announcements, livestreams, and videos galore shared over a couple of hours. Heading off the list is a detailed roadmap for the Odyssey alpha test, which will roll out in four phases. The first three phases will have testers starting […]
Hands-on with Monster Hunter Rise: Well-worth the cost of admission
Well, as Monster Hunter Rise is finally out. We received a pair of review copies at the last minute, so with about 10 hours under my belt, I think it's safe to to start things out with a gut-reaction to the release, reflecting naturally on the game's preview, predecessor, and past titles. While late-game or […]
Playable Worlds' Raph Koster posts a manifesto on the future of MMOs
Believe us, we here at Massively OP are dying to know all of the details about the online game project that Raph Koster and his team at Playable Worlds is making. We'll probably be waiting a while to see what the Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies creator is up to, but at least Koster […]
World of Warcraft is altering the deal on game time purchases, settling on just 60-day increments
Players who obtain their World of Warcraft game time through Blizzard's shop have fewer options this week, as the studio announced that it has removed the 30- and 180-day pre-paid time purchase options from the store. "We recently conducted a review on the available services in all currencies. Based on this, we have decided to […]
The Daily Grind: How do you push for change in a broken MMO?
The Path of Exile community has been roiling over the past couple of weeks, first because of the Harvest crafting nerfs and then because of a massively upvoted Reddit post that argued POE is an "abusive" game that is destined to be overtaken by other titles that better respect players' time and health. Obviously, POE […]
The Stream Team: Helping Historian Thrimbul fight fire lords in Neverwinter
Where there's fire, there are firefighters. And in Neverwinter, Massively OP's MJ is the fire fighter! Historian Thrimbul needs her help to make the volcano safer, and she'll be fighting the fire lords (who are not the friendly sort). Join us live at 9:00 p.m. for a smoking hot time. What: Neverwinter Who: MJ Guthrie […]
Massively Overthinking: What are your MMO character customization dealbreakers?
Back in February, when BlizzConline was at its height, part of the World of Warcraft community lost its mind over the revelation that Blizzard won't be adding new customization options between now and… whatever the next expansion turns out to be a year and a half from now. It was particularly galling for players of […]
Albion Online's first patch to Call to Arms increases the faction warfare point pool
At the end of the day, fighting in faction warfare in Albion Online is like fighting with your siblings over who gets the last piece of pie. There are limited resources and someone needs to get the most of them. So much like an exhausted mother trying to figure out how to cut a pie slice […]
Hearthstone retracts nerfs to cards in Wild, adds a Classic format, and prepares for its next expansion
March 25th – today! – and March 30th are two notable dates in Hearthstone as the online CCG will be getting a variety of updates and improvements, starting with today's update 20.0. This new update will introduce Classic format that lets players use the game's originally launched 240 cards, including replacements for Stonetusk Boar and […]
Dauntless normalizes Trials power, adds hunt level requirements, and brings back Springtide in latest update
You know how you can tell you mean serious business when hunting in Dauntless? When you sport a pair of bunny-faced repeaters in battle. That's one of the highlights of the multiplayer critter slaying RPG's 1.5.6 update, which brings back the Springtide Easter holiday event. During the event, players will once more need to gather […]
Massively of the Go: Pokemon Go's April events bring snakes, trash, and mysteries
Pokemon Go's St. Patrick's Day "had no effect" on at least one snake: Snivy! But fortunatelt, the Gen 5 pokemon is getting its own Community Day April 11th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. Frenzy Plant doesn't really do much to make its final evolution stand out in PvE or PvP unless you're […]
The Stream Team: Celebrating seven years of SMITE
SMITE commemorates its seventh birthday today, and Massively OP's MJ is ready to celebrate with the gods! And the fact that pets are invited makes it all the better. Part of the festivities is the new Talons of Tyranny event, which includes pet skins of fluffy kitties and pups. Obviously there is no way for […]
Spellbreak is adding 5v5 point control mode, ranked match league, and 12 weeks of story quests in April 8 update
There's a new chapter coming to the spell-shooting battle royale title Spellbreak, and this time it's bringing a new mode that isn't another variation on battle royale. Chapter 2: The Fracture is headlined with Dominion mode, a 5v5 point control battle where teams accrue points for keeping control of three different zones and taking down […]
Path of Exile will showcase its April 16 Ultimatum expansion and Path of Exile 2 in April 8 livestream
It's almost time once more for another round of expansion hype for Path of Exile. Developer Grinding Gear Games has put out an announcement of an announcement in trailer form, confirming that the game's soon to come Ultimatum expansion will be detailed in a livestream on April 8th. Players can look forward to new content […]
Elder Scrolls Online has three weeks of events planned thanks to its 7th birthday and April Fools'
It's hard to believe that almost seven years ago, Elder Scrolls Online finally lurched out of the gates into the hands of PC players. Though that launch was rocky, the game has come such a very long way in terms of quality and popularity, winning multiple awards from our staff and readers since then. So […]
ArcheAge's Akasch Invasion patch is live with the new Gunslinger skillset
As promised, ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained are getting a blast of new content today in the form of the Akasch Invasion. "With the new update Akasch Invasion, gamigo's online role-playing world of ArcheAge will receive a new ranged skillset, a breathtaking new zone with lore packed quests, and a challenging new raid that requires all factions […]
So, how did Magic Legends' soft launch go?
PWE's Magic Legends has been out in the wilds of soft launch open beta for two days now, so it's time for a check-in. And you know the Community gif with Donald Glover and the pizza and the fire? Yeah, the Reddit looks about like that right now. Multiple members of our own staff have […]
Desert Oasis: The problem with Black Desert's season servers – and how to fix it
Black Desert's had some exceptional growth over the past year. What I've always liked about this game is that it's never tried to be what it's not. It's always been a grindy MMORPG where killing mobs is the primary way of getting stronger. So most of its major content updates include more grindspots and better […]
Grab a Mortal Online 2 key for this weekend's beta stress test! [Added more keys 3/26/21]
So, who wants to play some Mortal Online 2 beta this weekend? Yep, the folks behind MMO sandbox Mortal Online have been working on Mortal Online 2 for the past year and change, and now, studio Starvault is finally ready for a big ol' stress test, which means it wants you! "The purpose of this […]
Vague Patch Notes: The fine art of shutting yourself up (so you can enjoy MMOs again)
This week, an unusual thing happened to me: I didn't really want to write this column. This may not sound all that unusual to you, but I assure you it is unusual. I enjoy my job for the most part (every so often there's something more depressing to write about and those days are less fun), […]
Final Fantasy XIV updates its Death Unto Dawn preview site with images and lore teasers
The next patch for Final Fantasy XIV is approaching quickly on April 13th, and players already have some new things to chew on from the latest update to the special preview site for the patch. A batch of new screenshots have just been uploaded along with previews of the next bits of the main story and […]
Star Citizen adds the Tumbril Cyclone MT to patch 3.13, puts ships on the back burner as players map out future tech updates
Patch 3.13 of Star Citizen is just around the corner (maybe), with the current roadmap outlining features like Stanton system polish, mining sub-components, new delivery missions, and a reputation UI among other updates. Another item has been recently added to the list: the arrival of the Tumbril Cyclone MT, a version of the Cyclone ground […]
Elder Scrolls Online sends a clean-up crew to the Flames of Ambition dungeons
Just because a dungeon is all new and sparkly doesn't mean that it's at its best. After all, any MMORPG veteran knows that the freshest content is usually the buggiest — and in the most need of developer attention. And so it is with Elder Scrolls Online's first DLC of the year, Flames of Ambition. […]
Lord of the Rings Online publishes post-Wildwood fixes, struggles with customer service slowdown
If every content update for an MMO is the star of the stage, than the inevitable follow-up bundle of fixes is the understudy waiting in the wings. After last week's Wildwood release, Lord of the Rings Online is putting out Update 29.0.1 to squash bugs and revert a UI animation change. Also, a cameo from […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has your favorite combat animations?
When the time comes, almost every MMO has a moment when it's time for you to start cracking heads instead of chatting and socializing. Some games feature almost nothing else, others treat combat only as a measure of last resort. But today, the question isn't about the mechanics of fighting things but the visuals. It's about how […]
The Stream Team: LOTRO puts a spring (festival) in your step
Spring is here, and that means so is the spring festival in LOTRO, and Massively OP's MJ welcomes both the season and the celebration. She's eager to check out the new things, including a new festival boss at the Bee's Big Business. Join us live at 8:00 p.m. to add a spring festival to your […]
Multiplayer survival shooter Generation Zero teases base building and base defense in April 27 update
It was only a matter of time before those pesky human survivors in multiplayer survival FPS Generation Zero got all organized and started harboring thoughts about resisting their robot invaders. The game's next major update, which is being appropriately called Resistance, is arriving to PC, PS4, and Xbox One players on Tuesday, April 27th. Other […]
Fall Guys serves up new courses, four-player mode, and '80s neon kitsch in latest season
It's time to see if you're a true survivor. The newest season for multiplayer platformer royale Fall Guys is officially live, and it's got all of the '80s neo-futuristic styling you could handle, with a wide variety of thematic cosmetics and seven new neon-soaked obstacle courses including Hoverboard Heroes, Short Circuit, and Power Trip. In […]
Trove's Crack the Court update is live with a new delve biome, hovercycles, and UI mod tweaks
If you follow Gamigo's Trove social media, you've been watching the studio chatter about Cracking the Court all week as it was put through its paces on the PTS – but now the update is live for everyone. Crack the Court is essentially a brand-new delve-centric biome based on the existing Fae Wilds tilesets. Players […]
Whatever happened to Riders of Icarus?
Riders of Icarus launched in 2016 as a rather unique title chiefly due to its mount and pet mechanics that gave everyone tameable, usable mounts that served as both transportation and companions. Despite that and its graphical flair, the game has had a somewhat turbulent history, and it appears to have gone into a somewhat […]
Atlas decides to ignore themes, plans multiple maps, ship customization, and Wonders building for summer
Remember back when the devs of Atlas admitted that the piratical survival sandbox was missing a strong overall theme? Well it would appear that concerns over theming are being tossed aside according to one of the answers in the game's latest community Q&A. "We are planning to lean into things we have and reinforce them […]
SMITE marks its seventh anniversary with a four month-long event, new battle pass, and 15 days of gifts
It's the seventh birthday of SMITE, and that means a whole lot of partying going on in the MOBA. The headline attraction of the game's anniversary is the four month-long Talons of Tyranny event that features purchasable skins, a variety of new quests, and the transforming Forgotten Gods Chacc skin as a collections reward. On […]
RuneScape eyes March 29 for its next update as account repairs continue, OSRS introduces a fishing skill boss
RuneScape continues to wrestle with its weeks-long repair of accounts after the MMORPG's login servers had a spectacular meltdown that has forced Jagex to delay its usual weekly update cadence and roll forward with a so-called Account Integrity Beta. On the subject of the next update, that's been rescheduled once more to Monday, March 29th, […]
Fallout 76's Q&A session talks about social features, pets, and field trips
A yearly forecast is always good for some renewed excitement, and Fallout 76 is taking advantage of any and all eyeballs on its post-apocalyptic offerings by answering follow-up questions from the community. Tuesday's Reddit AMA mainly focused on filling in gaps left with the 2021 roadmap. The studio team hinted at more server settings for […]
Elite Dangerous has an estimated 500K monthly active players according to stockbroker report
It's no secret that an expansion's announcement is generally a driving force for bringing players into MMOs and multiplayer games, and that certainly appears to be the case for Elite: Dangerous, which is reportedly experiencing some strong monthly active player counts — an estimated 500K of them, to be exact. The numbers come from a […]
Black Desert cancels spring season server, plans 'growth server' for newbies instead
There's a ton of Black Desert PC info rolling out this afternoon. First up: Seasons are about to go away for spring break, literally. With the conclusion of the winter season on March 31st, Olvia toons will become regular toons and Olvia will convert to a special server for newbies and returnees, intended to help […]
