Elite Dangerous previews Odyssey's conflict zone gameplay as phase two of alpha goes live
When a system in Elite: Dangerous goes into a state of war, there are only a couple of ways players can influence the outcome: performing combat missions or performing actions. With the Odyssey expansion, there will be the addition of Conflict Zones where players can get boots on the ground and join in on the […]
Cliff Bleszinski drops another new hint that he's headed back into game dev (maybe)
Cliff Bleszinski, aka CliffyB, aka Dude Huge, has often made headlines for his shimmying in and out of game dev. Readers will recall back in 2018 that he claimed to be done with making games, followed by a suggestion in 2020 that he'd be returning to the games industry after all, albeit "slowly and cautiously." […]
No, Twitch's move to investigate off-platform toxicity is not 'novel' for the industry
Twitch is changing its hateful conduct and harassment policy once again, this time to allow moderators to take into account problematic activity that occurs beyond the platform's hallowed halls. "We will now enforce against serious offenses that pose a substantial safety risk to the Twitch community, even if these actions occur entirely off Twitch," the […]
Elder Scrolls Online previews its Blackwood zone, goes on sale
Elder Scrolls Online is billing it as "a world caught between two worlds," but players are going to call it "new stuff for us to do." It's the titular zone of this summer's Blackwood expansion, a promise of all sorts of adventures to come. ZeniMax posted a preview of this "melting pot" zone, saying, "Featuring […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO company is the worst at managing its message?
You've probably noticed that there are some studios and companies wherein the players seem to have a downright acerbic relationship with the people making the game they're playing. Usually this isn't just down to players being malcontents, but to a certain amount of message mismanagement on the part of the company in question. Either the people […]
Final Fantasy XIV details the quality-of-life improvements coming with Death Unto Dawn
The upcoming patch 5.5 for Final Fantasy XIV isn't just bringing new content, although it's definitely delivering that. It's also bringing new quality-of-life improvements to the game, as detailed in the most recent post on the official site covering precisely those improvements. For example, players will have access to more Triple Triad cards in their decks, […]
The Stream Team: Bouncing around Trove's Bunfest
Where can you get rolling Easter egg mounts? In Trove! And this year's Bunfest has not only that but a cute little bunny ally, too! They are both so adorable, and of course Massively OP's MJ wants both! Join us live at 7:00 p.m. for a run through this year's Bunfest event. What: Trove Who: […]
Old School RuneScape makes its own Collection Log improvements and adds more Poll 74 changes
One of the things we reported on yesterday was related to some Collection Log changes to RuneScape. Not to be outdone, Old School RuneScape has also recently seen some Collection Log improvements, adding a search function, a counter that shows the total number of unique items obtained, and some additional items added to the Log […]
Titan Reach promises weekly content updates, details new armor, a PvP island, and Glimmermoore updates
With just under a month since its early access launch, the devs of Titan Reach have decided to take stock and offer some updates coming to the game going forward. The post opens by admitting that launch did not go perfectly smoothly and development focus has been primarily about bug fixing, but the team at […]
The Repopulation talks up item and crafting updates, adds new signs and buildings, and fixes mission bugs
The April update post for in-development sci-fi sandbox MMORPG The Repopulation is out, and it has a variety of things to discuss, leading off first with some mission bug fixing that's been done in the latest release, which should see associated items contained in the mission inventory disappear once a mission is completed and fix […]
Flyff and Rappelz, under new management, are running spring cryptocurrency events
When Gala Lab sent us PR about Rappelz and Flyff earlier today, I did a doubletake. In my brain, both games are still happily ensconced in the old Webzen ecosystem, and I was confused. But fortunately, our writers have been documenting the chain of custody all along, so we can easily recap here. Korean studio […]
Gloria Victis has shifted all early access players to upgraded client-side engine
For a few months now, Gloria Victis has been splitting its attention. Some players have been using the upgraded engine client while others have been using the old one. But no longer, as the most recent announcement states that the game will be moving purely into the upgraded version after all of the testing provided by […]
Black Desert adds constellations on mobile, events on PC, and a new Amazon Prime Gaming promo
It's the middle of the week, which means it's time once again for some new content updates for the PC version Black Desert and for Black Desert Mobile. We'll start with the mobile version, which has added a new family-based Constellations activity where characters in a player's family have to defeat enemies and a final […]
Blade and Soul continues revving up its huge engine upgrade
You'll want to mark your calendar for the third quarter this year — yeah, just block off the whole quarter — because that's the release window for one of Blade and Soul's biggest updates to date. It's called Revival, and it includes reimagined dungeons, better character designs, the sequel to Act XI (where players will […]
The Burning Crusade Classic turns the level cap to 70 and adds tutorials to boost characters
It's time to test out the apex of power in WoW Classic's first expansion, as the beta for The Burning Crusade Classic has just raised the level cap to 70. This also means that players can now take part in Heroic dungeons and Arena skirmishes while also taking part in the Eye of the Storm battleground, so […]
Desert Oasis: Black Desert's Sage release demonstrates Pearl Abyss' focus on the west
I'm not really a comics guy, but I still have my favorite superheroes. For me, it's Dr. Strange. Marvel's artifact wielding, spell-slinging, multiverse traversing sorcerer supreme checks all the marks of a great spellcaster for me: cool powers, omega-level intellect, and the fact that he ditched the robe and wizard hat. I guess the folks […]
Swords of Legends Online is a Chinese action MMORPG heading to the west this summer
Out of all of the MMORPGs we're waiting to come to our neck of the woods from Asian territories, this one is certainly a surprise. Say hello to Swords of Legends Online, an action MMORPG from Chinese developers Wangyuan Shengtang and Aurogon that's arriving to the Americas and EU this summer via Gameforge. Known in […]
Why I Play: Multiplayer sandbox Eco is so much more than just an ecology simulator
I've been struggling to come up with a succinct way to describe Eco. The game was recently the subject of a Whatever Happened To entry on this very site, an article that coincidently went live the same day I purchased and started playing the game with an established online community. My initial impression of the […]
Hi-Rez's trademark snafus suggest a Global Agenda sequel (again) (finally)
Oh, Global Agenda. This multiplayer MMO-lite seems destined to be one of those ghost games that not enough people remember – but those who do loved it. The last time we covered the original Hi-Rez game was over a year ago, when we recapped what had happened to it: The company had taken it off […]
Perfect Ten: How The Burning Crusade changed World of Warcraft forever
We're kind of thinking about the first World of Warcraft expansion around these parts this week. No particular reason, especially in my case; I'm not in the beta test for The Burning Crusade Classic and wouldn't be super-inclined to do much in it even if I were. I remember all of this stuff from the first time […]
DC Universe Online's World of Flashpoint episode is set to launch April 15
It will soon be time once again for DC Universe Online players to experience that time-honored comic book narrative tradition of an alternate timeline story when the World of Flashpoint episode goes live on April 15th. Based on the DC Flashpoint storyline, players will enter a timeline where Atlantis and Themyscira are at war and […]
Dungeons and Dragons Online tests Peril of the Planar Eyes module
Four new dungeons. Additional named loot. A revamp to bow combat. Better game performance. And your stats are way too low to handle what Dungeons and Dragons Online's Update 49 has coming at you. But Standing Stone Games is a generous game master and is giving you some +5 Armor of Preview Testing to compensate. […]
Elite Dangerous Odyssey's second phase of alpha testing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday
Players of the Elite: Dangerous Odyssey alpha test appear to be ready to move forward with phase two of testing, and for the most part Frontier Developments agrees. During a Supercruise News developer livestream, it was revealed that the next phase of alpha should be arriving this coming Thursday, April 8th, at around 6:00 a.m. […]
Rumor: EG7 and Daybreak might be prepping PlanetSide 2's Rogue Planet for its own company
Daybreak corporate sleuth and TheoryForge crewmate @MSandersonD has uncovered another Daybreak gem: new corporate registrations for Daybreak-related companies. California and Delaware filings show that owners have been busy over the last year, filing a new LLC for Daybreak Games Studios under the existing Daybreak Game Company last year, in addition to another new entity, Rogue […]
The Daily Grind: How do you handle difficult MMO players?
Social gaming means both the good and the bad of social interactions. And while there are a lot of incredibly enjoyable conversations and encounters that we all have with others, there are also those times when we bump into players who might have been put on this earth to test your patience and forbearing. These […]
The Stream Team: Returning to EverQuest II's Reign of Shadows
She never did beat that monstrous Morbigog the Pit Horror in EverQuest II's Chaos Caverns, but Massively OP's MJ does not feel like returning to the pit for the achievement yet. Instead, she'll continue on the road of the Reign of Shadows signature campaign. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. for the next step in […]
Whatever happened to Maguss, Spiral Knights, and Empyrion?
It's time to find out Whatever Happened To a couple of MMOs that have somehow managed to slip off our radars and need to slide back on again. And as a bonus, some of these are good news! First, Spiral Knights – it's a kid-friendly MMO that's been around forever. And by forever I actually […]
Conan Exiles' new PTS build adds more landmass to Siptah, a spider god religion, and combat updates
I'll be honest with you all, I sort of figured that Conan Exiles already had a spider god-based religion in it, but apparently it does now as part of the latest Testlive build. Oh joy, oh rapture. The PTS update has more than just people bowing down to Zath the Spider-God (which also brings related […]
Final Fantasy XIV kicks off Hatching-tide on April 14
Were you the one person wondering why in the world you couldn't get yourself a chicken suit in Final Fantasy XIV? Did you stay up at night longing for the sweet embrace of a feathery costume for you to wear as you stamp about and make clucking noises? If so, you are one weird player and […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 316: Talkin' trash with MMO Fallout
Justin, Bree, and MMO Fallout's Connor discuss April fools' day around the MMOverse, FFXIV's patch and PS5 beta, WoW's 9.1, Trove's Switch port, and Elyon's closed beta, with adventures in RuneScape, Wild Terra 2, Magic Legends, WoW Classic, and City of Heroes, plus mailbag topics on starting fresh in WoW Classic and irritating season passes.
Star Citizen promises that some 'highly requested new features' will be added to its roadmap this week
Are you ready to watch some new goalposts move around? Or are you ready for some new features to be iterated upon? There really are two ways one can look at the announcement of roadmap updates made by Star Citizen in its latest weekly community update post. The announcement in question states that this coming […]
RuneScape continues its 20th anniversary mini-quest, updates the Collection Log, and adds more follower pets
"They say that April showers bring May flowers, so we hope none of you have hayfever, because we're anticipating a total deluge of content this month," promises this week's RuneScape post, and while this week's update isn't exactly what you'd call a torrential downpour of content, there's still things for players to look forward to. […]
The Stream Team: Fun for First Contact Day in Star Trek Online
Massively OP's MJ wasn't able to celebrate First Contact Day yesterday (even though it's still 42 years away!), but luckily the Star Trek Online event goes for longer than 24 hours! MJ has her chance to build a rocket and have some fun in Bozeman, Montana. She can also hang out in the Synth wave […]
Diablo II Resurrected is beginning its technical alpha this week
Arguably the most interesting news to come outta BlizzConline earlier this year was confirmation that Diablo II is getting a fully remastered version dubbed Diablo II Resurrected. And soon, we'll find out whether it's awesome or just another Warcraft III Reforged disaster, as Blizzard just announced that the technical alpha is poised to begin. This […]
MMO players are working on a Tabula Rasa rogue server, but it's 'a ways off' from being fully playable
This past Saturday we asked our readers what MMOs they felt should have a rogue server of their own. A great number of people in both the comments and the article's tweet pointed in the direction of Tabula Rasa, the history of which has been covered by our Game Archaeologist. It's one of those Twitter […]
Guild Wars 2's Super Adventure Box, Doritos promo (?), and latest round of PvP tweaks are live
The best thing ever added to Guild Wars 2, the Super Adventure Box, has returned to the game with the Super Adventure Festival. Furbish up your jumping skills and get moving through the retro-game maps only to die to that stupid toad. I hate that guy. The festival this year runs through April 27th, so […]
Choose My Adventure: Getting invested in RIFT's Instant Adventures
So, before we begin, this is what happened with one of the polls: a dead-even split between doing Instant Adventures and following the breadcrumb trail. Thanos is pleased. But more than that, it did give me the opportunity to do what was suggested in the comments and just do both things. So that's what I […]
E3 2021 is officially a digital-only event this year
So it was rumored and so it has come to pass: E3 2021 is happening this year, but it'll be free to everyone and won't require anybody heading out to Los Angeles. The event will run from June 12th through the 15th and will be an all-digital showcase for the gaming industry as a whole, […]
Casually Classic: Three things I'm anticipating (and three I'm dreading) for WoW's Burning Crusade Classic
With the Burning Crusade Classic beta underway, it's hard not to be dwelling on the near future of WoW Classic. Everyone's maneuvering their accounts, leveling up characters, and mentally preparing to take the next step (back) into Outland. As I have no interest in the beta (seriously, unless you're a streamer looking for easy views, […]
World of Warcraft's Noblegarden returns for another egg hunt
The Easter weekend may be behind us, but World of Warcraft's Noblegarden stretches ahead. The annual spring event returns to the fantasy MMO this week, laying out eggs and other surprises for players to find. The event, which goes through April 12th, includes daily quests and hidden eggs that pay out in chocolate currency (the […]
Lord of the Rings Online players create a video memorial for a fallen friend
When one of Lord of the Rings Online's beloved community members passed away, friends and fellow players decided to do something in his honor. To honor the life of 37-year-old André "Nabucodonosor" Girodo, friends from the Arkenstone server got together to celebrate his life and record a tribute video as they processed across the familiar […]
Dual Universe has finally admitted JC Baillie is no longer running Novaquark, but it's mum about who is
This piece has been updated at the end; the original is as follows. The Dual Universe community has been churning over the last couple of days following the news that it has a new leader. According to recent stock filings, the president of Novaquark, which has been Jean-Christophe Baillie for many years, is now Nicolas […]
TERA's console version won't fix its latest patch bugs until the end of April
While the most recent console patch for TERA was welcome for anyone interested in playing an Elin Valkyrie, it also brought with its some pretty notable problems. Some runeglaive skins, for example, are not displaying properly for Elin characters. There's also a quest (Any Lost Stuff?) that's impossible to complete, items that are impossible to use […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG has the worst 'wealth gap' between old and new players?
Folks, I want to talk about money – video game money. I was surfing the City of Heroes subreddit a while back when I bumped into a thread about the "wealth gap" in the game – specifically, on the now-two-year-old rogue servers. The meme needs to be seen. There's so much to unpack here. First, […]
The Stream Team: Birthday bashing and Blackwood prologue with Elder Scrolls Online
Yesterday, The Elder Scrolls Online celebrated its official seventh birthday, but Massively OP's MJ gets to eat cake all week long! And boy, does it look good (where's Wonka Vision when you need it?!) As part of the birthday bash, she'll also be partaking in some good old-fashioned bashing while running through the new Blackwood […]
Massively Uplifting: Gamestonk, gorillas, and giving in MMOs
When it comes to feel-good stories in the general media, coming across a positive one about gaming seems harder than finding a four-leaf clover. Thankfully, you don't need the luck of the Irish to find uplifting stories — you've got Massively Uplifting! And March was brimming with kindness, inclusion, helpfulness, and generosity like a pot […]
Multiplayer deceive-em-ups Project Winter and Among Us get new maps
What better way to screw around with friends than to play a game where the objective is to survive a dangerous map and other players in the team out to sabotage everyone else? Fans will be very familiar with this multiplayer gaming set up thanks to the wildly popular Among Us and the under-the-radar (but […]
Neocron's gritty cyberpunks hunt for pretty Easter eggs
Volunteer-led Neocron is enjoying a spring update, courtesy of Patch 2.5.1, even as the team continue to work on more content for this cyberpunk MMORPG. The patch made some adjustments to various mobs, made a whole lot of weapon balance changes, and a hopeful fix for a game stability issue. The game's Easter egg hunt […]
Star Citizen talks about future plans for player-based ship refuel and repair
As it stands now, filling up the tank and repairing the damage of your internet starship in Star Citizen is an automated matter, but the devs are reportedly working on ways to let players take up these tasks according to a recent Calling All Devs video. Manual refueling will become a necessity in-game once the […]
Shadow's Kiss plans a Steam early access launch this summer, ends test builds due to lack of patcher support
Talk about rising from the dead: Shadow's Kiss, the vampire-filled horror MMO that we last looked towards in a Whatever Happened To post in June 2020, has suddenly announced that it's ready for an early access launch on Steam this summer. "Originally, we had not wanted to go with Steam for some logistical and financial […]
