The Stream Team: Silly shenanigans in Guild Wars 2's Super Adventure Box
Life can get too serious, so Massively OP's MJ is getting a dose of silliness in Guild Wars 2's Super Adventure Box! Bopping around with bumble pugs while searching for glitches, farming ooze, and facing fantastical giant frogs are just the shenanigans she needs to lighten and brighten her day. (I mean, have you seen […]
RuneScape begins 'awesome April' with a week-long boost to gathering skills, welcomes in the final wave of locked accounts
It's time for April to be awesome by RuneScape's reckoning as the MMORPG's latest update has kicked off Skilling Week for players. Between now and April 19th, players can enjoy 50% more XP for a variety of gathering skills like Divination, Farming, Fishing, and screening and excavating in Archaeology, as well as a 50% bonus […]
Path of Exile writes a development manifesto for game balance changes arriving in Ultimatum
Path of Exile fans know that the devs of Grinding Gear Games love to write their development manifestos, and with the Ultimatum League arriving later this week for PC players, there's a recently released manifesto that's all about balance plans for the expansion. The post calls out a variety of changes for life-costing skills and […]
MMO Business Roundup: Roblox prank, Hi-Rez, Wargaming, Epic's funding round, CCP's metaverse
Welcome back to another roundup of MMO (and MMO-adjacent) industry news! A Roblox player from a goofy political meme group apparently pulled quite a stunt on the White House. Politico reports that a gamer going by Kacey "Lego" Montagu whipped up a fake persona as a White House pool reporter, along with a popular Twitter […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 317: Stay awhile and listen
Justin and Bree discuss MMO Kickstarters, Path of Exile 2, Global Agenda 2, Dual Universe, and Wizard101, with adventures in WoW Classic, Fallout 76, Diablo 2 Resurrected, and Guild Wars 2, plus mailbag topics on Steam and FOMO, Diablo 3, and No Man's Sky.
Elyon's western closed beta will run May 6 through 10 – without the cash shop
When Krafton and Krafton opened up Elyon's new English website and started tooting the beta horn, you had to know this announcement wasn't far behind: Today, the company has posted direct closed beta signups, which are live through April 25th. The closed beta itself will run from May 6th through 10th, with client preloading beginning […]
Elder Scrolls Online details Blackwood's multi-armed bosses, the ruinachs
As hype for Elder Scrolls Online's Blackwood chapter continues to mount, ZeniMax is pushing out more dev blogs exploring the lore behind the content. Today's piece focuses on the Ruinachs – literally the big bads that serve the daedric prince Mehrunes Dagon, and they're daedra-ish, but more like hulking scamps rather than the more reptilian […]
Neverwinter's Sharandar Soul Keeper episode makes undead elves creep again today
As promised, part two of Neverwinter's three-chunk Sharandar expansion is fully live for PC players. The follow-up to March's Iron Tooth release, today's Soul Keeper episode pushes players to the Mended Grove to continue the storyline. Spoilers: It's pretty much zombies. "In Episode 2: The Soul Keeper, the blight has receded in New Sharandar, yet […]
Derek Smart on the dormant Alganon: 'It will be back. I promise.'
If you think you've endured long server maintenance and downtime on a game, you have nothing on Alganon's playerbase. These loyal adventurers saw their game taken down for what was initially termed maintenance in November 2017 — and hasn't come back up yet. So it's been a thing we do to check back every year […]
Bless Unleashed sets final PC beta for May 12, will test UI and cash shop
Bless Unleashed is in the home stretch of its PC testing, as it's now preparing for its final beta. "The purpose of this test is to perform a final test of all the features in Bless Unleashed before the official launch," Neowiz and Round8 wrote on Steam today. "We will be performing final checks on […]
Grab a MU Online or C9 gift bundle in Webzen's 12th anniversary giveaway
Webzen is turning 12, and for the occasion, it's rolling out an amusement park theme for both of its live western MMOs: MU Online and Continent of the Ninth Seal (C9). Players will be darting around the games and social media collecting tickets. "Make sure to not miss the final rollercoaster ride!" the studio says. And […]
World of Warcraft introduces hotfixes to further increase Anima rewards in Shadowlands
Despite attempts by World of Warcraft to increase the amount of Anima rewards in Shadowlands, there's still been feedback from players that obtaining Anima is still too difficult. Hopefully, then, some recently released hotfixes will address the matter so players don't feel like spending 10,000 Anima on a feature upgrade is the wrong choice. These […]
Choose My Adventure: Warrior time and a more classical Cleric in RIFT
This week, I traded my shepherd's cane for a big honkin' sword in RIFT and found that… well, there's not too much different here, really. Just a matter of looking at a boss at distance or looking at its knees, really. The reason I feel this way is because, just like my NecroCleric, my forgotten […]
Elite Dangerous releases hotfixes to address Odyssey phase two stability issues
Phase two of the Elite: Dangerous Odyssey alpha has been pretty unstable if the patches applied over the course of the past week are any indication. To date, three hotfixes have been applied, all of which attempting to correct stability fixes for crashes and disconnect errors that have been cropping up during testing. The most […]
Casually Classic: Ranking WoW Classic's capital cities (through Burning Crusade)
Even more so than they are in retail World of Warcraft, WoW Classic's capital cities are the central bustling hub of commerce and staging for grand adventures. Chances are that your hearthstone is set to one of these, as they offer ideal places to resupply, train, bank, and encounter likeminded players. For today's "why not?" […]
Swords of Legends Online showcases the Reaper and Berserker classes
Last week we were pointed in the direction of Swords of Legends Online, a Chinese action MMORPG that made the surprise announcement of its impending westward arrival this summer via Gameforge. As reason would stand, the game wants to hype itself up, and what better way than by showcasing gameplay of the MMO's six classes? […]
Final Fantasy XIV patch 5.5, Death Unto Dawn, is out today
The date has finally arrived for Final Fantasy XIV to get a new patch. Patch 5.5 is now live on the game's servers, bringing with it a new dungeon, new alliance raid, new trial, new quests, new story, new mounts, new mechanical adjustments… in short, it brings a lot of stuff. You know, as patches […]
Classic Guild Wars players are in a delightful frenzy trying to unearth an easter egg from 2013
Combine a developer's hint about secret content and a much beloved MMORPG, and you've got the makings for a major treasure hunt – and that's exactly what's going on in Classic Guild Wars right now. According to the excellent recap of the situation over on Reddit, players on Discord noticed an anonymous hint buried in […]
Project_N is a new throwback MMO designed by an EverQuest lead game designer
We certainly have no shortages of MMO projects in which fans and developers alike are seeking to return to Ye Olden Dayz of game design, and while Project_N can be easily lumped in with this trend, there are a few things that set apart this relatively new MMO. First of all, its small team is […]
The Daily Grind: Should more MMOs offer 'season pass' style content?
Its seems as if we've been fielding a lot of email and podcast questions about season passes the last month or two. Paid season passes that unlock content and have become a popular way for multiplayer game studios to monetize games that don't really have a virtual world or long-term progression hook. But we haven't […]
World War II Online delivers promised bomber loadouts and the Panzerjager, adds new terrain and features
Back in February, the multiplayer shooter World War II Online offered up a 2021 roadmap with promise of several new vehicles and quality-of-life features. With the game's recent version update, some of those mapped-out promises have been kept. The update introduces roadmap features such as the tank-busting Panzerjager 1, the ability for bombers to create […]
The Stream Team: World of Tanks turns 10 with attack geese and battle castles
Sure, World of Tanks has special coin-earning anniversary missions in the random battles to commemorate its 10th birthday today, but Massively OP's MJ is more enamored with something a bit more suited to her. Have you seen the cool goose tank that's available?! And another one resembles a red castle! Seriously how can MJ pass […]
Frozen Flame reworks cooking and finalizes the Cradle of Keepers in latest update
You're going to want to cook meals in survival-centric MMO Frozen Flame, and now the process of doing that is hopefully a little more user-friendly with the game's latest update, which has reworked the cooking system to include fueling a cooking fire, the requirement of cooking one dish at a time, and the ability to […]
Darksburg introduces a new progression system in latest patch, attributes update delays to COVID
If you've been wondering where the co-op rogue-like ARPG Darksburg has been, last week brought some good news as a recent update has arisen after a span of several months where the game saw no updates whatsoever. "With the current world situation, movements in and out of lockdown here in France, working from home and […]
The Realm Online shares details on its PvP-centric seasonal server opening April 16
Who says that an old game can't try new things? That's the case for The Realm Online, which we noted previously for having plans to open a "disruptive" PvP seasonal server. Now we have a release date and additional details for when that server opens: Friday, April 16th, until Saturday, June 26th. The announcement post […]
Circuits and Shields is an indie 'modern gamers MOBA' heading to Kickstarter
Circuits and Shields came across our desk this weekend: It's an in-development MOBA from novice developer Koza Games, with an elevator pitch promising a "modern gamers MOBA" with "no gimmicks; just smarter design and superior gameplay" that combines "the knowledge gained from over a decade of MOBA design and improving it in every aspect." "Circuits and […]
Final Fantasy XIV prepares for its next live letter on May 15
If Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers got you to feel a feeling, you have Natsuko Ishikawa to thank for that. And she's working on the plot for Endwalker as well, so players have even more reason to look forward to being hit right in the feels by the game's story. So it's probably for the best […]
Whatever happened to Otherland, Guns of Icarus, and Pixel Starships?
Whatever happened to those MMOs you – and we – have forgotten all about? We're going to dig into three of them today. First up, Pixel Starships – remember that one? It was a cute retro online RTS with an MMO-like persistent world "similar to World of Warcraft," according to developer Savysoda back when it […]
MMO dev sitcom Mythic Quest will premiere a bonus episode April 16 ahead of season two debut
Fans eager for the upcoming second season of the MMO development studio sitcom Mythic Quest won't have to wait until they get a taste of their favorite dysfunctional game devs. A bonus episode of the show is set to premiere this Friday, April 16th, on Apple TV+. The episode, called Everlight, sees the studio's devs […]
Wisdom of Nym: Some interesting bits from Final Fantasy XIV's 5.5 patch notes
Part of me has never been altogether clear on why I am so enthusiastic about seeing the fresh set of patch notes for Final Fantasy XIV when the actual patch itself is a few days away. I can give an abstract answer and I understand the principle of it, naturally, but the preliminary notes are […]
Orbus VR adds sheep, chickens, and competent Bards
Here's your fun fact for the day: Did you know that Orbus VR is over three years old at this point? While virtual reality hasn't been quite the fertile ground for MMORPGs as some hoped it would be, this Kickstarted VR MMORPG has been faithfully plugging away at adding new content and experiences for several […]
Not So Massively: Four things I wish I'd known when I started Magic Legends
Inevitably after a couple weeks in a new game, you've learned a few things that you wish you'd known from the start. For me right now, that game is Magic: Legends. While I can't go back and tell my past self what I know now, I can share it with you, the community, in the […]
Blade and Soul prepares to send players to the Candycloud Carnival
The Candycloud Carnival is not like most other carnivals, so Blade & Soul players will need to prepare for that when it arrives in-game on April 14th. es, like most other carnivals, this one will ensure you end your time there tired, a bit queasy, and slightly sticky. Yes, you will probably be going on […]
First impressions from Diablo II Resurrected's alpha: Just as good as you remember
Multiplayer isn't in yet. There are only two acts and three classes available. So why am I heading into Diablo II: Resurrected? Simple: It's a stone-cold classic that's getting a makeover for modern audiences. Why wouldn't I want to check it out? It's been well over a decade since I last stepped into Diablo II's […]
Age of Empires IV promises up to 1600 units in eight-player multiplayer during preview
While a great deal of the focus in a recent fan preview for the upcoming RTS Age of Empires IV was about single-player features like new campaigns and the new Delhi Sultanate civilization, there are a couple of nuggets that enter our multiplaying wheelhouse that are worth mentioning, especially for fans of competitive RTS gaming. […]
Apple claims it competes with Nintendo and Microsoft, Epic outlines Apple iMessage's cross-platform blocking
We're still about a month away before the Epic vs. Apple legal fight moves to its May 3rd bench trial, which means we've still got weeks left for both Epic Games and Apple to continue their legal filing-based slap-fighting. Freakin' yay. We'll begin with Apple's argument that the assertion of having no competition is false […]
Gamigo outlines the timing for the last Defiance server shutdown
It's almost time to say goodbye to both versions of Defiance, and while fans of the sci-fi shooting MMO may be reveling in the game's final schedule of events, ultimately the game will go dark, the timing of which has officially been shared. The Defiance servers will turn off at 5:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, […]
Population Zero has apparently sunsetted, is now just plain zero
Population Zero appears to have fulfilled its destiny and now has zero population. Reports are coming in from both press and players on Steam that the survival MMO has quietly closed down its servers, and the game's website has already been taken offline. It's probably for the best, as the title had not seen a […]
The Daily Grind: How often do you change your MMO characters' outfits?
One of the nice things City of Heroes' rogue servers did for the community was open up all the costume slots for everyone. Obviously, since the game is no longer free-to-play, there's no need to incentivize people to pay for more costumes, or costume pieces or any of that. Just go in and make as […]
MMO Week in Review: The Dual Universe disturbance
I can count on one hand the number of prominent MMORPG studios that aren't forthcoming with customers about who is actually in charge, and I'm afraid that's a bad list to be on, as Dual Universe seems poised to find out: This past week, the game's backers discovered that its founder had been relieved of […]
PvP Sandbox MMO Profane updates its alpha roadmap
We've been watching the emergence of Profane with some interest, especially considering that this PvP sandbox has eye-catching graphics and an aggressive development schedule. It also doesn't hurt that the dev team is all over Twitter, chatting up the game and keeping fans in the loop as to what's coming down the pike. Speaking of […]
The MOP Up: Neverwinter's April Fools dungeon
April Fools Day may be past, but its spirit lives on in Neverwinter! This past week's small patch opened up a mini-dungeon for goofy explorers to enjoy. It sounds like this one is poultry in motion. "Players level 40 and above may now queue for the Sewers Most Fowl in the Events category of the […]
Elyon hints that previous air combat mechanics from Ascent Infinite Realm may still be used
Before the MMORPG Ascent: Infinite Realm decided to pivot away entirely from its former airships and steampunk vibe and move to a different style altogether (as well as rename itself to Elyon), we were being teased with a whole lot of airship-centric gameplay features, promising things like single-player training airships, massive multi-crew ships, mechs, and […]
Global Chat: Dealing with Magic Legends
Now that Magic Legends is out, you can best believe that a lot of MMO gamers are checking out Cryptic's latest offering. Among those is Nogamara of Battle Stance, who shares a few first impressions. "The game looks OK, but I wouldn't call it overwhelming. I'm usually not one to criticize non-flashy graphics, but it's a […]
Temtem highlights new content coming April 13, still has no new launch window
It's been quite a busy year for Temtem, especially when fans take into account all of the updates made to the Pokemon-esque MMO during its early access… and how far the game slid off its roadmap after that whole PS5 launch pitstop and price hike. Undaunted, the devs at Crema Games have put together a […]
One Shots: The voyage home
When you've spent a whole lot of calories burning, pillaging, and looting villages, it's a welcome sight to see the rest and shelter of home on the horizon. Until, of course, another ambitious Norseman comes along to burn, pillage, and loot the homestead. "Three tired Vikings return home with a hold full of silver after […]
The Daily Grind: What mount type do you wish more MMOs would offer?
Here are some of my mounts in Final Fantasy XIV: a sheep. A flying pig. A giant moss-covered sneezing monster. A drifting stalk of a plant. An entire bed. All of these mounts are wonderful because there's nothing like the sheer impact of storming into battle whilst lying back and relaxing on a bed that somehow […]
Corepunk Q&A discusses the launch window, guilds, mounts, and more
If you're the type of person who respects short, direct, and to-the-point answers to specific questions, then you're going to like the first part of Corepunk's community Q&A session. Artificial Core posted fan-asked questions about this cyberpunk-themed MMO along with the studio's brief answers on each subject. The biggest question, clearly, was the issue of […]
Dual Universe is asking players to 'wreak havoc on planets' soils' in its latest PTS build
If you're among the backers of Dual Universe who are somehow not unnerved by the silent ouster of Novaquark's president and continuing lack of information on what's going on at the company, then you've got a new PTS build to play around with. Also, you should probably be a little concerned by those business matters. […]
Chronicles of Elyria, now back up to five devs, examines its development achievements and shortcomings
As work on Kingdoms of Elyria (and by extension Chronicles of Elyria, according to claims made by Soulbound Studio CEO Jeromy Walsh) continues to press forward, the latest dev blog from the game has decided to look back at what's happened over the course of what it's called Milestone One, which readers will recall is […]
