Global Chat: Having a blast in Burning Crusade
How's Burning Crusade Classic going for those of you venturing back into Blizzard's past? MMO blog Priest with a Cause is having a great time, thank you for asking. "What has surprised me though has been how compelling it still is. I mean, if you boil it down to the basics it's all just grinding: […]
Frozen Flame introduces spells, adds a recipe book, and updates the Ancient Valley in latest update
The multiplayer survival RPG Frozen Flame is a place of magic. When it's not also a place of danger or a place that is dying, anyway. It would make sense, then, that players should be allowed to wield some of that magic, and that's just what the most recent update is letting players do. Provided […]
Ravendawn shares over 30 minutes of uncut pre-alpha gameplay footage
Are you curious to learn whether the in-development old-school MMORPG Ravendawn is as much of a Tibia lookalike as Redditors claim? Then perhaps you can make up your own mind thanks to 30 minutes of uncut pre-alpha gameplay footage. Or you can just get a look at what this game is all about divorced of […]
Open Perpetuum targets boss camping with time limitations
Open Perpetuum's strongholds have proven to be a popular features for the sandbox MMO, but that doesn't mean that they're perfect. The volunteer dev team acknowledges that there's been some issues with boss spawn camping that's made the experience somewhat miserable for all involved, so some significant changes have been made to address this. Now, […]
Pearl Abyss opens new studios in US and Europe as part of western expansion efforts
Pearl Abyss very clearly has eyes on expanding its reach further into the western market. The publisher/developer of Black Desert has opened up two new studios in the NA and EU regions as part of the company's efforts to that end. The new studios are located in Amsterdam and Los Angeles, and will be used […]
Closers introduces its latest character Eunha with new events and a pre-starter pack
The cast of the side-scrolling action MMO Closers is expanding once more, and this time it's getting a mope-filled scarf-wearing debt collector who loves knives and spouting off LiveJournal-esque witticisms like "scars that aren't healed bear emotions." It's time to say hello to Eunha. Don't expect her to say hello back, though. This new character's […]
Old School RuneScape adjusts to Theatre of Blood feedback, RuneScape announces mobile launch date
It's the start of a new week, and that means another deluge of updates coming out of RuneScape and Old School RuneScape. We'll start with OSRS, which released its two new modes for the Theatre of Blood this past Thursday. Since then, there have been a number of adjustments including tweaks to the encounter's hard […]
Atlas talks post-Tradewinds update plans, introduces buff-granting towers
Now that Atlas has released its Tradewinds update (after a bit of a delay), players are maybe wondering what's next for the seafaring sandbox. Some of those plans were outlined in a recent dev blog, with plans to have the game map separated into different geographical themes, more ship customizations and pre-built ship options, and […]
World War II Online turns 20, tweaks sub, plans Steam launch and UE4 conversion
Cornered Rat Software's MMO World War II Online is 20 years old, believe it or not, and still under development "so as the create the next 20 years," the team says. Over the weekend, the studio made several announcements about the future of the game, including plans for integrated voice comms, a monetization clean-up, a […]
Naoki Yoshida of Final Fantasy XIV considers World of Warcraft a 'mentor' for the game's relaunch
If you need to know the degree of regard that Final Fantasy XIV's director and producer Naoki Yoshida has for World of Warcraft, a recent interview with the man gives a clear picture. Yoshida explains that without Blizzard's MMO, there would not have been a successful relaunch of the game. He goes on to elaborate that as […]
Second Life's CEO, Ebbe Altberg, has passed away
We're terribly sorry to report that Second Life CEO Ebbe Altberg has passed away after a long illness. Linden Lab posted the news to the game's community over the weekend. "Ebbe Altberg started with Linden Lab as our CEO on February 5th, 2014. He took the helm of the company and immediately went to work […]
Wisdom of Nym: Speculating about the mechanics of Final Fantasy XIV's Sage way too early
Here's what we know so far about Final Fantasy XIV's Sage: It'll be a healer. Specifically, it's going to be a barrier healer, as part of the sorting of every healer into two different types, pure healer or barrier healer. And we know… a handful of abilities that it's going to have, which certainly appears […]
Myst Online: Uru Live developer Cyan Worlds has open-sourced even more game assets
MMO veterans probably recall that ages ago Myst Online: Uru Live brought the Myst franchise fully into the MMO space in the mid-aughts, as developer Cyan Worlds put the game online in multiple incarnations attempting to find its audience, even open-sourcing parts of the project a decade ago in order to keep it all going. […]
Not So Massively: Iron Harvest's Operation Eagle expansion soars high
The lead-up to the release of Iron Harvest 1920's first expansion was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for me (insomuch as you can ever apply that term to something as trivial as a game release). On the one hand, as is now well-documented in this column, I'm a big fan of the game, and […]
Chronicles of Elyria previews its Kingdoms of Elyria alpha
Progress apparently continues on Chronicles of Elyria spin-off game Kingdoms of Elyria, as outlined in Soulbound Studios' latest dev blog. The studio has recapped everything accomplished – and not accompanished – as of the second milestone. Notably, Soulbound says it succeeded in plans to introduce ambient and UI sound-effects, add Chronicles of Elyria music temporarily, implement […]
Crowfall outlines dates for beta closure and forum maintenance leading into full release
Crowfall is going to be a launched MMO on Tuesday, July 6th. That much is absolutely set in stone. Of course, that does leave up the question of when the game's current beta will be wrapping up, but that question has been answered with a date announcement post that outlines timing for the game's final […]
Craftopia developer announces co-op survival builder Palworld
Prepare for imminent cuteness because Craftopia developer Pocketpair just announced a cel-shaded survival builder slated to come out in 2022. This new project is Palworld, which takes players on a co-op adventure to craft and thrive in an anime-like world. There are activities like farming, dungeon diving, and operating factories to enjoy. The "pal" in […]
40 musicians collab on medley to welcome back Final Fantasy XIV composer Soken
Masayoshi Soken, the composer for Final Fantasy XIV, very clearly loves his work, to the point that he was still creating music for the MMORPG while he was battling cancer. Players of the game very clearly love him, with the outpouring of support for him and the rest of the game's devs after the reveal. […]
The Daily Grind: Do you judge MMOs by the quality of their Discords?
When we covered Palia earlier this month, I noticed multiple commenters, Twitter denizens, and even our own staff talking approvingly of the community Discord. Like the game itself, it's already attracting the most lovely people. It's already a place I enjoy hanging out. You get the community you build for, right? It's a sharp contrast […]
MMO Week in Review: Burning Crusade, Blackwood, Prisms, and Crowfall
One of my favorite "problems" is when we have a week so packed with big MMORPG news that I can't decide what to feature at the end of the week, and that's exactly what we're dealing with tonight. This is a week that was dominated as much by WoW Classic Burning Crusade and Elder Scrolls […]
Battle Bards Episode 194: No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky is a Cinderella story, a turnaround from a project that failed on its promises to exceeding them. But what about its soundtrack? In this episode, the Battle Bards examine this "experimental" score and grapple with how it fits with space exploration theme. Battle Bards is the world's first, best, and only MMO music […]
The MOP Up: Wurm Online's animal update made sheep fluffier
Wurm Online's animal update is upon us, kindly making free-to-play players ride donkeys and mules so we can all point and laugh. I'm kidding. The late-May update likewise added a new animal feeding system, new farm items, new horse shapes, better animal AI, better animal breeding, and a fluffier sheep model. I'm not kidding. And […]
Moonlight Sculptor gets new dungeons, a guild hideout, and a new event on June 8
With roughly two weeks since the game's launch now under its belt, it's time for the mobile MMO Moonlight Sculptor to get its first content update this coming Tuesday, June 8th. Players can look forward to some new content in the form of a 150-floor Mirkhan Tower, a new Twisted Abyss – Sewer Maze dungeon, […]
Ashes of Creation addresses extra player questions on music, election systems, and more
Much as they did last time, the devs of Ashes of Creation saw fit to round up every single question that players have asked recently and collate every single response in one giant list, so if anyone's questions weren't pulled from the forum and addressed in the latest livestream, the answers are here. Also the […]
Mortal Online 2 introduces mounted combat, adds anti-cheat software, and lets players flip each other off
Remember when I said that one of my favorite pastimes in reading Mortal Online 2 patch notes is finding the more unique update features? The game's most recent patch notes offers one right from the very off: "Added FlipOff emote." We are now officially living in the year 2250. Rude gestures aren't the only thing […]
One Shots: Cave rave!
Where do you go when you want to relax in an MMO with friends, a strong drink, and some good atmosphere? This changes depending on the game, but here are a few suggestions from your friendly neighborhood screenshotters. We will start with Fisty, who is getting wild 'n' wooly in World of Warcraft: "This isn't […]
The Daily Grind: Do you play MMOs when you're on vacation?
As I type this, MOP's Justin is on vacation, though he'll be back by the time you're reading it. And dammit, he deserved it. We all do! Justin is really good at not wasting a good vacation on video games. When he says he's unplugging, he does it. But some folks? I've seen y'all taking […]
Make My MMO: Crowfall cometh
This week in crowdfunded MMOs, the big news was Crowfall – yes, the MMORPG everyone Kickstarted way back in 2015 is has a real launch date, now set for July 6th. Gamers can currently access the beta freely through June 23rd using the code MOPCROWCODE. Meanwhile, Albion Online teased next week's mobile launch and next […]
ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained add Gunslinger Ancestral skills in June 10 update
Players of both ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained who have hit the pinnacle of the recently added Gunslinger skillset are going to have some new heights to climb towards soon. A tweet from the game has announced that an update coming on June 10th will be introducing Ancestral skills for the Gunslinger, as well as revamps […]
Pantheon Rise of the Fallen showcases NPC combat tactics and discusses programming in latest videos
There have been a couple of extremely lengthy videos released by Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, both of which are full of behind-the-scenes goodness for those followers of the developing MMORPG that love their granular details. First, the game's recent livestream provided a close look at how enemies will operate in combat, pointing out a […]
The Stream Team: Heading into ARK's new Genesis 2
With Genesis 2, the conclusion of the ARK story is now here. And while she's been burned by much from the game, Massively OP's MJ has been a part of it from even before the beginning, so she's here to see the end. How is the final world going to look? And how will it […]
Elite Dangerous maps out plans for three more updates in June as another player initiative is binned
At the tail end of May, the devs of Elite: Dangerous promised to share a roadmap of updates to address a number of problems with the Odyssey expansion. That roadmap has since been provided, but what it does share are mostly vague mentions and promise of "many improvements." There are a couple of specific updates […]
New World's latest region tour video features the rain-soaked Mourningdale
Hope you like dreary weather, New World fans, because the latest in the Touring Aeternum video series offers up a look at the rainy region of Mourningdale. This particular area is perpetually drenched in rain as well as filled with creature-infested ruins, but it also promises plenty of beauty to behold as well in the […]
WRUP: Hippo dance texture edition
What is the texture of a hippo dance? To understand this, we first have to understand a few important pieces of information. The first is that hippos are mammals. The second is that when a hippo is wet, it is wet on purpose. The third? Actually, that's the mammal thing again. Hold on. I think […]
The Daily Grind: What MMO music do you listen to out of the game?
The thing about video game music is that some of it is so perfectly attuned to a very specific game that it can feel weird to listen to it outside of that context. I definitely enjoy the soundtrack to a lot of games that I feel no desire to listen to again, for example; there's […]
Betawatch: We want us some Palia
Palia! It exists! We got a whole preview for it, and it looks wonderful, and people will not stop telling us about it and we want it. We all want it. I want it. You want it. Everyone on staff wants it. (Note: Anyone who is reading this and does not want it, you don't […]
The Stream Team: The secret of Zhoom in AdventureQuest 3D
The Sandsea Saga part IV has released in AQ3D, and Massively OP's MJ is raring to go! She's been tasked with wiping out the rebel leader Zhoom to earn Lord Sekt's trust. But is Zhoon really a bad guy? MJ has to find out! Join us live at 7:00 p.m. to uncover more secrets of […]
The sun is setting on Need for Speed's online offerings, Call of Duty Online in China, and multiple SUBA MMOs
I'd like to say that a roundup of impending sunsets is a first on MOP, but this is 2021, the year Gamigo sunsetted a ton of games all at once, so unfortunately it's not. First, Need for Speed World sunsetted back in 2015, but a whole bunch of older Need for Speed online titles are […]
MMOs You've Never Heard Of: Elethor, Astonia, Guardians of Cloudia, Lands of Kehliel
Let's take a peek through some MMOs you've never heard of or have totally forgotten about. The tinier and more obscure, the better, we say! Astonia MMO Fallout put Astonia back on our radar, as we hadn't mentioned it since April of last year. It was originally launched in 1998 and went through several iterations […]
Multiplayer voxelbox Elteria Adventures begins open alpha testing on Steam
Elteria Adventures, the voxel-powered building and exploration sandbox that was first announced in May 2020 and elected to wholly change its visual style in April 2021, has taken its next developmental step forward. As of this past Wednesday, the game has begun open alpha playtesting, allowing anyone to check out the game by simply clicking […]
Hearthstone adds a new mini-set and Book of Mercenaries tale, plans more single-player stories for June
Update 20.4 in Hearthstone is bringing a number of new content updates to the online CCG. As of yesterday, the game has received a new Wailing Caverns mini-set with 35 new cards for players to purchase, along with a new Book of Mercenaries free story featuring the Dranei priestess Xyrella. The update has also added […]
The Repopulation team recreated over 1100 pieces of furniture from earlier builds
Let's be honest, it's never a good sign that I forget about an MMO until I see a developer tweet about it, but in this case, The Repopulation caught my attention with good news. The MMO has been under development for years now under the stewardship of the Hero Engine team Idea Fabrik, which took […]
PlanetSide 2 outlines upcoming NSO faction updates, including opening the group to free players
The Nanite Systems Operative (NSO) faction in PlanetSide 2 has always been a unique choice, as it really isn't its own faction so much as just a set of robots that join the side of the lowest populated empire and was only available to those who have a membership to the game. Those two factors […]
Odin: Valhalla Rising gets a South Korean launch date of June 29, releases a new trailer in English
Back in May of last year we reported on the upcoming title Odin: Valhalla Rising, a new MMORPG for PC and mobile developed by Lionheart Studio and published by Kakao Games with a pretty obvious setting and some extremely kinetic-looking combat. At the time, there weren't many release details, but thanks to Kakao's virtual showcase […]
CS:GO reboots F2P business model, tucking far more behind the paywall
Valve set off a dramabomb last night with its announcement that CounterStrike: Global Offensive would be dramatically changing its business model. The company essentially walked back the free-to-play model it's run in CSGO for the last three years, saying that "bad actors" have abused the free-play content to "hurt the experience of both new and […]
The Soapbox: MMO monetization that complements poor game design makes us all losers
I have a problem: As much as I enjoy games, I can see that many online and multiplayer games are becoming designed more poorly in order to sell themselves as a service, and they're getting better at the selling part without necessarily being worthy of it. With the latter, I'm fine buying DLC or paying […]
ARK Survival Evolved's Genesis Part 2, the 'bridge' to the ARK sequel, is finally live
As promised, ARK Survival Evolved has finally rolled out part two of its massive Genesis update, which essentially puts a capstone on the game's entire plotline; it's being sold as a "narrative bridge" between ARK and ARK II, with new missions, new critters (natch), new loot, and new biomes, including the "innards of the ever-expanding […]
World of Warcraft offers a preview of what will be required for flight in Shadowlands
Patch 9.1 for World of Warcraft will bring with it the coveted ability to fly in the game's expansion areas, but what will be required to get there? Not a whole heck of a lot, really, but you'd better be ready ahead of time by being done with the Covenant campaign and having your Renown already […]
Star Citizen talks about the creation of the Bengal carrier and hosts a competition to celebrate Pride
During the Invictus Launch Week event in Star Citizen, fans were treated to a special arrival as part of the UEE Navy's show of might: the Bengal carrier in all its fully functional glory, which happens to be the focus of this week's episode of Inside Star Citizen. In the video we learn about the […]
Bloomberg takes a look at the growing presence of 'Blizzard 2.0'
By this point everyone has had time to read and analyze that lengthy piece on IGN about Blizzard as a company in turmoil, wracked by changes in leadership and corporate culture over time. But what about the growing force of developers who have left? A new piece on Bloomberg takes a look at what is […]
