MMO Week in Review: RIP to the Blizzard you thought you knew
It probably shouldn't surprise anyone that a video game company long-maligned and even boycotted over everything from political censorship and mass-layoffs to labor abuses and excessive executive compensation also apparently fostered a corporate culture of sexism, racism, discrimination, harassment, and sexual abuse that allegedly led to the death of a staffer. But that's exactly the […]
Nexon's Project Magnum, a sci-fi looter shooter, emerges from the wings
With the proven success (amid several failures) of the online looter shooter, it's not unsurprising that Nexon wants to get in on the action with its own Destiny 2-like service. The company announced this week that it's bringing to bear a new game code-named Project Magnum that it hopes to be a strong competitor in […]
The MOP Up: ArcheAge heads to the beach for sand and surf
Both versions of ArcheAge are urging players to take a break from their usual routine of species extermination to play in the sand and get a tan. It's the Blue Salt Festival, and it's not just fun and games — it's fun, games, and rewards. "It's that time of year, heroes, when we relax on […]
MapleStory's second part of Neo: Light's Wrath adds a new boss and a new quest line
The second part of the Neo: Light's Wrath content that marks MapleStory's summer is now officially live and it has… a hotel that's springing up out of the desert? This game's storylines are kind of all over the place, so that tracks, actually. This newly-arrived Hotel Arcus zone is one of the update's headline features, […]
The Stream Team: Exploring some player-made missions in City of Heroes Homecoming
Players of MMOs, given the tools and the time, can make some pretty awesome things, and while many MMOs and MMORPGs seem to be killing player-built quest tools left and right, City of Heroes has no such restriction with its Mission Architect feature. Join MOP's Chris today at 12:00 p.m. EDT as he hops into […]
SoulWorker releases its sniper rifle-wielding ninth character in newest update
SoulWorker, the action anime MMO that's now being self-published by developer Lion Games, has introduced its ninth roster member with its most recent update, which readers will recall was first revealed as part of the MMO's lineup of July updates. This new character, a sniper by the name of Lee Nabi, marks SoulWorker's first-ever ranged […]
One Shots: A story in a single picture
I've always had a great fondness for when video games can tell a quick story without words but rather with objects placed in such a way that the viewer can suss out what's happened. Hurbster is a sucker for environmental storytelling, giving us this screenshot that tells us of mutually assured destruction between an adventurer […]
Chris Metzen offers apology for Blizzard's culture of 'harassment, inequality, and indifference'
Perhaps having seen how badly Mike Morhaime's apology to the women of Blizzard backfired, Chris Metzen took the better part of an extra day to issue his own letter to the industry in response to the situation surrounding the explosive California state lawsuit alleging systemic sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision-Blizzard. He begins by offering […]
The Daily Grind: Do you follow Discord servers for specific MMOs?
On some level this might be a case of an old man yelling at clouds, but I really dislike joining Discord servers for specific MMOs. I have no problem joining Discord servers for communities within games, naturally, but joining an entire server just to see such basic things as news and updates makes my eye […]
Valiance Online enters into beta phase for investors of the game
This past March, we decided to recount what happened to Valiance Online, noting that the team at Silverhelm was hit hard by COVID and had an updated internal build roughly two weeks ago. In short, things are soldiering on though a bit slow-going. If that sounded a bit disheartening, perhaps you'll be glad to note […]
EVE Online announces vague plans to end resource scarcity later this year
This one requires a bit of backstory to fully understand, so allow us a moment to recap: Back as early as December 2019, CCP Games had started making changes to EVE Online's resource availability, removing or vastly reducing yields for null sec mining and moon mining and then shifting ore spawn types and quantities in […]
Warframe hit new concurrency and engagement records during its digital TennoCon 2021 event
It's pretty clear that players of an MMO really like to come together to see what's next for their chosen title. This has been proven by Warframe, as the virtual TennoCon event this year reportedly drew huge swaths of players into the game to break a number of concurrency and engagement records. During the event, […]
Elyon says it's trying to be 'clear and transparent' about its cash shop
A game's cash shop by any other name will attempt to suck all of the money out of your wallet, even if it's being dubbed an adorable "Ruby Shop." That's the moniker that Elyon is giving to its upcoming store, at least. Kakao and Bluehole said that they want to be "clear and transparent" with […]
LOTRO Legendarium: Six suggestions to improve LOTRO's business model
First of all, I want to give praise where it's due: Lord of the Rings Online has done a great job in 2021 shedding its tight-lipped and cryptic nature in exchange of increased communications from its producers. It's weird now "normal" it feels to have a producer gladly come and chat with us, even if […]
Camelot Unchained says it has no plans to license its engine, is still paying refunds
Earlier this month, Camelot Unchained studio City State Entertainment came under fire when its leader objected to a YouTube video that speculated the company was on the verge of collapse. CSE's Mark Jacobs said that video mischaracterized the company's finances since the YouTuber didn't have all the facts. But as we pointed out, the reason […]
WRUP: Glassware Stair Ax, the MMO with something for everyone edition
Yes, it's time for a hard pivot to cover the amazing Glassware Stair Ax, the MMO with something for everyone! Not something anyone involved will want. Here is what we have for every player type we could think of: Roleplayers: A piece of moldy bread we found in the garbage. Crafters: A piece of moldier […]
The Daily Grind: If you could give advice to a developer that would actually be taken, what would it be?
While developers have an insider's knowledge of the make-up of their games and access to information and demographics that we do not, it doesn't mean that gamers' observations, opinions, and advice is null and void. Having "massively multiplayer" communities creates the opportunity for a whole lot of insights that developers might well have missed — […]
Mike Morhaime to female Blizzard workers: 'I am extremely sorry that I failed you'
In response to the situation surrounding the explosive California state lawsuit alleging systemic sexual harassment and discrimination at Activision-Blizzard, former president Mike Morhaime posted a letter to the industry and specifically to his former Blizzard colleagues overnight. In sharp contrast to the combative, deflective memo issued in private at Activision and the Gloria-Steinem-namedrop memo leaked […]
Betawatch: New World kicks off its closed beta
At long last, the New World closed beta has arrived! It's a beta for the game that seems to have gone through more philosophical shifts than you would expect for any given game, but now it's here and playable! And as with any beta, it involved the usual weirdness like bricking GPUs and bannings over […]
Jump into a mech and blast some 'bots in Galahad 3093's open beta
Fans of MechWarrior and BattleTech should have Galahad 3093 on their radar, especially since the upcoming online shooter is launching a one-week open beta starting today and wrapping up on August 1st. The beta is taking place over five of the game's maps, including two that are brand-new to this round of testing. Additionally, developer […]
Wild Terra 2 adds horses and healing with its next update arriving July 29
If you're quietly gathering from a tree and see a small squirrel run up to you yelling and chittering in rage, is your first thought, "I could befriend this animal"? Then Wild Terra 2's next update is for you, as one of the changes being added is the chance for small angry animals to spawn […]
The Stream Team: Join Star Trek Online's Risa beach party with devs and win!
You know who needs a nice vacation? Massively OP's MJ! And The ultimate vacation spot in Star Trek Online is Risa. It just so happens the Lohlunat Festival summer event is in full swing, with plenty of party activities to participate in. Players even have had the chance to earn a T6 Risian Luxury Cruiser. […]
Old School RuneScape talks about combat achievements, RuneScape announces the Nodon Front
Chasing achievements is a thing that many gamers seem to love, so players of Old School RuneScape who are cut from the same cloth were likely looking forward to the addition of combat achievements this past Wednesday, which introduced six tiers of achievement carrots to chase related to combat. Apparently, the update needs a bit […]
Pokémon Unite, a monster-battling MOBA, is live now
The overall Pokémon franchise has never shied away from finding new and creative ways to let these animals hurt one another in violent confrontation, which makes the fact that it's taken this long for a MOBA to happen almost odd. Weren't these a big deal, like, five years ago? Hasn't the moment passed by now? […]
Swords 'n Magic and Stuff patched in new region, crafting, and farming in the Farm 'n Forge update
The game is called Swords 'n Magic and Stuff, but as of this week's update, you can also add Farming 'n Smithing and Cooking an' Tailoring to the mix thanks to the Farm 'n Forge update. This new update, which went live on July 22nd, allows players to hop on to a ferry and visit […]
Pokemon Go reneges on rewards after Russian players achieve company's goal
As readers may notice in our Pokemon Go coverage, we frequently ask PR for clarity on various announcements. While we can all appreciate not wanting too many spoilers, many of the requests are to clarify news and contest rules that can affect the community in ways Niantic hasn't clearly communicated. However, a recent Russian promotion […]
Dauntless brings back the Thunderdeep Drask, adds new rumors, and hints at the next new Behemoth
It's a bit of the new and a bit of the upcoming in Dauntless news today. In terms of new things, the game has put out its latest patch, which brings back the Thunderdeep Drask with some new moves to learn and new armor to craft. The patch has also kicked off the Umbral Heroic […]
A new 'Treasure Bugan' event spices up LOTRO's dungeon runs
Lord of the Rings Online is filled to the brim with instances, but weirdly enough, not as many players use the instance finder as might be the case in other MMOs. SSG is hoping to incentivize dungeon running with a brand-new event that stars a mischievous goblin that's running around with a sack of treasure. […]
Lost Ark KR offers a preview video of the Abrelshud raid ahead of its July 28 launch
We're appreciative that Lost Ark is headed to our side of the globe, and we're not going to look the gift horse of the class previews in the mouth, but we also have to admit that the stuff Korean players of the game are getting is a whole lot more intriguing. For example, take this […]
Star Wars: The Old Republic shares the secrets of the game's lead cinematic designer
Yes, the Star Wars: The Old Republic team deliberately worked to ensure that a quest ended with a "Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions" moment on Quesh. There are other takeaways from a new dispatch from lead cinematic designer Ashley Ruhl celebrating a decade in operation, but you have to admire that all of the […]
GDC 2021: Star Wars Galaxies was a complex game of corporate greed and fan love
It was an MMO built in about three years, with a miserable launch, a depressing churn rate, and the most infamous patch in all gaming history… and also an MMO people loved so much they've kept it alive and thriving even in death. Yes, GDC 2021 has given us another Star Wars Galaxies postmortem from Raph […]
Crowfall suddenly changes course and announces a Dregs campaign for Australian players
Last week and this past Tuesday we reported on Crowfall's lack of a Dregs campaign for Oceania players while NA and EU players got one, with ArtCraft noting that the player population in the region needed "thousands" of players to launch such a campaign. "We're still building our audience in the Brazilian and Australian markets […]
WoW Factor: No king rules forever
World of Warcraft patch 9.1 has been out for less than a month, and it is a bad time to be a fan of Blizzard and the game. This column was already half-written on Tuesday and had to be completely rewritten when it turned out that Blizzard was going to be taken to task for […]
J Allen Brack addresses Blizzard staff over sexism scandal, Activision doubles down on deflection
Faced with a massive sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit, Blizzard addressed the studio workers in a memo leaked last night. President J. Allen Brack doesn't admit fault or comment on the specifics of the case, but he vows no retaliation for victims, namedrops Gloria Steinem, and blasts "bro culture."
MassivelyOP interview: Talking ship design with Star Trek Online's Donny Versiga
If you play Star Trek Online, you know that ship collecting is one of the major pastimes of captains all over the Federation and beyond. As such, Donny Versiga, Staff Starship Artist for STO, has a very important job. He's a lifelong Star Trek fan, as evidenced by his impressive Starfleet cosplays you can check […]
Path of Exile details release timing and download sizes for the Expedition update
It won't be long now before the Expedition League and its myriad changes – which were thoroughly defended by GGG's Chris Wilson – are live with Path of Exile's Expedition expansion, which means that players have some things to do to prepare. Grinding Gear Games has once again gone to microscopic detailed lengths to outline […]
Enter to win a New World closed beta key from Amazon and MassivelyOP
If you've been watching the hype meter for New World slowly tick up and up this week but you aren't confident enough to preorder just yet, then today's giveaway is for you. Amazon has kindly granted us a small stack of keys for our readers, which we're going to dispatch in a quick-turnaround raffle today […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO has the best weapon animations?
I remember back when World of Warcraft was just plain vanilla and there was plenty of time to observe things during the countless fights. I remember looking at the same two attack animations being played out over and over again and thinking, "It'd be really cool if they added more animations in future patches as […]
Massively Overthinking: Load-bearing playerbases in MMORPGs
Game developer Damion Schubert is known to MMO players for his work on everything from Ultima Online to SWTOR, but as it turns out, he's a controversial Twitter follow all 'round. He recently dropped some truths on the platform that I want us to discuss in this week's Massively Overthinking. "Making raid content for an […]
'We do not serve Activision Blizzard': Furious WoW players stage protest against Blizzard
Following yesterday's revelation that the state of California is suing Activision-Blizzard in a 29-page complaint that alleges a serious pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination that led to the death of a Blizzard staffer (among many other things), you might be wondering what you can do about it. If you've been reading our comments, you […]
Zenith offers a preview of a new zone arriving with its next alpha build
All systems appear to be go this time around for the VR MMO Zenith's upcoming alpha test this Saturday, July 24th, and the devs at Ramen VR are eager to once more show off what players can look forward to in the latest test build. For example, a new zone to explore. This new zone […]
Starbase details release timing and pricing for early access, updates its roadmap, and details next major content releases
Starbase is entering early access for really reals this time. How can we be sure? Because the devs have outlined very specific release timing and prices for said early access release. The building-centric spaceship sandbox will be live on Thursday, July 29th, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The game will set you back $35 but will […]
TitanReach is going free-to-play until its closed alpha
If the high price on TitanReach's early access – originally $70 and since reduced to $38 – seemed like too much for a fledgling MMO to ask, then you might be mollified by Square Root Studios' latest revelation: that it's going free-to-play with its early access after all, at least until the closed alpha begins […]
Guild Wars 2 on how it's upgrading the Canthan language from Factions to End of Dragons
ArenaNet apparently isn't waiting for next week to start the hype for Guild Wars 2's End of Dragons reveal, as today it released a dev blog on the written language of Cantha. Cantha, of course, is the continent we'll be visiting in the expansion as we trek over to the land that classic Guild Wars: […]
Fallout 76 opens its test servers for Fallout Worlds
Come with me and you'll be In a world of game rule variations Take a look on the test servers Into world manipulation Fallout 76 tests out All its worlds of full player creation And official worlds of rule alterations If you want test the next update, Simply log right on and do it, Try […]
GDC 2021: Are VR and AR companies liable for gamer content creation?
One thing I love about a good GDC presentation is when devs bring up those issues that many of us get a funny feeling about and show us how right or wrong we are. During a panel at this year's GDC 2021, David Hoppe of Managing Partner Gamma Law brought up some issues near and […]
Swords of Legends Online launches a summer event and battle pass, previews its first raid in a livestream
The summer season has officially arrived to Swords of Legends Online, bringing along some new activities and a new battle pass full of cosmetics. The summer event runs between now and September 2nd, with a changing schedule of events at the Dragon Turtle Beach Party location involving watermelons, running through cooling balls, and finding buried […]
GDC 2021: How smarter AI could build characters and decks to help new MMO players
There's a bit of a theme at GDC 2021 concerning online card games, especially TCGs, and smart tech/deep learning AI. At a panel this week, NetEase's Yiheng Zhou noted that bots in general have a long history of use in games. Behavior trees combined with turn-based games lend themselves quite well to the realm of […]
Ubisoft's sexual harassment and racism scandal extended to Skull & Bones studio in Singapore
We realize that Activision-Blizzard's horrifying sexual misconduct and discrimination lawsuit stole all the headlines last night and will probably dominate the news cycle for a while, but it's just not the only video game company beleaguered by damning allegations of abuse right now. The Ubisoft sexual harassment scandal has been brewing since 2020, leading to […]
Warcraft III: Reforged was sabotaged internally by low budget and shifting priorities
If you're still waiting for Warcraft III: Reforged to deliver on the basic functionality that the game's prior version had 18 months after launch… don't be silly, the game still doesn't even support custom campaign functionality. What the heck happened? According to a new piece from Bloomberg, the short version is that the game required […]
