Spine is a team-based combat game that promises lots of action and even more cinematic style
So there was a multiplayer team-based title unveiled during this year's Gamescom. It's called Spine and, we're going to be perfectly honest, there is not a lot of information about this one except that it's a thing that is in development and it will be extremely cyberfuture and cinematic and ostentatious. At least if the […]
Realm of the Mad God releases its fully revamped Shatters dungeon
"After years of requests and months of development, the Shatters reconstruction is here at last," heralds the announcement from Realm of the Mad God, a reconstruction effort that readers will recall was hinted at in a roadmap announcement and then tied to the title's largest patch of the year. And now the all-new Shatters dungeon […]
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem eyes mid-autumn for its next content update, seeks player input on playstyles
Last month, the devs of ARPG Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem laid out some endgame-focused content plans for the game's future while also not really committing to any hard release timing. As of this month's dev report, the folks at Wolcen Studio have begun to narrow down a launch window for the game's next content update. […]
Profane proudly showcases a suit of metal armor and beats the FFA PvP drum once more
Some people like cloth armor, some like leather armor, but some like the big, bulky, and (ideally) secure feeling of metal armor. Unsurprisingly, Profane will feature all of them, and in the game's latest Twitter thread it shows off the initial concept of one such heavy armor piece. The rest of the thread launches into […]
Pokemon Go subreddit goes dark to protest Reddit's stance on COVID disinfo
For once, the Pokemon Go community is protesting someone other than Niantic when it comes to COVID. Earlier this month, Reddit community leaders began agitating for the Reddit administration to tackle the serious and ongoing problem of COVID-related misinformation on the platform. Reddit apparently quarantined one sub, but it wiggled out of doing more with […]
Albion Online cracks down on PvP exploits and exploiters
Sandbox Interactive is cracking down on PvP exploiters in Albion Online, according to a thread on the official forums this morning. Specifically, it's an exploit that involves dueling. "During the duel, the exploiter will use mobility spells to run outside the dueling ring," the studio explains. "The exploiter will then re-enter the ring, but at […]
EVE London is returning with a physical viewing party of the Alliance Tournament on November 6
Fans of EVE Online in the UK or those who are able to travel to London have a little something to look forward to this coming Saturday, November 6th, as the fan-run EVE London event group has announced a return to live events, starting with an in-person viewing party of the the Alliance Tournament 10v10 […]
Director for Riot's Runeterra MMO hints at possible character models and world size on Twitter
Let the rampant speculation and assumption leaping begin: Mark Yetter, the game director for Riot Games' in-development Runeterra MMO, has put out a couple of intriguing bits on his Twitter account that have players and fans checking their chins in thought. We first look towards a tweet from yesterday that offered up an image of […]
Neverwinter answers questions about molding the D&D Bard class to fit its game
It's easy to assume that moving classes in Dungeons & Dragons over to a video game would be easy, but the Bard class is a bit more distinct and challenging. Factor in making that class suitable for an MMO and challenges likely double. Facing that challenge in Neverwinter was the focus of an interview with […]
Q2 2021: What the heck is going on at EG7 and Daybreak and who the heck owns Cold Iron
Last week, we covered the puzzling news that EG7's CEO Robin Flodin has been (at least temporarily?) replaced by Daybreak's Ji Ham, a move that concerned gamers who'd seen Flodin's candor since EG7 bought Daybreak last year as a huge boon for Daybreak and its MMOs. Ji Ham, of course, first surfaced in our reporting […]
Path of Exile addresses game balance, ailments, endgame changes, and more
Path of Exile producer Chris Wilson has been making the rounds on community podcasts, answering such a wide swath of questions that Grinding Gear thought it might be nice to gather up some of his answers and assemble them into their own summary post. That's mighty thoughtful of you, GGG! Thanks! Have a hearty pat […]
Wisdom of Nym: What will Final Fantasy XIV do for melee damage dealers in Endwalker?
This particular role is the easiest one to fill up whenever there's any column about the various roles getting stuff added in Final Fantasy XIV. With four jobs already occupying the melee role and another one slated to come along in Endwalker, there's just more to talk about than there are for other roles. Yes, I think […]
Not So Massively: Diablo II Resurrected is a lot of old school jank in a pretty wrapper
I admit I debated whether I should write this column at all: After all that's happened lately, giving coverage to Blizzard games doesn't feel quite right. But for better or for worse, it is still a big name, and its games are still big news. ARPGs are on of the chief genres covered by the […]
China now limits minors' gaming time to three hours a week, indicates anti-monopoly policies are forthcoming
The Chinese government is introducing a significant crackdown on gaming for minors as state media has reported that children will only be allowed to play games for three hours a week on most weeks; online gaming specifically will be allowed only between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Fridays, weekends, and public holidays. The new […]
Indie MMO TitanReach has apparently suspended development as 'funds have dried up'
I have some bad news for fans of indie MMORPG TitanReach: The game has apparently suspended development thanks to a lack of funding. Australian studio Square Root Studios told players on Discord this morning that it had hoped to use the game's progress in 2021 to induce outside investment, but apparently over the last month, that […]
Fortnite had to disable nearly every emote in the Martin Luther King event area
Perhaps Epic Games assumed the weight and importance of its special area dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would inspire Fortnite players to muster up a little bit of reverence and good behavior, but as it turns out this wasn't the case, as some players took the opportunity to use their selection of emotes […]
Fractured details equipment balance and progression systems coming to its September alpha test
Fractured is on its way to its next alpha testing this fall — sometime in late September, date TBD — and the devs at Dynamight Studios are seeking to touch on all of the many new things that are arriving in the latest build via a series of videos, the first of which narrowed in […]
Interview: Crowfall's Global Conquest update brings 'mega' changes to the world
Today we are being treated to the latest and greatest Crowfall has to offer with Update 7.100, better known as Global Conquest. We're expecting a slew of new features coming fresh out of the oven, including improved rewards, reduced downtime between fights, and even an expanded recruit-a-friend program. The tentpole feature this time around, though, […]
The Daily Grind: Are you partial to specific launch windows for MMOs?
Earlier in August, Nexon CEO Owen Mahoney dropped some cold truth during the company's quarterly investor call, arguing that the "charade of launch timing serves little purpose except this dance with equity analysts." Essentially, his point was that it doesn't matter when games come out because they will make money as long as they're good, […]
MMO Week in Review: WoW is a day late and a dollar short
I remember remarking a few years back during the Daybreak Columbus Nova fiasco that I was genuinely astonished to realize that MMO studio reps were scurrying around the internet scrubbing files that contradicted its ownership claims, but I suppose that was mere child's play compared to this week's revelation that state investigators have accused Activision-Blizzard […]
Sandbox MMO SEED talks cameras and previews its cinematic mode
The three week-long vacation from the dev blogging scene for colony building MMO SEED is at an end, and the game has come back with a surprising amount of dev blogs this time around: namely, just the one. For now. This dev blog is all about the game camera, which notes that the devs at […]
The MOP Up: Genshin Impact puts on a global concert
There's no doubt among fans that Genshin Impact has an amazing soundtrack, so there should be a whole lot of people happy to hear that Maestro Dirk Brossé and the Flanders Symphony Orchestra is putting on a global concert with the score on October 3rd. "The concert will feature Genshin Impact music originally composed and […]
Aura Kingdom's 80th patch introduces The Whipmaster
Gamigo's been busy this week, just not in the games our readers likely wish were getting love. Aura Kingdom has patched in with the studio is calling a "major update" as of yesterday, the game's 80th patch, which rolls out new dungeons, a new mode for Gaia Sanctuary, a touch-up for PvP, and a new […]
The Stream Team: Opening fire on facehuggers and zapping xenomorphs in Aliens Fireteam Elite
The time has come to join the fireteam and try to battle back the xenomorph menace as MOP's Chris heads into Aliens: Fireteam Elite to see what this multiplayer co-op shooter has to offer. The bug blasting starts today at 12:00 p.m. EDT! What: Aliens: Fireteam Elite Who: Chris Neal When: 12:00 p.m. EST on […]
Warframe's latest dev stream highlights the Ghoulsaw weapon, Nidus Prime, and update 30.7 features
Warframe has held yet another info-filled developer livestream that offers a number of interesting previews for fans of the multiplayer action title. Most of the stream focused on a variety of things coming in update 30.7, which will include the return of the Plague Star event that will let players put together the Ghoulsaw weapon, […]
One Shots: Fantasy updrafting
The way I see it, MMORPGs encourage us past our timidity and fear to be bold. So fight that dragon! Get a selfie with an angry skeleton! And jump off a cliff while putting full faith that your fantasy wings will compensate for that extra bagel you had for breakfast! Hikari is soaring above yet […]
The Daily Grind: What inspires you to try an MMO again?
Working around MMOs means that you have a certain amount of impetus and opportunity to try out games you played in the past, often including games that you thought were a bit lackluster before. My personal feelings toward The Elder Scrolls Online, for example, were changed from the game I'd played just before launch; when […]
Massively on the Go: Tricks abound in Pokemon Go for September and Season of Mischief
And you thought Christmas was bad! We're getting ready for Halloween already in Pokemon Go, and not just for the monthly events. The new season starts September 1st, and the Season of Mischief reveal, which was more visual than usual, laid out plans for Mischief Pokemon Hoopa to start off the three month season on […]
Halo Infinite's head of creative explains why gameplay previews weren't available at Gamescom
If you were following along on our Gamescom Opening Night coverage and are a fan or follower of the shooter Halo Infinite, you probably note that the game only had that cinematic introduction to its campaign but no actual gameplay. That's because the devs at 343 Industries are heads-down working to make the game's December […]
Lord of the Rings Online's super-speedy progression server moves into Moria on September 1
After just two months of blitzing through Shadows of Angmar content, Lord of the Rings Online's Shadowfax legendary server will unlock the Mines of Moria expansion on September 1st. Shadowfax was launched alongside its slower cousin Treebeard back on June 30th. The plan for this server was always to offer both faster leveling and expansion […]
New World tells of the sad history of its zombies and phantasms
"Not alive. Certainly not dead. Their existence is a constant agony." No, we're not talking about Waffle House employees here, but rather the Lost of New World. In a new lore video, Amazon explains how a magical fog that flows around the game's island has kept some people living long, long past their expiration date. […]
The Game Archaeologist: Jeff Butler on EverQuest, EverQuest Next, and Vanguard
As an MMO historian, I have to applaud the work of former SOE developer Shawn Lord in his huge interview series with the people who worked on these titles. A recent three-hour beast of a video caught our attention as Lord interviewed Jeff Butler on a wide range of MMOs, including EverQuest, Vanguard, and EverQuest […]
Guild Wars 2 teases next End of Dragons elite spec reveal, promises more info on skiffs
It's telling how hungry Guild Wars 2 fans are for more information about End of Dragons that a silhouette of a kneeling figure clutching a broadsword is sending them into a speculative frenzy. Apparently, this will be the next elite spec revealed for the expansion, and everyone's trying to figure out in advance what it […]
WRUP: Testing your HQ (ham quotient) edition
1. Do you like ham? a. Yes, I enjoy ham. b. I like ham more than the usual amount c. I like ham less than the usual amount. d. I do not like ham. e. Ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham ham […]
The Daily Grind: What are your fall MMO plans?
After a brief August lull in the crazy launch cycle that's been 2021, we're looking to ramp back up again with a lot of fall releases. There's Elyon, New World, FFXIV: Endwalker, SWTOR: Legacy of the Sith, LOTRO: Gundabad, Book of Travels early access, and more. Personally, I feel overstimulated when I look at everything […]
Betawatch: Book of Travels postponed its early access yet again
Come on now, Book of Travels, we know you're shy but it's time to start putting yourself out there. The game has once again delayed its early access launch, this time opting not to give any date whatsoever but instead adopting a "when it's ready" approach to future dates. It's perhaps not surprising given prior delays, […]
Final Fantasy XI interviews Yosuke Saito and prepares an equipment boosting campaign
The features on Final Fantasy XI's wide-ranging anniversary site We Are Vana'diel have continued to show up in bits and pieces, and the latest installment is worth a gander for everyone. Producer Akihiko Matsui is joined by former Dragon Quest X producer Yosuke Saito, discussing the genesis of these online games, Saito's own experiences as a […]
War Thunder will add new vehicles, guided bombs, and fire control systems for ships in September
Maybe you're seeking some multiplayer vehicular combat alternatives in light of a certain developer's behavior. Perhaps, then, you should keep your eyes on Gaijin Entertainment's War Thunder, which is planning a new update in September that's bringing new vehicles and new gameplay mechanics. The Direct Hit update will introduce a number of new vehicles including […]
Atlas gets turtle dragon tank ships and buffed spider mounts
Turtle ships are a thing in Grapecard's early access someday-MMO Atlas as of this week. What's a turtle ship? One heck of a tanky boat. It's not really a turtle, unfortunately. "Not only is she a tank, fully decked out in armor and ready to take a beating, but she also offers some new utility […]
The Stream Team: Watch a bard beginning and win a Neverwinter mount and companion bundle
Music is one of the greatest things in the universe — so says Massively OP's MJ. So it is understandable that a new music-making class in Neverwinter would entice her! The new bard has lured MJ away from her beloved assassin, and she is eager to play it. Today her bard life begins, but she […]
World of Warcraft patch 9.1.5 removes conduit energy and finally makes covenants freely swappable
We have previously noted that the overall design philosophy for World of Warcraft patch 9.1.5 appears to be focused on things that players have been asking to receive for quite some time but that Blizzard has heretofore refused to deliver. But today's new developer update confirms that patch 9.1.5 will be going up on the PTR […]
5v5 point defense brawler Kingshunt is hosting an open beta demo this weekend
Here's one we haven't seen come up in a little while: the team-based 5v5 point defense game of Kingshunt, which we first caught wind of back in July. The game calls itself a "unique PvP title [that] blends components of tower defense, brutal melee combat, and real-time strategy" that shares some DNA with point defense […]
Dark Age of Camelot is running a third round of its fast-leveling catch-up event
Earlier this year, Broadsword's classic MMO Dark Age of Camelot struck gold with its Catch Up in Caledonia event, which essentially helped players level quickly through the game's PvE to get to its more popular three-way RvR endgame. This past spring, the studio said the event drew "thousands" of characters, enough to justify running the […]
Destiny 2 offers an overview of 'Void 3.0' subclass features arriving with The Witch Queen
The news continues to gush forth from Destiny 2 as the devs at Bungie talk up additional features coming with The Witch Queen expansion's launch. In the studio's weekly newsletter, fans get a look at what is being called "Void 3.0," which effectively does a lot of reworking to the Void subclasses for players. The […]
GDC 2021: War stories from World of Warcraft
Just before the news about the state litigation against Activision-Blizzard broke last month, Senior Software Engineer Joseph Cochron and Principal Software Engineer Kurtis McCathern gave a talk at GDC 2021 called War Stories from Azeroth, discussing some of the technical issues the team's struggled with from The Gates of Ahn'Qiraji event to Warlords of Draenor. While […]
Star Citizen casts a spotlight on CIG's video editor and showcases Nyx planetary features in latest video
If it's Friday, it's another episode of Star Citizen's weekly video digest! This episode, we start off with another Origin Story highlight from one of CIG's team members, which grants some screen time to video editor Justin Chambers, who discusses his love of editing and movies that all started with a video his parents bought […]
Shroud of the Avatar adds two new adventures for Episode 2 access holders in latest release
So a bit of good news: Shroud of the Avatar has added some new Adventure scenes with Release 93. The bad news: This content is only offered to those who bought early access to Episode 2 content once again, so unless you're among those invested in the game to the point that you're buying early […]
Fallout 76 project lead Jeff Gardiner has departed Bethesda
The launch of Fallout 76 was pretty rocky, but over time the title has managed to turn around its reputation and receive at least tacit approval from players along the way. So it is perhaps bittersweet to know that the project lead on the game, Jeff Gardiner, has left Bethesda (and concurrently his role on the […]
Vague Patch Notes: Why the depth of an MMORPG's world matters
The world doesn't need first impressions from me when it comes to Elyon. Why not? Well, for one thing, basically anything and everything I would have said about my impressions of the beta were already said quite directly by MOP's Chris. The game has some fun crunchy systems for customizing your skills and the game's mechanics; it […]
Recently downgraded DokeV shows off its open world gameplay
We won't lie: It was a bit of a bummer to report that Pearl Abyss reduced the scope of the fantastically cute DokeV from an MMO to some sort of open-world multiplayer title. That said, we still are interested to see how this game pans out, especially in light of its gameplay revelations from this […]
