Crowfall lays out roadmap, addresses newbie zones and requests for auction halls
If you were worried about the state of Crowfall following the layoffs early this month, you can at least be comforted by the fact that ArtCraft is still putting out ACE Q&A videos. The latest features ArtCraft Executive Producer Gordon Walton and Design Director Thomas Blair. The duo begin by discussing the milestone update and […]
Vague Patch Notes: Returning MMO players need tutorials too
One of the nice things about Final Fantasy XIV is that it is explicitly designed by someone who thinks that it's not just reasonable but expected that you'll take some time off from the game. While there's certainly nothing stopping you from playing the game on a daily basis, producer and director Naoki Yoshida has said explicitly […]
Lord of the Rings Online does some more work on the Brawler and LI 3.0
If you haven't yet gotten an advance look at the new Brawler class and the revamped legendary item system for Lord of the Rings Online, you have a short window to check out the latest build for these on the test server before it goes down tomorrow. Beta 2 for Update 30.3 tweaks a number […]
Mad World is in open alpha and can be played in a browser until tomorrow
It has been almost a full year since we had any major reports arrive about Mad World, the grimdark isometric multiplayer ARPG from developer Jandisoft. Readers will recall that the game was supposed to launch on Steam in 2018, but then the delays began to pile up, starting with a planned 2019 alpha test, a […]
Guild Wars 2's sixth End of Dragons elite spec is the Elementalist's Catalyst
ArenaNet has just unveiled its sixth End of Dragons elite spec for Guild Wars 2, the third this week: It's the hammer-wielding Elementalist known as the Catalyst. "Catalysts were casters from a bygone era, working to protect Cantha and the throne from enemy threats. They wielded intricate apparatuses called spheres that were used as conduits […]
WoW Classic releases Overlords of Outland, WoW Patch 9.1.5 undergoes additional testing
The watchword of World of Warcraft this week is "patches." Patches of patches of patches. Miles of patches. Patches of all shapes, sizes, and attitudes. WoW Classic got a big one thanks to the release of Overlords of Outland, which brings in the Serpentshrine Cavern and Eye in Tempest Keep raids (and their related attunement […]
The Daily Grind: Are there MMOs that would be better off without crafting?
Crafting is important. I like crafting. In games that do it well, I flat out love it; in games that do it decently but not quite as well, I still enjoy the fact that it's there. While no one would ever confuse crafting with my main focus in an MMO, that doesn't mean I don't […]
Warhammer Online rogue server Return of Reckoning preps anniversary celebration and huge reveal this weekend
If you've been keeping an eye on Warhammer Online rogue server Return of Reckoning, you probably already know that the game is knee-deep in its take on the Stronghold Saga, which currently pits Dwarves against Greenskins in the Marshes of Madness. But this month, the player dev team has been hinting that there's more than […]
Prosperous Universe talks about its recent patch and mobile launch as it gets a spotlight on Reddit
Prosperous Universe has been busy recently according to the game's most recent development log. Discussion among the devs focuses primarily on two topics: work on the game's recent patch, which has brought features like base exploration, market filters, and base demolition; and a whole lot of UI work for the game's mobile version, which apparently […]
LittleBigPlanet's PS3 and Vita servers will remain offline permanently thanks to a toxic hacker
This past May we reported on the woes of the original LittleBigPlanet, a cutesy 2.5-D platformer that is a primarily single-player experience but also let players craft their own levels and share them online — that is until one particularly toxic hacker managed to find a way to take control of the game's error messages […]
Conan Exiles is cracking down on toxicity and sploits on official servers
Funcom appears to be cleaning up the Conan Exiles official servers, as this week it announced a change to its terms of conduct. It specifically forbids hogging servers and land, abuse of the claim and construction system, hacks, exploits, and the usual run of extremely offensive (racist, sexual, hateful, threatening) chat, along with "terrorist and criminal […]
Bless Unleashed answers a whole slew of player questions
The most recent community livestream for Bless Unleashed answered a lot of player questions. No, really, a lot of player questions. You would be kind of blown away by the sheer number of questions answered. But you don't have to take our word for it, nor do you have to wade through the entire video to catch […]
Path of Exile asks for community votes on what the game will sell you next
Market research is a tricky thing. It can be hard to figure out what exactly will get people to spend money on a product and what will convince people to drop money. Of course, you could always go with Path of Exile's approach and just ask people what to sell them next and then make a […]
Aion's European version kicks off its anniversary celebration
It's been 12 years for Aion running on European servers, and unfortunately it looks like the game's carnival barker does not particularly care. Seriously, look at the face on that guy. That is the face of not giving a damn. That is someone who is not excited by the game's 12-year anniversary celebration, and frankly, it's kind […]
The Stream Team: Facing more xenomorphs with a friend in Aliens Fireteam Elite
If you're about to go into an alien-infested hell with only a bunch of weapons and your wits, it's probably wise to bring a friend. That's just what MOP's Chris is doing as he and a good buddy of his team up for a bit of duo action in the co-op shooter Aliens: Fireteam Elite. […]
Amazon Games hired a former Ubisoft Toronto boss to lead its new Montreal studio
Amazon Games announced today that it's picked a new leader for its new Montreal-based studio: Alexandre Parizeau. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he was a co-founder of Ubisoft Toronto alongside Maxime Béland. Béland, of course, was ousted following a slew of allegations of abuse and violence lodged against him last year. Parizeau himself, […]
Swords of Legends Online brings extreme dungeons, a hard mode raid, and a Moon Festival tomorrow
The next update arriving to Swords of Legends Online tomorrow, September 16th, could easily be described as having two halves. On the one side, you've got harder content to tackle, while on the other side, there's a serene and beautiful-looking autumn festival. So a little bit of something for everyone, then. Assuming there are plenty […]
Vampire multiplayer survival title V Rising shows off gameplay and plans a 2021 beta
V Rising, the multiplayer vampiric survival title from Stunlock Studios (of Battlerite fame) has been doing a lot of talking to this point. Readers will recall this game first hit our notice in June, talking up PvE and PvP challenges as players raise their own vampire lord to eventually rule over the game world, and […]
Perfect Ten: Shapeshifting classes in MMOs
After my wife and I saw an X-Men movie a while back, we got into a discussion about what mutant power we'd pick for ourselves if we had the choice. I was torn between teleportation and quick healing, while my wife wanted to be able to turn into cash to pay off our mortgage. I […]
Black Desert launches PC season+ server, offers next-gen console support and roadmap
It's Wednesday, which means another weekly deluge of Black Desert news. First, over on the PC servers, where the game is celebrating 2000 days online in the west, Pearl Abyss is launching the Season+ server as planned. As we've previously covered, this server replaces the truncated summer season with a special server meant for onboarding […]
PlanetSide 2 brings its retooled player starting experience online in today's update
Today is the day that new players to PlanetSide 2 get to experience some new onboarding. The shooter's newest update is set to go live today and it's bringing a host of tutorial adjustments designed to make starting up more informative, dynamic, and fun. The update isn't only just about getting newbies used to which […]
Star Trek Online talks about ship remasters, offers a charity bundle, and makes players angry over pants
Care for a random bundle of Star Trek Online news? Well you've come to the right place, friend. Let's get started. Seeing as how the game is all about the Mirror Universe with the latest season launch, it's given a reason for the devs to remaster some of the ships. STO's lead starship artist Thomas […]
Book of Travels promises early access release 'really isn't far away'
Like the space shuttle on a bad weather day, Book of Travels has been in a holding pattern ever since Might and Delight announced an indefinite delay for the early access launch – its fourth delay, no less – with no new launch date on offer. While the studio isn't ready to commit to a […]
Guild Wars 2 just revealed End of Dragons' Warrior elite spec, the Bladesworn
In just a week, ArenaNet is throwing open the doors of its second Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons elite spec beta, during which we'll get to play the as-yet unrevealed spec, the Revenant's Vindicator, and… oh yeah, the brand-new Warrior spec, the Bladesworn, fresh off the hype train this morning. "Advances in Cantha technology […]
EverQuest II announces Visions of Vetrovia expansion, while EverQuest kicks off Fun Fall event
Are you ready to go on a new expedition with EverQuest II? Then set sail for this fall's expansion, Visions of Vetrovia. Daybreak just announced this seafaring pack, which sounds piratey indeed: "An enterprising captain by the name of Douglan Wakerunner is convinced there are uncharted lands still waiting to be found! He has convinced […]
The Daily Grind: Do you like building your own MMO house or having the shell created for you?
One thing that I very much like about the current state of Fallout 76 is that the game gives you two options in regards to player housing. You can build an abode from scratch out in the game world — or you can pop into a pre-fabricated underground shelter. As I don't always want to […]
Star Stable offers players a free horse for its anniversary
For ages on the internet we have all used the idea that something will give you a pony as accepted synecdoche for giving someone something nice. Well guess what, people? Star Stable is going to celebrate the 10-year mark by giving you a free pony. The Soul Steed is available to all players as part of […]
Multiplayer sandbox Staxel is launching on the Switch next week
Staxel is a cutesy cozy multiplayer sandbox we've been covering for a few years; it boasts farming, fishing, housing, building, hunting, and more all in a very Stardew Valley-esque gameplay loop but with Minecraftier graphics. Dutch studio Plukit hasn't been idle over the last few years either, and we've covered a few of those updates […]
Dual Universe outlines core combat stress, shield changes, and PvP fixes coming in the Ares update
When Dual Universe kicked out a tease to its Ares update on the game's roadmap, it had plenty to list but not a whole lot of detail. Those details are now starting to come to light thanks to the first part of a dev blog series, which talks about PvP fixes, what it calls "shields […]
Lost Ark previews four regions of Luterra as we wait for the new 2022 launch
So you're bummed about Lost Ark getting the boot to 2022. I get it. You know what might make you feel better? Lore! That's Amazon's plan, anyway, as the game's latest dev blog says it's going to "spend the coming months touring some of the continents found across Arkesia" and then sets out exploring four […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 338: No power in the multiverse can stop Raph Koster
Justin and Bree discuss Elyon, Lost Ark, New World, Crowfall, LOTRO, and Raph Koster's multiverse, with adventures in Runes of Magic, Fallout 76, and SWG Legends, plus mailbag topics on when leaving an MMO isn't an option and whether WoW is still an MMO.
City of Heroes Rebirth server tweaks various rewards and adds new powersets in its latest update
We've got some fresh news coming out of the Rebirth rogue server of City of Heroes. The game's second issue, Paths to Power, has officially gone live as of yesterday, following the server's first issue release in April that added a new Guardian archetype among other things. As the issue's title suggests, a lot of […]
Grab a Fiesta Online mount and costume voucher in honor of Realm of the Gods
Back in August, we covered the news that Gamigo's Fiesta Online had released an expansion called Realm of the Gods, and as we noted, it was indeed a real expansion, with three new zones, 100 new quests, and a level cap bump to 140. In celebration of that launch, the studio has granted Massively OP […]
World of Warcraft promotes Overlords of Outland and Shadowlands 9.1.5 as labor organizers take the fight to Activision-Blizzard
The Blizzard currently pumping out videos, timelines, and recaps of impending content is not really a Blizzard we recognize, but uh, it's definitely happening. In what still appears to be a transparent and understandable attempt to repair spoiled relations with the playerbase, the World of Warcraft team has dropped yet another summary of inbound patches […]
New World dishes on its China-themed Ebonscale Reach endgame zone
Amazon has put out a new video on New World today, this one on the cultures and civilizations in the game. If you spied the version on Twitter, you might want to scoot over to the YouTube version, which is six times longer and does a better job delivering on the premise in the tweet […]
Choose My Adventure: Slowly acclimating to the goofiness of DC Universe Online
Boy did this one start out strangely. Apparently I have played DC Universe Online a few times before — I even have a level 19 hero and level 12 villain — but I don't remember too much. I do remember the starting tutorial bit because I like making lots of alts in superhero games and […]
Star Wars: The Old Republic makes a mystery merchant always available
According to Wookieepedia, the man known as Kai Zykken is "a male Human who was captain of the Corellian Run Scoundrels, a pirate gang during the Galactic War. A persistent rumor was that Zykken once kidnapped the adult daughter of Viril Shu, a corporate magnate on the planet Denon. Rather than ransom her, Zyyken unsuccessfully […]
Flameseeker Chronicles: Everything we learned about Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons' fishing and skiffs
Fishing is one of those weirdly ubiquitous RPG systems. Nobody picks an MMO based on how good its fishing skill is, and nobody complains when a new MMO launches with no fish to catch. Yet, with the launch of End of Dragons, all of the "big five" MMORPGs will have it, and countless other MMORPGs, […]
Star Trek Online launches Season 24: Reflections today
Some alliances are shifting in Star Trek Online's newest story update when it launches today. Players will be tasked with dealing with a new threat from the Mirror Universe, but this particular threat is so severe that Mirror Leeta, a consistent thorn in your side, is now actually working with you. Probably. I mean, would you trust her? […]
Funcom picks up the Conan IP and 'dozens' more with latest acquisition
One of the trickier parts of the MMO business is the interplay between IP holders and the companies that make games with those IPs – after all, we've certainly seen MMOs implode over the loss of an IP before. One good way to avoid that problem is to just… buy the whole IP. And that […]
Old School RuneScape promotes now-launched player mod after originally blocking its release
It's been very interesting this past week to watch Jagex pivot away from a decision to forbid high-definition mods in Old School RuneScape to actively promoting one. Originally, the studio posted a notice saying that it was changing its third-party modding rules to forbid HD mods, as Jagex was working on one itself. But after […]
Guild Wars 2's next End of Dragons elite spec reveal is the Revenant's Vindicator
ArenaNet has officially taken the wraps off the Guild Wars 2 Vindicator this morning – that's the End of Dragons elite spec for the Revenant. "The Kurzicks and Luxons were bitter enemies," the brief trailer says, referred to the two factions in Classic Guild Wars: Factions, "but their greatest champions, Saint Viktor and Archimorus, united […]
Diablo II Resurrected drums up hype for its September 23 release with a new cinematic trailer
We're now roughly a week away before the remastered version of Diablo II makes its way to release. However, is it really a game release unless there's a big stylish cinematic trailer that premieres before the game does? Luckily, Blizzard hasn't missed that step and has indeed put out a flashy cinematic before the game […]
EVE Online's Quadrant 3: Gateway launches today, opening the doors for newbie onboarding
Happy patch day, EVE Online: Gateway has arrived. Gateway is basically the third "quadrant" patch of the year, and it's all about the newbies with its "series of themed activities welcoming new and returning players to EVE Online." "Quadrant 3: Gateway introduces the first installment of EVE Online's revamped new player experience and skill training," […]
The Daily Grind: What does reception to Crowfall and Elyon say about the MMO genre right now?
Real talk here for a sec: I'm a smidge nervous about Crowfall and Elyon and what they portend for the next stage of the MMO genre. I backed Crowfall but found I couldn't get into it when it launched, and it appears I wasn't alone, given what are apparently relatively low player counts (especially compared […]
Archewood conjures dreams of the 16-bit glory days transported to 2021
You can understand why very small indie MMO teams might gravitate toward creating SNES-style titles, as the graphics are far easier to work with than complex 3-D worlds. Plus, you've got instant nostalgic appeal for some players who have been looking for a pixel art title. But will Archewood be that gaming nirvana for old-school […]
Closers reopens the Gremory Science Facility in latest event
Players of the action MMO Closers are being asked to help a scientist lady who wears an oversized lab coat, a hoodie for a dress, and has a penchant for using teddy bears in her lab's design. If none of those things raise red flags, then you've got a returning event to check out. Ignore […]
War Thunder's Direct Hit update adds new vehicles, visual upgrades, and player-created models
As promised, War Thunder's Direct Hit update is live in the military online action MMO, with new additions including new jets and cruisers as well as a visual upgrade thanks to new DLSS tech. "It makes the game better in all aspects," Gaijin says. "War Thunder also received the support of the version 2.2 of […]
Fortnite brings back the mysterious cubes and adds a Carnage skin in Chapter 2 Season 8
The attack against the mothership is over, Dr. Sloane has revealed her ultimate plan to double-cross players, and now there are cubes all over the place once more as a result of the spaceship crash landing on the island, corrupting anything they touch. Welcome to Chapter 2 Season 8 of Fortnite. The primary hook of […]
Black Desert Mobile is introducing the Mystic class on September 14
Players of Black Desert Mobile will soon get the option to punch enemies right in the mouth as a female character, as the game will be introducing the Mystic class in an update arriving tomorrow, September 14th. The Mystic wields a Cestus and Vambrace, unleashing multiple fast attacks on foes instead of big, heavy single […]
