Massively OP Podcast Episode 330: Swords of Crows Online
Justin and Bree discuss the launches of Crowfall and Swords of Legends Online, Fallout 76, WoW's story mess, and Elite Dangerous, with adventures in Albion Online, LOTRO, SWG Legends, Crowfall, WoW Classic, and FFXIV, plus a quick mailbag topic on Albion crafting.
Runes of Magic promises to improve performance, merge servers, and introduce new content (again)
This summer will be bringing some updates to Runes of Magic, which won't be involving any new content but will hopefully make life in the game's world a little bit nicer. First off, the devs are going to be introducing an update that introduces some long-awaited performance improvements and crash fixes. While this patch likely […]
Trove celebrates sixth birthday with Sunfest party, questing, and cake
Sunfest has returned to Trove just as the game is celebrating its sixth birthday, at least if you're on PC or a console not made by Nintendo, as the Switch festival has apparently been delayed "temporarily" and will run for its full two weeks at a later date. "Trove celebrates 6 years of existence, 6 […]
EverQuest II deploys a multi-faceted patch of fixes
Sometimes you just need to make a boss's stare less smoldering. Other times you need to make sure that a Necromancer's pet is referred to by the right name. All that and more is in the latest patch for EverQuest II, which annoyingly enough for those of us who write about these things lacks any […]
Palia shares more key character details and a peaceful outdoor scene
Followers of the upcoming self-described community simulation MMO Palia are likely eager to get any new details they can get out of the developing title (especially since pre-alpha invites were slow to come and scarce), so how about some more NPC informational cards? After all, this game is very much about cooperation and meeting people […]
Action MMO Vindictus adds the rapier-wielding character Tessa in latest update
Just this past June we were wondering whatever happened to Nexon's action combat MMO Vindictus, a game that launched back in 2010. At the time we noted that the game is still online and rounded up some updates of note over the past few months, so consider this a supplement to that report as well […]
Guild Wars 2 adds legendary armory and Twisted Marionette boss today, picks up Homeland actress for End of Dragons
Guild Wars 2 is about to have a pretty big day, what with the launch of both the legendary armory and the return of the Twisted Marionette in this afternoon's update. The legendary armory, of course, essentially turns legendary items into account-centered rather than character-centered items, allowing players to put these legendaries on all of […]
Perfect Ten: The 10 most huggable boss monsters in multiplayer online hunting RPGs
Have you ever fought a boss monster that didn't feel like it deserved your fatal blows? Sure, it's just a video game, and the pang of guilt can sometimes be described as fleeting at best, but now and again I run into a fight that really makes me pause for a moment and wonder what […]
Warframe's digital TennoCon 2021 promises a gameplay reveal of The New War expansion
This coming Saturday, July 17th, will be the digital version of TennoCon 2021, which likely is already an exciting day for fans of Warframe but is probably going to be even more exciting as the event will show a gameplay reveal of The New War, the expansion that was first teased during TennoCon 2018 and […]
Casually Classic: WoW Classic's Burning Crusade entry ditch
With this year's Burning Crusade Classic, the dynamics of leveling in WoW Classic shifted just as they did originally. Before Burning Crusade came along — now or back then — leveling was a long slog to 60 with nary a reprieve at the top end. After the first expansion, things went a little faster and […]
EVE Online warps in a 'community-inspired' patch
Whether they're the arrogant players who think they know better than the actual MMO developer or the dedicated fans who want nothing less than the best for a title, people love to know that they've been heard by game studios. Sometimes players do have really great perspectives and suggestions that a developer would be wise […]
Dungeons and Dragons Online previews Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh
If there is one constant in the gaming universe, it's that developers love their quest title puns… and their alliterations. We don't blame Dungeons and Dragons Online devs for doing this because saying "Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh" is the fuel that's getting us through the morning. Now that you've said that phrase out loud five […]
The Elder Scrolls Online's Waking Flame DLC and Update 31 arrive August 23, are available now on PTS
"The schemes of the Prince of Destruction were not thwarted during the events of The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood, only delayed," you'll be sad to read from the opening line of the MMORPG's newest announcement post. Then again, it wouldn't be a year of Oblivion-themed updates in the game if our good buddy Mehrunes Dagon […]
Neverwinter's Bard class and level-squish arrive to PC in Jewel of the North on July 27
Neverwinter players have known for a while now that PWE has been working on a bard class and the new leveling system, but today, it's getting a formal patch announcement – and a launch date. Jewel of the North is officially launching on PC come July 27th, though console players will be waiting until "fall." […]
The Daily Grind: If you could fight only one mob type in MMOs forever, what would it be?
Undead for me. I can probably chalk this up to my earliest MMORPGs, Ultima Online and EverQuest. Both had really solid undead mobs. Ultima Online had an entire dungeon – Deceit – devoted to skellies and liches and spectral horrors and mummies, many layers down into the depths, and I have spent a not inconsiderable amount […]
Riders of Icarus celebrates five years with an event, giveaways, items, and sales
Surprise! It's the fifth anniversary of mount-centric MMORPG Riders of Icarus and the game is celebrating the occasion with a whole lot of free stuff and some stuff that can be bought. Because, you know, free-to-play games. The main attraction is a special event where players can trade Anniversary Cakes for a variety of goodies […]
Kakao Games' survival sandbox Dysterra has begun global beta testing
Kakao Games is once again drumming up hype for Dysterra, the survival sandbox coming from developer Reality MagiQ that just hit beta last week. Beta testing is expected to offer up features like a team system, an expanded world, reorganization of the game's UI, and the introduction of a "single mode" for beginners, while once more promising […]
A3 Still Alive's latest update adds new content, paid content-skipping, and server merge prep
Fans of Netmarble's mobile MMO A3: Still Alive have two major updates to focus their attention on this week. First, there's a slew of new content in the game, including a new PvP mode, level cap increase to 180, and transfer tickets for what are apparently upcoming server merges. "This month's update introduces a handful […]
Temtem added in the Crema Corp offices and the ability to play the piano with its latest patch
There's good reason to be excited about the latest update to Temtem. No, not because there's an official launch date or anything; that still requires waiting. But it does add the ability for players to actually play the piano as a purely social mechanic, so that is pretty cool. Who doesn't love in-game musical performances? […]
Final Fantasy XI adds a new high-end battlefield against a deific dragon
Feel like the fight against Shinryu in Final Fantasy XI is too easy these days with all of the new gear and improvements players can bring against him? Want a fight that's significantly harder? Ask and ye shall receive, as the newest version update bring a new high-tier version of the Shinryu fight to the […]
Epic v Apple: Australian antitrust case allowed to resume thanks to an overturned ruling
While a lot of our previous reporting has naturally been focused on the antitrust case unfolding between Epic Games, Apple, and Google here in the US, that's not the only legal battlefield for the matter, as Epic Games leveraged a similar complaint in Australian courts to the one brought forth in California this past November. […]
Ubisoft doc suggests toxic management has contributed to loss of talent and image
That headline might read like "water is wet" news, but the actual statements made are part of Ubisoft's own Universal Registration Document, a mandatory document for public companies that identifies risks as well as results to the firm they come from. This particular document was published in June, with Ubisoft affirming in the "risks and […]
Wisdom of Nym: Looking at lost actions as a key to more job customization in Final Fantasy XIV
Let's talk a little bit about the Save the Queen content in Final Fantasy XIV, but perhaps not in the way you might be expecting. I come here not to review the content or to offer guides to playing it, but to look at this content as a potential path forward for the game offering […]
RuneScape's latest update applies a quality-of-life Ninja Strike to various combat matters
Fights happen in RuneScape. It's just the way of things. As of this week's patch, fighting in the MMORPG is getting some likely helpful quality-of-life updates and new adjustments thanks to the latest Ninja Strike. The new patch adds several new boss fight features including a boss instance timer, a display under a boss' health […]
Hands-on with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Teasing out the multiplayer content
So Monster Hunter Stories 2 is out in the wild now, and to be honest, the demo does the game no justice for MH fans, and worse, it hides essentially everything for multiplayer fans, which I'd argue have been the core of the series fans at the start. That being said, I stand by my feelings that […]
Final Fantasy XIV contends with full servers and wait lists for its digital version
It's possible you're tired of hearing about Final Fantasy XIV, but the influx of players the game seems to be getting is pretty notable. As of yesterday, players were reporting that nearly every server in the game was being closed to the creation of new characters due to an influx of players. That doesn't appear […]
Final Fantasy XIV prepares to Make it Rain and sports a new benchmark and expansion site
So the content for Final Fantasy XIV is going to be light on the ground for the next four months and change. What can you do to entertain yourself? Well, you can take part in the Make it Rain campaign that starts up July 19th, which increases the rate at which you earn MGP while […]
Elite Dangerous' David Braben delays Odyssey on console to 'reprioritise the core PC experience'
Elite Dangerous' Odyssey expansion has been a bit of a bungle, all told. While players initially embraced the new content, even we noted it felt rushed and unfinished, and players have since been complaining bitterly about bugs and issues and dropped features the slow pace of fixes and the perception of poor communication from the […]
Fight or Kite: Crowfall's launch is a struggle, but I'm ready to play
It's been just under a week since Crowfall officially launched, and the game's more alive than ever before. It's been what has felt like an eternity since Crowfall was initially announced as a Kickstarter back in 2015. I recall sitting on the sofa, coffee mug in hand, reading about the initial core concepts, and I […]
Shroud of the Avatar's Richard Garriott is joining an expedition to locate a sunken ship
He's been to the North Pole. He's been to space. He's been to the depths of the ocean. He's been everywhere but in the development studio in his role as creative director for Shroud of the Avatar. Now MMO developer Richard Garriott is going on yet another adventure in the real world as part of […]
Blade and Soul tosses free level 60 character boosts your way
Blade and Soul is gearing up for a big week as it prepares to roll out its Endless Night content patch on July 14th. The centerpiece of this update is a third specialization for the Warlock class, offering players the ability to adopt a Reaver stance and swing an oh-so-practical scythe around the battlefield. But […]
Swords of Legends Online's NA server runs into some technical issues during launch
This past Friday saw Swords of Legends Online arrive to our side of the world, but as is the way of pretty much all MMORPG launches from here to forevermore, there were some technical snarl-ups that publisher Gameforge had to navigate, specifically for the NA server. The problems were noted just after 10:30 a.m. EDT […]
Ashes of Creation lifts NDA for last weekend's test, resulting in a slew of new gameplay footage
As if this past week wasn't crazy enough, Ashes of Creation was running an Alpha One preview weekend to drum up some interest from content-starved MMO players. It was clearly a promotional effort because Intrepid Studios lifted the NDA – probably for good, we're told – and made suggestive head nods to YouTubers to, you […]
The Daily Grind: Do you *really* want MMOs to be constantly changing and evolving?
On Napyet's podcast last year, I talked about the differences between SWGemu and SWG Legends, both Star Wars Galaxies emulators with very different goals. I argued that while I loved SWGemu for its preservation goals, it was by design a server that was never going to march forward in time or see major changes. Legends, […]
MMO Week in Review: The week when we got two new launched MMORPGs
I joked on Twitter that it's not every week when we get to graduate a Kickstarter MMORPG to launch, but it's also not every week when we have not one but two major MMORPGs launching, and that's exactly where we are right now with the launch of Crowfall and Swords of Legends Online – the […]
RuneScape prepares for Elder God War and a summertime event, Old School RuneScape makes smaller updates
Soon, players of RuneScape will have to face the ominous approach of both a realm-defining war and a summery celebration event. Whichever poison players choose, there will be consequences. Fun will be had. Prepare thyselves. The war in question, of course, is the ongoing Elder Gods War, which is reaching its zenith soon with an […]
The MOP Up: Pokémon Go's astounding multi-billion dollar haul
It is wild to think that it was just five years ago that Pokemon Go became the summer gaming phenomenon, sending waves of gamers crisscrossing cities and rural regions looking for elusive creatures. In those five years, the game has proven to be highly profitable, as Niantic reported a $5 billion haul so far. Out […]
Global Chat: Exuberant over SWTOR's combat styles
The recent announcement of this fall's Legacy of the Sith expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic has (as expansion announcements tend to do) reinvigorated the game with a lot of interest. One talking point that seems to be on many gamers' lips is that of the new "combat styles" that allow players to mix-and-match […]
The Stream Team: Spaceship shenanigans in Star Wars Galaxies Legends
Ever since his first-ever adventure in Star Wars Galaxies for Choose My Adventure, MOP's Chris has been eager to continue working his way through this classic MMORPG, and while his focus is on crafting, he's also found a new delight: space missions! Join him today at 12:00 p.m. EDT as he takes to the not-so-friendly […]
WoW Classic shares insights on same-faction battleground testing, plans more tests soon
Last week Blizzard raised more than a couple of eyebrows with its plan to test same-faction battlegrounds in World of Warcraft: Classic. Now that those tests are over, the devs are sharing some insight into how things went. According to a dev forum post, the same-faction testing did precisely what it was meant to do; […]
One Shots: Fight for your right to party
When a Star Wars: The Old Republic player wants to party — and with an expansion on the way, it's as good an excuse as any, you're going to want to head to a planet where giant space slugs operate garish casinos floating in mid-air. That's where you'll find Minimalistway at any rate: "Nar Shaddaa […]
The Daily Grind: How do you style your characters in MMOs?
Not every game has housing, usually for bad reasons. But the vast majority of games at this point do allow you to design your character however you want, either through various cosmetic systems or just the City of Heroes-style approach letting you look however you want. All well and good. But when presented with a […]
Make My MMO: Crowfall is one of the biggest crowdfunded MMOs to ever fully launch
This week in crowdfunded MMOs, we celebrate the official launch of one of the biggest crowdfunded MMOs: Crowfall, which originally raised $2.3M between Kickstarter and Indiegogo but with investors pulled in over $35M in total funds by our count. So far, while its population is on the low side and its launch was marred by […]
SWTOR starts testing Legacy of the Sith combat styles
All of the excited chittering and utinnis for the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic expansion haven't really been about the new planet or storyline — it's been about the ability to mix-and-match class playstyles with class storylines. Called "combat styles," this feature is sure to inject some life into alts when Legacy of the […]
Magic Legends introduces three-color deck features and ramps up currency earnings
Even though Magic Legends is shuttering, the devs at Cryptic are still apparently going to try new things with the ARPG. For instance, the latest update has introduced a way for players to put together three-color decks, provided they have unlocked two-color decks and a rank 2+ Aetheric Core. If players have met those requisites, […]
Crowfall's community frets over low population, but ArtCraft isn't panicking
One of the biggest MMO Kickstarters of all time and a long-awaited PvP game launched this past week… but you might not know it if you look around at what others are playing. While some people are indeed playing and enjoying Crowfall, it's not that many: Some players tallied up the server count and came […]
Four Winds: MassivelyOP's guide to getting started in Swords of Legends Online
It's a strange trend whenever new MMOs launch that there's a deluge of tutorial videos on a bunch of topics but a shortage of written guides. Sometimes I just need a quick question answered without having to skip the 30-second intro and repeating the video a few times because the speaker was talking too fast. […]
Final Fantasy XIV posts Endwalker benchmark trailer
Let's be realistic: Anyone who can currently run Final Fantasy XIV is probably going to have no problem running Endwalker when it releases in November. The upcoming benchmark for the expansion is mostly something players look forward to for the hint of new job abilities, the character creator with new hairstyles and male Viera, and […]
WRUP: Reasons I knocked down the statue in the front of your yard edition
The homeowners association says "no statues" and I take those rules very seriously, up to and including renting construction equipment to knock over statues when it is necessary. History will vindicate me. The statue in question memorialized the 1984-1992 situation comedy Who's The Boss?, which is morally reprehensible to me and left me with no […]
The Daily Grind: What is the most annoying MMO music track in existence?
As a fan of MMO music, I'm always in tune (har!) with how particular tracks can add or detract from certain zones and cities. A great piece makes you feel at home, excited, or invigorated, while a bad track… well, we don't like the bad tracks. But those are the ones I want us to […]
