PSA: Star Citizen is holding another free fly event until August 27
You want to hop into the 'Verse of Star Citizen but you also don't feel like investing in a starting package for a game that is taking years to leave alpha. Or maybe you've read all the grumbling or the effusive praise and want to know what things are like for yourself. Whatever your reason, […]
Roblox sees net losses for Q2 2021, struggles with toxic player-generated content
We've got a bunch of Roblox news on deck today. First, there's the Q2 2021 investor report. Readers will remember that in Q1, the company behind the game had just gone public and was just issuing its first earnings report, which was eye-opening, as it reported gross revenues of $387M but net losses of $134.2M. […]
Fallout 76 doubles its experience ahead of this weekend's QuakeCon
It's just about time for QuakeCon, an event wherein every Bethesda game gets a seat at the table. Yes, even Fallout 76 is getting to show off what's coming next and what's happened recently, and the team is eager for you to check out the various panels over the weekend. But you'll also have a […]
Starbase plans to amend its stance on stream sniping citing language that is 'too encouraging'
We're not sure exactly what Starbase developer Frozenbyte thought would happen when the game's griefing policies outright read "stream sniping is allowed," but apparently there's been enough of a whirlwind reaping that the devs have acknowledged on Twitter the policy was "currently too encouraging" to the behavior, leading to an incoming amendment to the policy. […]
SOE's Jeff Butler gives an epic three-hour interview on EverQuest, Vanguard, and EverQuest Next
If you're going to interview one of the most notable names behind EverQuest and Vanguard, it helps if you also worked at SOE back in the day. Therefore, it's great to see former EverQuest Game Designer Shawn Lord interview former EverQuest Producer Jeff Butler on his time with the MMO. In this dense and fascinating […]
LOTRO producer interview talks more about legendary item and monetization revamps
You'd barely even know that there's an expansion on the way for Lord of the Rings Online if you only took in the current pulse of the game's community. That's because everyone is downright eager to hear what SSG is doing in regards to two problem areas in the game: the obtuse legendary item system […]
Final Fantasy XIV plans a stress test for the Japanese data centers… but not North America or Europe
Ahead of the release of the Endwalker expansion, Final Fantasy XIV's staff wants to make sure that the game's servers are up for the imminent strain they'll encounter. This is both a reasonable and understandable plan. As such, a stress test will be run on the Mana data center, one of the game's Japanese centers, […]
Wisdom of Nym: What will Final Fantasy XIV add to its healers in Endwalker?
Here's an interesting facet to consider: Unlike most of the other entries in this Wisdom of Nym series about Endwalker speculation, this one isn't relying on the benchmark trailer, as there's nothing distinct to be said about what any of the healers are getting in Final Fantasy XIV's next expansion. Scholar, White Mage, and Astrologian […]
Pokemon Go's New Zealand rollbacks show Niantic is more concerned with local law than actual safety
Good news: New Zealanders have had their Pokemon Go PokeStop and Gym radius restored to 80 meters, exactly what the community has been asking for in its demands for the return of COVID-19 changes to the game that would keep players safe and boost the game's accessibility for rural and disabled gamers. The bad news […]
Cyberpunk 2077 patches in further improvements, balance changes, and free cosmetics
If it's been some time since you fired up the single-player RPG Cyberpunk 2077 or you've been on the fence about buying in owing to all of game's release problems, perhaps this latest patch will offer enough incentive to return to Night City. The patch itself features a variety of improvements aimed at increasing stability, […]
Elyon deep-dives its rune attributes system as CBT2 progresses
If there's one thing that seems to be a major feature of Elyon, it's the variety of systems that let players customize their character. Whether it's the skills system or the effects of gear and gear enhancement, there are a number of ways for players to craft their character, and now the game is showcasing […]
NCsoft says Lineage W will launch this year for PC, mobile, PS5, and the Switch
Last week, we covered NCsoft's initial reveal of Lineage W, yet another entry in the long-running Lineage franchise. Lineage W, however, was initially pitched as a mobile MMO, which didn't have our audience especially enthused, especially since we've been waiting for Lineage Eternal aka The Lineage for seven years. That might change today, NCsoft has […]
Guild Wars 2 brings back its fourth season of living world play next week
We're sure you're all pretty busy playing Guild Wars 2's End of Dragons first beta right about now – and if you're not, then you might want to, since it's free and our own columnist has already written how much fun he's had with the Virtuoso, Willbender, and Harbinger. However, if you're already tiring of […]
EverQuest designer's throwback MMO rebrands as Monsters & Memories
You may recall that earlier this year we reported that former EverQuest and DCUO developer Shawn Lord was working on a "throwback" MMO, which was operating under the codename of "Project_N." Well, as of now this game has a proper title, which is Monsters & Memories. "The name is a reference to the nostalgia we […]
The Daily Grind: What MMO delay has annoyed you the most?
Sometimes things get delayed. It happens. It's generally not a desired outcome by any of the people making an MMO, but you just need to make the game go through a bit more iteration or refinement before players get their hands on it. Or you've found a couple of horrible bugs that will absolutely crash […]
The Repopulation says it's been 'quite the adventure' as it gives a fall development roadmap
Many people may have written off sandbox MMO The Repopulation a long time ago (especially when it changed hands), but perhaps decision was a little premature. The current owners seem dedicated to improving the game by taking what they were given and guiding it along with their vision. "This has been quite the adventure, however, […]
ARK Survival Evolved shares new critters, wipes beginner servers, dates Genesis Part II server transfers
It's been a fair bit of time since we caught up with the latest goings-on for dinosaur-ish survival sandbox ARK: Survival Evolved, so allow us a moment to round up some of the various smaller updates that have been made since the 2021 Summer Bash event. First off, it's all about those fresh new beasties – […]
Pokemon Unite gets mobile release date, Sword and Shield to remain competitive center
Today's Pokemon Presents wasn't the most exciting for fans of multiplayer online gaming, but there were a few kernels of information for us nonetheless. While the new information on the upcoming Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl shows off some neat stuff, like customizable bases returning, simple online lobbies, non-combat pokemon contests, and digging mini-games that can be […]
Continent of the Ninth Seal is moving over to Valofe from Webzen for publishing
If you had some deep attachment to Webzen because the company was behind the publishing of Continent of the Ninth Seal, today's news will be sad, as it has just been announced that Valofe will take over publishing duties for the title soon, with a specific date of transfer to be announced later. No progress […]
Bless Unleashed brings around a summer event of tracking down salamanders
Swimsuits! Weapon skins! The satisfaction of scooping up adorable lizards that happen to be blue and on fire! All this and more can be yours in Bless Unleashed with the game's summer event, which asks players to go around scooping salamanders for rewards. This probably sounds almost trivially easy until you note that the salamanders […]
Black Desert PC adjusts potions and ramps up skill XP earnings, Black Desert Mobile releases the Lahn
It's a tale of two updates for the same IP as Black Desert on PC and Black Desert Mobile both have some updates arriving this week that players of either game will want to know about. Starting with the PC version of the game, this week's update makes some changes to potions that include reducing […]
Book of Travels attempts to elaborate on the TMORPG sub-genre
The question of what a tiny multiplayer online RPG (or TMORPG) is was touched on by Book of Travels developer Might and Delight before, but the studio felt that the new sub-genre needed a little bit more elaboration, which brings us to this video featuring game designer Roberta Alves to talk about the concept. As […]
The Stream Team: Taking a live first look at the closed beta test of Elyon
Today is the day that Elyon — aka the MMORPG formerly known as Ascent: Infinite Realm — is heading to its second closed beta, and MOP's Chris is going to be there to hop in, try things out, offer some initial impressions, and hopefully look pretty good while doing it. Join in today at 2:00 […]
Playable Worlds' lead designer: 'We're in the game industry because we love games'
Earlier this month, Playable Worlds' Greg Costikyan, the lead designer for Raph Koster's upcoming unnamed sandbox MMORPG, opened up about the way games get made. (In fact, if you're a TTG fan, you should read the comments – our TTG folks were positively squeeing about his involvement, and he even swung by to chat.) Costikyan's […]
Lord of the Rings Online progression server moves forward into the Mordor expansion
If you're among those playing on the Lord of the Rings Online Anor Legendary World (aka progression server), then your time has come to face the dark of Mordor. As of today, the server has added the Mordor expansion and all of its bright and happy little delights. Like volcanic worlds, ash-choked land, and lots […]
EVE Online's July economic report may have unveiled the number of active subscribers
EVE Online has kicked out its monthly econ report for July, which has plenty to snare the interest of the industrious Capsuleer, but it's a particular section of the report that may have cast a light on how many subscribers the internet spaceship sandbox has. The section in question is the ISK Sinks and Faucets […]
Elder Scrolls Online is delaying the console arrival of Waking Flame and update 31 an extra week
Console folks, you're going to be waiting some extra time for your crack at Elder Scrolls Online's next DLC and update. ZeniMax made the announcement that it'll be delaying as of this morning. "To ensure a smooth and stable launch, we have made the decision to move back the release date of The Elder Scrolls […]
Sea of Thieves counted a whopping 4.8M players in June thanks to its third season launch
Sea of Thieves is doing something a lot of online games are reluctant to do: giving hard numbers. Then again, that's because its numbers are good in the wake of its Pirates of the Caribbean-themed season three launch. "From your reactions on social media to your fan art and stories of exploring the five new […]
Flameseeker Chronicles: Hands-on with Guild Wars 2's new Harbinger, Virtuoso, and Willbender elite specs
One of the most anticipated features of any Guild Wars 2 expansion is unquestionably the addition of new elite specializations. We got our first peek at the first elite spec for End of Dragons, the Mesmer's Virtuoso, less than a month ago, with teases and details for Harbinger and Willbender in the intervening weeks. ArenaNet […]
Among Us developer Innersloth raises eyebrows at Fortnite's Impostors mode and its striking similarities
While we cast our own shade in the direction of Fortnite and the recently introduced Impostors mode, with its barely veiled copycatting of Among Us, the mode's striking similarities to the game has also become a talking point for Innersloth, the indie dev studio of the multiplayer deceive-em-up. Several members of the Innersloth team took […]
Crowfall makes plans for cross-server campaigns and handshake sieges
It sure doesn't feel as if Crowfall launched six weeks ago, but this summer has felt like three minutes and also three years, so maybe that makes sense. ArtCraft has posted a new dev blog at this month-and-a-half mark, noting that The Shadow's initial campaigns have now closed. "Our next major update at the end […]
Daybreak breaks up with the Wandering Monster studio trademark
Sorry, brain-hungry zombies, it's not going to work out. Just know that it's not you; it's Daybreak Game Company. Last year we noted that Daybreak filed yet another trademark for a possible subsidiary under the name of Wandering Monster Games. Good money was placed in the MassivelyOP office that this was in regard to the […]
Swords of Legends Online asks you to become an unpaid QA tester
It's so hard not to throw shade at MMO studios that try to outsource paid positions to players — or even worse, to charge them for the "privilege" of testing early content. And yet it's so depressingly widespread in this genre that when Gameforge and Swords of Legends Online beckons players to become a de […]
The Daily Grind: Which MMO is the worst when it comes to invisible walls?
Woo boy. If you want to get my dander up out of nowhere when I'm playing your MMO, then just toss in an invisible wall so that I can smack into it like a goose flying into a glass door at 40 miles per hour. There are few petty, insignificant video game design elements that […]
Grab a free key for Elyon's second closed beta, launching August 18
Elyon, the MMO we've been watching every since it first entered our radar as Ascent: Infinite Realm, is launching its second closed beta test here in the west tomorrow – and we're gonna get you in. Kakao has granted Massively OP a stack of keys for the test, which kicks off on August 18th and […]
Cutesy MMO Fioresia Online is now Cinderstone Online, launches closed beta test
Let's recap things a bit here: At the beginning of the year, we cast a spotlight on Fioresia Online, an adorable looking 2.5-D open world MMORPG that had cute little bulb-headed adventurers doing big people adventuring things like housing, farming, castle management and sieges, and questing. The game sounded like it was well on its […]
Fortnite brings back Wild Weeks mods, adds new 'Impostors' mode that looks… familiar
Are you ready to get wild in Fortnite? Then you're ready for the return of Wild Weeks, which are making a comeback starting with the battle royale shooter's latest update. This week is Sneak Week, with every Epic+ Pistol, Epic+ Assault Rifle, and all Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles getting replaced with their stealthy variants, and more […]
The Elder Scrolls Online invites players to hop in and play for free through August 30
As The Elder Scrolls Online is showing off its latest piece of DLC, it wants to entice you to start playing. Doesn't it look like fun? Don't you just want to give it a little try? Because you absolutely can try it during the free play event running through August 30th, offering everyone a chance […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 335: Farewell Astellia
Justin and Bree discuss Astellia Online, Guild Wars 2, Blizzard, and No Man's Sly, with adventures in LOTRO and FFXIV, plus mailbag topics on Diablo's sudden spotlight and the fate of the Blizzard name.
Mortal Online 2 patches in mail, spells, and a city ahead of September stress test
Mortal Online 2's latest beta patch has landed this week, promising a new round of character content. StarVault says that the 0.1.5.9 update has added new Spiritism spells, AI support, pet equipment crafting, workbench learning, UI improvements, an early version of the mail system, horse and player idles, armor penalty scaling, better taming behaviors, better death […]
Kingfall is proudly advertising itself as a casual fantasy MMORPG with NFTs attached
Reading the announcement pinned tweet from Kingfall is a journey. The game is coming soon. All right. It's a casual fantasy MMORPG. Hmm, that could be interesting. It's playable globally in multiple regions. That's a good thing. Early investors get a share of revenue for life… wait a second, that seems odd. And then it […]
Bless Unleashed PC says it's cracking down on illicit RMT with 30-day bans
Bless Unleashed is riding the high of its PC launch, which yesterday reported over a million downloads since the release. But now, Round 8 Studio is turning back to the business of explaining what's next. The studio says that this week's priest patch is getting a patch of its own to rebalance the Shield of […]
Book of Travels team discusses socializing in-game and why you should play
A lot of the news coming out of tiny multiplayer online RPG (TMORPG) Book of Travels is about how it's different from other MMO titles. From a lack of questing to text free communication to its handling of combat, developer Might and Delight has been banging the drum of its game's unique approaches. That refrain […]
Choose My Adventure: Back to the basic joys of dungeon running in Trove
This is way more like it. The bare bones, basic, simple delight of Trove continues to be running around the open world, heading to whatever little dungeons are sprinkled around the biome that I'm at, and running in trying to figure out just where I'm supposed to be going. Honestly, some of these dungeon designs […]
Guild Wars 2's first beta event for End of Dragons' elite specs is live today
If you're anxious to get your hands on the first three Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons elite specs, then today is your day to play, as the first beta event is set to launch this afternoon. Everyone – even free-to-play players with no expansions – can log in and tool around with the Mesmer, […]
First impressions: Exploring Neverwinter's leveling revamp and bard class
It's funny: The last time I paid a visit to Neverwinter, it was to check out a revamp of the new player experience. Here we are again, with a much more extensive overhaul of the game's leveling courtesy of the Jewel of the North update. This time there's also a new class in the form […]
Elyon gives a look at its six different classes in latest video
The video content continues to pour out of Elyon, with the game's latest video showcasing its six different classes. The video provides a general breakdown of each class' playstyle and different abilities, as well as highlights each one's Tab skill, which provides quick boons that are unique to each class like an AoE that increases […]
MUD creator Richard Bartle's seminal book on designing MMOs is now free
When MMORPG players encounter the name "Bartle," they think less malt liquor and more a man who helped to pioneer the massively multiplayer online space with his work on MUD1 that eventually spawned the gamer type test that bears his name. But Dr. Richard Bartle knows MMORPGs from the inside-out, which is why he wrote […]
California DFEH moves to protect Riot workers from retaliation for cooperating in state investigation
Blizzard isn't the only gaming studio under fire by regulators in California: We've been covering a similar situation within League of Legends company Riot Games since 2018, when Kotaku's expose of workplace conditions was followed by an employee walkout, multiple lawsuits, and that eternal story about the company VP who repeatedly grabbed subordinates' balls was […]
Cloud Imperium says 'there's NO place for racism in the Star Citizen community'
Several members of the Star Citizen community messed around and found out. The story begins with a plea to CIG to introduce a profanity filter to the game's general chat in order to battle back against hate speech and profanity. "A simple filter to catch the worst and often illegal explicit language should go without […]
