World of Warcraft: Shadowlands adds a new Rogue Covenant ability as the beta sees another round of tuning
The next World of Warcraft expansion is slated to go live on October 26th, but there's still tuning and even some significant changes happening in the beta even now. The most recent build includes a number of balance changes for class abilities and Covenant abilities, with the most notable change being a whole new Rogue ability […]
RuneScape and Old School RuneScape announce their impending arrival to Steam
As many other games have proven, it never really seems to be too late to arrive to Steam, so consider that when learning that both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape are coming to the platform, with RuneScape landing on Wednesday, October 14th, while OSRS will arrive at some point in the early part of 2021. […]
TERA Console delays its crossplay release to mid-November
Crossplay is no small feature for an MMO, as it allows players across different platforms to be able to connect and adventure together. It's been an anticipated feature for TERA's console edition, but now gamers are going to have to wait a little while longer to get it. Krafton said that it's delaying the rollout […]
Rumor: Lord of the Rings Online's next class might be the Brawler
Sharp-eyed Lord of the Rings Online players seem to have discovered a big secret on the game's test server: the existence of a new class-in-the-making called the Brawler. A screenshot from the Bullroarer test world and reportedly taken by player jailwartho is making the rounds on Discord and the forums, showing a curious drop-down menu […]
The Daily Grind: Have you ever led an MMO guild?
Leadership in a guild has never been something I have sought. It has happened more than once, but literally every single time it was mostly an accident wherein it turned out I was at least moderately responsible and intelligent. That meant getting duties handed to me on more than one occasion, which has usually… not helped […]
The Stream Team: Fourth day's (hopefully) the charm for finishing Warframe's Deadlock Protocol
As hard as it is for Massively OP's MJ to break away from the Heart of Deimos fun, she really needs to wrap up Warframe's Deadlock protocol. All that's left is the final boss fight. Can she power her way through tonight and defeat Protea? Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. for (hopefully) the final […]
Torchlight III has pushed out gifts for alpha testers, even if you tested Torchlight Frontiers
We're inching close to Torchlight III's inevitable launch announcement here, but in the meantime, PWE and Ectra Games have been patching up the beta. The latest patch follows up on last week's mainline update, chiefly fixing bugs. "A quick hotfix this morning to address a few bugs that went out with the "Update for Dummies" […]
ArcheAge Unchained promises changes to Marketplace and ArchePass items that avoid pay-to-win territory
Gamigo, in coordination with XLGames, is promising to take ArcheAge Unchained player feedback to heart regarding items in the Marketplace and as part of the ArchePass. In a general breakdown of the team's plans, the post promises that there will be efforts to avoid pay-to-win items, noting that their definition of such items as something […]
Astellia Online expands its one-year anniversary event beyond buffs with login rewards
Were you afraid that Astellia Online would celebrate a year since it launched in North America with nothing more than a passive buff to all characters? If so, you were wrong! It's also celebrating by following that buff with a bunch of bonus items that you get for staying logged into the game for a while. This […]
Star Wars: The Old Republic previews the Feast of Prosperity on the test server
Clearly, what a a galaxy far, far away needs for players are more seasonal events. The Feast of Prosperity is the next annual recurring event for Star Wars: The Old Republic, complete with weekly story content alongside new daily and weekly missions and new minigames. And you can try it out now on the test server, […]
The Elder Scrolls Online starts the collective countdown for the Lost Treasures of Skyrim
No one ever seems to have much interest in uncovering found treasures. That is probably explained by the premise, really; once the treasure is found, it's unlikely to be difficult to locate. But for the Lost Treasures of Skyrim event in The Elder Scrolls Online, finding Antiquities buried hither and yon will help unlock additional treasures for everyone […]
Neverwinter is boosting the drop rates of premium items in dungeons
There is a bit of a problem with the premium items that can be awarded at the end of dungeons in Neverwinter. For example, you may be looking at that first line and wondering what the heck it's talking about, because the drops are so uncommon that they are scarcely even spoken of in legends. That […]
Boundless introduces new sovereign and creative worlds, celebrates second birthday
There's already a fair amount of creative freedom in the voxelbox of Boundless, but as of the most recent update that freedom has extended to entire planets with the arrival of sovereign worlds and creative worlds, both of which allow players to form their own planets in the game's universe. Sovereign worlds sound pretty much […]
Bless Unleashed launches for PS4 on October 22, with preorder packs live now
The Bless IP never seems to give up, and so it is with the Bless Unleashed PS4 version. We knew it was coming, of course, following the game's launch on Xbox One earlier this year and the PS4 closed beta, but as of today, we know it's officially launching this fall. "Bless Unleashed™ is set […]
Yikes… WoW's Khadgar server accidentally sent characters back to Mists of Pandaria levels
Time travel isn't unknown in World of Warcraft, but usually when players experience it there, it's a thrilling adventure to other eras. However, some players on the game's Khadgar server experienced a much less fun version of time travel this week as they logged in to find that their characters were de-leveled back to 80 […]
Blade & Soul's Cosmic Horizon update goes live today — here are the patch notes
It's time for the Lyn to unleash star-powered hell on the foes of the Earthen Realm. This isn't the only thing that's been added with the launch of today's Cosmic Horizon update to Blade & Soul, but it's certainly among the top items in the recently released patch notes and update overview. The overview hearkens […]
Book of Travels promises gameplay footage this fall, delays early access to Q2 2021
Book of Travels effectively took Massively OP's most anticipated award last year, especially since the game that tied with it no longer really exists. It came almost out of nowhere in 2019 with a Kickstarter promising a painterly and weird and creative roleplaying sandbox MMO experience, and it was gobbled up by MMO players hungry […]
Perfect Ten: Why do players keep playing MMOs they hate?
Hating your recreation is an oddly common hobby for a lot of people. It's not universal, of course, but after any given new game releases you don't have to search long to find people who hate it and will loudly tell you how bad it is now that they've played 80 hours of it. A […]
Black Desert dates O'dyllita release for October 7, adds Garmoth's Nest to the Red Battlefield and new events
It's all about the PC version of Black Desert in this week's bundle of news and updates from the game, so if you're a player of the MMORPG on the platform, there's lots to dig in to. First off, there's an official launch date for the O'dyllita region: Wednesday, October 7th. There's a video and […]
World of Warcraft developers discuss endgame loot tables, Chris Metzen acknowledges Warcraft movie sequel rumor
The endgame mechanics for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands are still under a degree of scrutiny by players, to the point that the developers have taken a moment on the official forums to outline the overall philosophy at work for loot tables and how the three structured reward paths (M+, top-end raiding, and ranked PvP) are meant […]
No Man's Sky adds new planets, biomes, creatures, weather, locations, and items in today's Origins update
Yes, that headline has a lot of things broken up by a lot of commas, but it should effectively illustrate the number of things added to No Man's Sky with the release of the Origins update, which has not added anything as unique as, say, a spaceship that's also an organism but has added a […]
MMO Business Roundup: Morhaime is back with Dreamhaven, plus NCsoft's parking lot and Epic's Manticore ambitions
Welcome back to another quick roundup of video game industry news relevant to MMOs and MMO fans! The Morhaimes: When Mike Morhaime announced he was leaving Blizzard just two years ago, there was plenty of speculation about what he'd do next, especially since it appeared his resignation wasn't the most voluntary thing ever. Today, he […]
Hellgate: London's rogue server schedules its beta for Halloween
In terms of online video game resurrections, Hellgate: London seemed like it was going for the world record at one point. The infamous Flagship ARPG has seen more deaths and comebacks than your average superhero — and there's at least one more to come, thanks to a group of player volunteers who are attempting to […]
Lord of the Rings Online begins testing War of the Three Peaks DLC, and yes, boar mounts are high-price bundle perks
The big fall update for Lord of the Rings Online — newly promoted to "mini-expansion" status with an accompanied price tag — is now on the Bullroarer test server for players to evaluate. This initial preview for War of the Three Peaks is only available until this Thursday and includes several changes to the Guardian […]
The Daily Grind: Are you planning to buy a next-gen console?
So at this point, we've now seen PlayStation 5 preorders go live, in a clusterfudge Sony has already apologized for, and we've seen Xbox Series S and X preorders go live, which in spite of shade for Sony from Microsoft still managed to be a bit of a disaster yesterday. Would-be Xbox buyers lamented queues, instant […]
The Stream Team: Celebrating Aion's 11th birthday
Aion holds a very special place in Massively OP's MJ's heart; after all, it's what brought her to MOP! So of course she wants to be on hand to celebrate this beautiful world's 11th birthday. Tune in live at 8:00 p.m. as Massively OP's Stream Team brings you a birthday celebration in Atreia. What: Aion […]
RuneScape adds new Lunar spells, launches a fresh Yak Track, and announces Golden Gnome finalists
This week in RuneScape brings yet another cornucopia of… stuff. It's another update post and it's once again all over the map, but it also has a variety of interesting adjustments and events for players to absorb. For example: The Ninjas have added four new Lunar spells that should make a number of rote tasks […]
Legends of Aria looks back at the summer PvP arena season and notes adjustments due for next season
The PvP arena is nearly closed for the summer in Legends of Aria, and so it's time to take stock of how things went for the inaugural season. A post on the game's website does just that, outlining the winners for the 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 arena brackets and sharing an infographic that outlines the […]
League of Legends introduces Samira the Desert Rose to the roster
If you think a bit of Dante from Devil May Cry is missing in your MOBA, then you might want to consider offering a look at Samira, the latest champion added to League of Legends. Especially if you're the kind of player who likes to rack up combos. As we outlined before when she quietly […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 289: Microsoft and Bethesda sitting in a tree
Justin and Bree discuss Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax and Bethsoft, Fallout 76, Conan Exiles, Elder Scrolls Online, Echo of Soul, Phantasy Star Online 2, Final Fantasy XVI, and Crowfall, with adventures in WoW and SWG Legends, plus a mailbag topic on FOMO marketing tactics in MMOs.
Pokemon Go continues Mega Events, celebrates fashion week with pokemon in top hats
Pokemon Go is embarking on the final part of the Mega September events we've previously covered, once again promoting its controversial Mega Evolution feature. Fortunately for players, the last and current event awards Mega Beedrill Energy, so if you want to participate and have a Mega Bee (or any Mega evolution) follow you around for 12 […]
Aion invites players to celebrate its 11-year anniversary through October
Hold on a moment. Eleven years of Aion? That can't be right, it was new when I started working in this field, it can't have been… oh. Oh no. Oh no. It is right, the game has been running for 11 years in North America. My life. What happened to my life? Um. Right. Anniversary […]
Shroud of the Avatar offers a sneak peek at a new adventure scene and crafting station surface decorations
It's been a couple of weeks since we looked at the newsletter updates from Shroud of the Avatar, so allow us to bundle up the past couple of highlights from the past couple of Avatar's Update missives. First up, we've got a new adventure scene offered to Episode 2 Access owners called The Well of […]
EverQuest II kicks off a prelude event for its next expansion and brings back Days of Summer for subscribers
Yup, EverQuest II is going to be expanding once again, and while players aren't getting a lot of details about this expansion yet, there is going to be some preparation to do in-game with a Haven Bound prelude event. Players are being asked to help the Luclinites reclaim the ancient city of Fordel Midst in […]
Path of Exile adjusts rogue equipment, alert levels, and chokepoints in Heist
Killing monsters no longer raises the alert level in Path of Exile as you roll through Heist content. Yes, this means that your heists will be more violent. That's how things are going now, it seems. Just go with it and enjoy all of the bliss of going in for a heist with swords blazing. […]
Star Citizen devs offer alpha 3.10 postmortem, consider nerfs and 'power triangle' tweaks
It appears that 3.10 is truly in the rearview mirror of Star Citizen, but that doesn't mean that the team at CIG hasn't learned a thing or two as a result of the features that the update added. For proof of that, we turn to a postmortem shared by the devs that outlines goals for […]
EVE Online players submitted over 41M classifications to fight COVID for CCP's latest Project Discovery initiative
What's better than a science MMO story or a feel-good MMO story? One that's both. And this one is both, as EVE Online and CCP Games have officially announced the next phase of Project Discovery, the citizen science campaign it's been waging to reward EVE players for helping in actual, real-world science projects. Having previously […]
Choose My Adventure: Wurm Online is not for me, and that's OK
Wurm Online has made me feel the most noobish I've ever felt in an MMORPG in ages even after the tutorial. A tutorial that, by the way, I did indeed do; it's literally impossible not to do the tutorial. I couldn't get in to a different island until I got through the tutorial. The tutorial was done.
Riot Games-backed afrofantasy MMO The Wagadu Chronicles just went live on Kickstarter
MMO developer Alexander Zacherl kindly put this game on our radar today, and it couldn't be more timely, given that this summer's swelling of support for Black Lives Matter initiatives prompted many people to seek out Black creators and media and games to patronize. The game's called The Wagadu Chronicles, and as presented in its […]
Interview: Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida on home development, future villains, and the big changes in patch 5.3
The story of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers got a pretty explosive sendoff in patch 5.3, which brought several major plotlines to their conclusion and set up the next portion of the game's ongoing story. It was major, it was epic, and it was big enough that a lot of players were still left somewhat staggered […]
Star Trek Online offers players a buyout option for advancing reputations
If you're a new player in Star Trek Online, there are a lot of reputations to level up once you get to a sufficient level. If you're a veteran player who took a break, there may still be a lot of reputations for you to level just to catch up. The bright side of the […]
World of Warcraft's void cat Jenafur is found at long last, as is the currency option from the Great Vault in Shadowlands
Players in World of Warcraft sure do love their kitty cats, even the ones that periodically sprout void tendrils. That's what Jenafur does, a kitty who has long stymied the game's secret-finding community as players have searched for how to obtain Jenafur as a pet. But the secret has been uncovered, with a new video […]
Dungeons and Dragons Online postpones its level cap increase
In a year of many game and project delays, one more isn't surprising — even though it isn't welcome to hear. So bad news, Dungeons and Dragons Online players: You're not getting that level cap increase that Standing Stone Games promised earlier this year. At least, you're not getting it right now. Pointing to the […]
EVE Online's Rolling Thunder update arrives today
There's nothing worse than spending all sorts of time and resources to acquire something you think will be cool… but turns out to be a bit of a dud instead. For EVE Online players who might feel a little let down by the performance of their EDENCOM ships, they should be pleased to hear that […]
The Daily Grind: What location in your favorite MMO have you only recently discovered?
Until last week, somehow I had heard of the Agrilat Swamp but never actually visited it in Star Wars Galaxies. SWG Legends' @RoarAshley tweeted an image of it last week and my jaw dropped. How in the heck have I been playing this game the better part of my whole adult life without ever noticing […]
The Stream Team: Pulling off a Path of Exile Heist
Last time, Massively OP's MJ prepared for her first heist in Heist by leveling up a new chaos-centered Witch in Path of Exile. Now, it's time to pull it off! She's about to set off for Rogue Harbor to find a job and gather some hirelings. Join us live at 8:00 p.m. to see if […]
Pixel art 2-D MMORPG Naïca kicks off open beta on November 10
We've been peering in on the progress of Naïca on a couple of occasions now in our usual roundup of obscure MMOs, noting the 2-D MMORPG's variety of features like PvE and PvP content, "adaptive" classes, and cross-platform play on PC, iOS, and Android. If any of those reports have stoked curiosity, then you'll have […]
Shadow Arena introduces a team deathmatch mode and a Rookie Battle Pass on PC
The primary point of playing Shadow Arena is, presumably, to get some fantastical battle royale gaming in. But then Pearl Abyss stopped and said "What about deathmatch?" So with the latest update on PC, that's just what players have gotten: team deathmatch mode. This really is about as simple as it gets in terms of […]
Sea of Thieves summarizes practically every feature available to players in 2020
It's been a long couple of years since Sea of Thieves, Rare's foray into the online multiplayer world, arrived. Naturally, there's been quite a few changes and updates since then, so the devs have released a handy little summary video detailing what awaits. And what awaits is enough to fill about 18 minutes of video. […]
Warframe begins the Great Ensmallening, adjusts Xaku on PC, talks future updates
Oh look, there's another bundle of Warframe things going on. Let's hop in! Players on PC are now able to enjoy a fresh update that, among other things, begins the process of "ensmallening," makes some tweaks to the Xaku frame, adds some snakeskin cosmetics to the Necramech and Voidrig among a variety of other skins, and […]
