The Stream Team: Rescuing a prisoner of the mind in Dungeons & Dragons Online
It took all night for Massively OP's MJ to make it through the underground fight club in DDO. (And she's still sore she didn't get to keep that awesome ax!) Now, she's moving on to the next target to assist: a mage trapped in her own mind. Assassins have trapped Mistress Orphne in her mind […]
Massively Overthinking: Abysmal MMO launch experiences
Elite Dangerous' Odyssey launch has been a stark reminder to me that not all launches and launch experiences are the same. To hear some gamers tell it, Odyssey is an abysmal failure, rushed to release, bugged to the heavens, and completely unplayable. But… I've been watching my husband and guildies play, and while they've run […]
Black Desert updates the central market, opens up family names from deleted accounts
With Black Desert's Heidel Ball just a pinch over a week away, the devs busy with a flurry of promotional bits – not to mention the latest PC patch. First, Pearl Abyss has outlined some of the fluffier events that'll take place during the Ball, including the player survey and the giveaway-encrusted watch party events. […]
Crowfall lowers its buy-to-play price and details its optional VIP sub
Ahead of Crowfall's launch this July, ArtCraft is announcing a reduction in its box price and reveals its full subscription plan. "Crowfall is unveiling its innovative VIP membership, and lowering the price on the cost of the base game from $49.99 to $39.99 USD," the studio announced today. "These changes are all part of Crowfall's […]
Four Winds: Everything you need to know about Amazon's Lost Ark
Raise your hands if you've been eagerly waiting for Lost Ark. Now give me a high five because as announced earlier today, it's finally coming to the west under Amazon's guiding hand! Let me let you in on a little secret: I've been playing Lost Ark via a fan translation and a VPN the last […]
EA suffers major data breach while CDPR says its own breach targeted more than just source code
"It's been a bad day for security in games," MOP's Andy sighed in team chat earlier today, and unfortunately, he's quite right. For starters, EA admitted that it was hacked earlier this week; the hackers apparently nabbed source code for multiple games, including FIFA, and the Frostbite engine. EA says "no player data was accessed" […]
Lost Ark launches this fall as an Amazon-published free-to-play title; founder packs are now live
The news won't shock anyone who's been watching Lost Ark inch its way across the world the last few many years and who noticed Amazon's quiet partnership with Smilegate last year: Amazon is indeed publishing Lost Ark here in the west, and launch is expected this fall. The companies are planning an NDA-shrouded technical alpha test […]
Starbase is delaying its early access again, nudging it to the end of July
How many times can you delay an early access launch? Starbase is apparently trying to set a record. It was originally set to hit early access "later in 2019," the same year it was announced. Then it pushed it off when it became clear that wasn't happening. Then it gave up on its 2020 dreams. […]
Final Fantasy XI's June update brings the Voracious Resurgence to Aht Urhgan
It's time for the new story content in Final Fantasy XI to roll onward to the Near East with the latest update to the game. The June version update brings in the latest part of the ongoing Voracious Resurgence content, and it means traveling to Aht Urhgan Whitegate to start the next leg of the journey […]
Neverwinter devs explains why they're squishing the whole game down to level 20
Neverwinter's release and announcement cadence the past few weeks has been confusing, to say the least. Now that the last chunk of Sharandar is out the door, at least on PC, PWE is moving on to talking about the next module: the one that introduces some pretty drastic level squish. The studio says its goal […]
The Stream Team: Celebrating Splendid Summer and Pride in Trove
Spring is so last month! Trove has moved on to summer now. And with the Splendid Summer event, Massively OP's MJ can celebrate summer as well — without having to go out into the actual sunlight! (Shudder.) This event also celebrates love and the Hub is adorned with a beautiful array of rainbow colors. Join […]
PAX Online East is selling a digital badge that grants merch discounts and early Discord access for 15 bucks
With PAX East going to an all-digital format this year, there are a few experiences that are missing from the event that probably can't quite be replicated, such as getting a badge — oh, wait, what's this? PAX Online East is selling a badge for the event? Well then, go figure! This badge isn't quite […]
Stick and Rudder: Launch impressions of Elite Dangerous Odyssey
On June 3rd, 2020, Frontier Developments made an announcement that had fans of the Elite franchise excited for new possibilities. After decades of being confined to the cockpit of various ships and land rovers, the most recent Elite iteration (Dangerous) would release a mind-blowing expansion that would allow pilots to roam the surfaces of planets, […]
Valheim announces its Hearth and Home update for Q3 2021, a smaller roadmap, and an upcoming AMA
Regular followers of the Viking survival sandbox Valheim have probably noticed that new content updates haven't really been coming to the game, with most patch notes focusing on fixes and adjustments. The devs at Iron Gate have now released an announcement that both acknowledges the matter and also previews some new goodies coming in the […]
Roblox is being sued by music publishers over song infringement claims
It was probably only a matter of time before someone actually did something about the fact that Roblox is and has largely always been a vehicle for copyright infringement since players can upload content into their custom maps largely unfettered. As it turns out, that time is now, and the someone is the National Music […]
Warhammer: Return of Reckoning celebrates seven years with doubled progress today
It's been seven years of operation for Warhammer: Return of Reckoning, and the rogue server is celebrating by doubling things up. Renown, experience, and influence are all multiplied by two, starting from noon on Altdorf time today, running for a full day of doubled gains. So get in there and start making progress; everything is going […]
DC Universe Online brings back the Tides of War summer event, gives away Pride goodies, and adds a new Time Capsule
The latest game update for DC Universe Online is now, er, online, which brings with it the return of the Tides of War summer event as players once more have to deal with Atlanteans warring with one another for new feats, new collections, new base items, new backyard grilling styles, and a new Chroma. The […]
Elite Dangerous' third Odyssey update adjusts weapon and suit UI, applies crash fixes, and adds ARX rewards for on-foot missions
As promised in the June update roadmap, the third patch for Elite: Dangerous has been applied, providing another round of fixes for the Odyssey expansion. One of the highlights of the patch notes revolve around several UI changes for the suits and weapon browser, with improvements to the way stats are displayed and how stat […]
New World's Reekwater is the swamp of your dreams
While the sight of a swamp might not be the most thrilling vista in an MMO, always remember that it's vastly more preferable than visiting one in real life where bugs and plus-sized critters are out for your blood. Continuing its whirlwind tour through New World's zones, Amazon Game Studios posted the latest in its […]
The Daily Grind: What makes you irrationally angry in an MMO?
Look, we all get mad about stuff sometimes. It's understandable. It's totally reasonable to be annoyed, for example, if the game you want to play is unavailable because of emergency server maintenance or it's unplayable due to lag or something similar. Being angry in those situations is reasonable. But we also know that sometimes our […]
The Stream Team: SWTOR's Revenge of the Shroud
What's more fun than playing as HK-55 with Z0-0M as a sidekick in SWTOR? Watching Exarch Malforia embrace her destiny through the airlock! Sadly, that happened last time, so now all Massively OP's MJ gets to do on the asteroid is work her way through the mobs while enjoying Z0-0M's quirks and quips. Hopefully, she […]
The 2021 Nexon Developers Conference is now public, and it includes a Guild Wars 2 audio panel
As promised, Nexon has kicked off the Nexon Developers Conference this week, with nearly 50 dev-led sessions on "data analysis, programing, visual art and sound as well as business management planned for the week." As of today, all of the panels are open for public viewing, although everything is currently in Korean. (Nexon originally promised […]
Elementia is a self-described 'MMORPG with old-school values' currently in pre-alpha
I can only imagine how many indie devs asked themselves how hard making an MMO could be and then realizing that it's phenomenally difficult. Thus is the introduction of Elementia, a small indie project that was born from the desire of two fans to create the MMO they would want to play. Readers will note […]
SEED puts out dev blogs on caring for digital life, code cleanup, Seedling needs, music, and sprint demos
When developer Klang Games said that future SEED updates would be moving to the game's blog, they were not kidding. Since then, the devs of the colony building MMO have been absolutely cranking out the posts, each one offering its own level of insight into the game's creation. The posts range from technical blogs about […]
Moonlight Sculptor hits one million downloads as its first post-launch release goes live
It would appear that the mobile MMO Moonlight Sculptor has found its audience as developer XL Games and publisher Kakao Games are lauding the fact that there have been one million downloads thus far. At launch, the new MMO hit the top spot on Google Play in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, #2 in the Philippines, […]
Palia devs say pre-alpha will be under NDA, won't talk monetization except to rule out crowdfunding 'at this time'
On this week's podcast, Justin, Carlo, and I argued over how to say Palia. The Singularity 6 devs have settled it: It's PAY-lee-ah. That's just one of the nuggets of info I stumbled into while surfing around the game's official Discord, which as we've noted already is one of the more wholesome around the MMOverse. Even […]
Kickstarted VR MMORPG Ilysia has launched its closed alpha 1
It's been a bit slow in coming, but the first prong of Ilysia's closed alpha is finally live for backers. MMO players will recall that it was the second-largest successful MMO Kickstarter of 2020; Team 21 Studio studio pitched Ilysia as a VR-centered traditional MMO "inspired by classic MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and EverQuest" where gamers […]
Overwatch announces proper console and PC crossplay with new Battle.net upgrade
Remember when Blizzard was teasing a special announcement for Overwatch? As of this afternoon, we finally know what it is: cross-play. It's a move the company is making in tandem with the big Battle.net update we noted earlier. There's no hard date yet, just the typical "soon," with a beta ahead of whenever soon is. […]
Ashes of Creation plans AMA with its creative director
Come one, come all to the greatest show online! That's right, it's time for another "Ask Me Anything" session, this time with Ashes of Creation's creative director Steven Sharif. Sharif announced that he's going to be tackling community questions on Twitch this coming Sunday, June 13th. The chosen questions, however, will be plucked from the […]
Aion Classic is really happening in the west, and it's launching in 'the Americas' on June 23
We've been covering NCsoft's release of Aion Classic overseas and the teases and hints that it's been leveling at the western playerbase for a while now, but as of today, NCsoft's made it official: Yes, Aion Classic is coming to the Americas, and in fact, it's launching in just two weeks on June 23rd! "The […]
TERA Console adds the Stigma system, new dungeons, and a bracelet item in recent update
Generally speaking, carrying a stigma is a negative thing, but in the case of TERA Console it's actually to your benefit to carry a Stigma, as it can be used to deal additional damage to certain monsters. If that sounds confusing, then perhaps the patch notes for the game's latest update will shed some light. […]
Perfect Ten: 10 MMO prisons where you can do the time of your life
Chillin' in the clink. Spending time in stony lonesome. Thrown into the slammer. Checking in to the big house. Doing (perfect) 10 to life in the hole. Learning the ropes in juvie. Prison: The only fun thing about it is the slang that people have come up to describe it. And while you may never […]
EVE Online adds mobile observatories and begins CSM 16 voting, EVE Echoes launches exploration
Things are happening in EVE Online. To be fair, things are always happening in EVE Online, but there's some specifically new things happening, starting off with the launch of mobile observatories to the game proper. These new constructs, as we reported previously, are meant to directly counter cloak-based incursions in lowsec and nullsec space, specifically […]
Swords of Legends Online shows off three of its side activities in the Ancestral Records
There's more to do in Swords of Legends Online than just smashing things for quests. You can do that, of course, but you can also go out and exorcise ghosts, or smash things for bounties, or even excavate some hidden archaeological treasures (hopefully without any smashing whatsoever). Those are the subjects of the latest article on the […]
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is officially live today
The fabled day has arrived: Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis launches globally today everywhere as planned. Last year brought the western launch of the base game after almost a decade of longing, but from here on out, the game will march on with global parity, and we're here for it. MOP's own Chris Neal […]
Battle.net adds global friend lists with its most recent update
It's a little easier to have friends across the world in Blizzard's Battle.net services with the most recent update. The latest client update adds in a new worldwide global friend list feature, allowing you to befriend and chat with people you know even if they're in a different region from your own. That means you […]
Overwatch 2's environmental states will 'create interesting new moods' for maps
As interest ramps up for the semi-sequel, semi-revamp to Overwatch, there's a lot of curiosity regarding what Overwatch 2 is going to bring to the table. One of the new tricks that Blizzard has up its sleeve for the future is an improvement to the engine that allows for "environment states." Software Engineer Marco Alamia […]
Albion Online is officially live on mobile today – check out the goofy live-action trailer!
My phone had a very important message for me when I got up today: Albion Online is installed; you pre-registered for this app, and now it's installed on your device. That's right, it's Albion Online's mobile launch day has officially arrived, so folks who already play the game that won best indie last year (before […]
The Daily Grind: What convinces you that an MMO 'leak' is the real deal?
So let's talk about the alleged Guild Wars 2 End of Dragons "leak" that's been floating around Reddit the last few days. An anonymous leaker dumped a pile of information on Reddit from a supposed early test of parts of End of Dragons, which is meant to release at some point later this year. There are […]
The Stream Team: Beginning Elder Scrolls Online's Blackwood for real
Although Massively OP's MJ completed the prologue previously, ESO's Blackwood chapter has now fully launched, so she can jump in and start this zone's story for real. That also means she can get her first companions! What new clues will she find to the mystery? Tune in live at 9:00 p.m. to start the investigation. […]
E3 digital's PC Gaming Show promises 39 new trailers, including something from EVE Online
Since this year's E3 showcase will once more be all-digital, we've got big swaths of presentation shows to look forward to. Among those is the return of the PC Gaming Show, which will debut on Sunday, June 13th, at 5:30 p.m. EDT and bring with it 90 minutes of PC-centric gaming reveals. "Broadcasting from Los […]
Hood: Outlaws and Legends outlines update 1.4 adjustments, a PvE mode, and balance changes in recent video
Remember Hood: Outlaws & Legends? It's a medieval-themed team-based PvPvE game where two teams of players fight against AI guards and one another to sneak into various locations, grab some loot, and skulk away — we first talked about it in August 2020. The game has since been released as of this past May and […]
Path of Exile plans its next expansion for mid-July
The developers behind Path of Exile really hope you're enjoying the current Ultimatum League, especially since it's not going to be around all that much longer. The latest announcement on the official site reveals that patch 3.15 is planned for some time in mid-July, which will bring with it a new League, new rewards, and all […]
Magic Legends removes the caps on weekly mana and echo acquisition
Still getting a handle on Magic Legends? You're going to need to be quicker on the uptake, Planeswalker, because Cryptic just made a significant change to your weekly routine. In the June 3rd patch, Magic Legends revamped weekly caps into weekly bonuses. Along with the name change, Cryptic has removed the hard caps to how […]
Massively OP Podcast Episode 325: The bards sing of Palia
Justin, Carlo, and Bree discuss Elyon, Swords of Legends Online, WoW Classic Burning Crusade, Elder Scrolls Online Blackwood, Aion Classic, Crowfall, Trove, Neverwinter, and Palia, with a mailbag topic on spiritual successors and Guild Wars vs. Guild Wars 2.
Guild Wars 2's Echoes of the Past and Tangled Paths are free to unlock this week
All summer long, ArenaNet is dropping old episodes of Guild Wars 2's living story for free for folks who missed them many years ago. Thus far, the company has run promo weeks for Gates of Maguuma, Entanglement, and both halves of The Dragon's Reach. This week's freebies are Echoes of the Past and Tangled Paths, both […]
Swords of Legends Online offers free merch in exchange for beta feedback and shares new gameplay videos
For those who took part in the recent Swords of Legends Online beta test, the devs would like to know what you think and are willing to hand out free schwag in trade. Players can get things like a labeled notebook, lantern, mug, and fan by heading to the giveaway page and earning entries by […]
Choose My Adventure: Star Wars Galaxies' legacy questline is so boring
Level 22. That was the arbitrary block between me and wearing armor in Star Wars Galaxies. Not level 10. Not level 15. Not level 20. Not even a weird number like level 9. Level 22. To say that this week in the game was a little annoying is an understatement if I'm perfectly honest. It […]
World of Warcraft adds new mounts on the 9.1 test server unlocked through special activities
Are you tired of mounts you get through quests or reputation but want some new mounts just the same? Good news; patch 9.1 has added a couple of new mounts that you unlock through a few days of concentrated activity in Korthia rather than via specific tasks. The Dusklight Razorwing and Maelie the Wanderer both […]
Casually Classic: The WoW Classic vanilla era is over, and I won't miss it
With the launch of World of Warcraft Classic's Burning Crusade this past week, the door has been (mostly) closed on what is now being called the "Classic era" — or what we used to call, simply, "vanilla." Sure, there are some toons and hardcore guilds left to dwell in a world stuck in time, but a […]
