World War II Online delivers promised bomber loadouts and the Panzerjager, adds new terrain and features

Back in February, the multiplayer shooter World War II Online offered up a 2021 roadmap with promise of several new vehicles and quality-of-life features. With the game's recent version update, some of those mapped-out promises have been kept. The update introduces roadmap features such as the tank-busting Panzerjager 1, the ability for bombers to create […]

The Stream Team: World of Tanks turns 10 with attack geese and battle castles

Sure, World of Tanks has special coin-earning anniversary missions in the random battles to commemorate its 10th birthday today, but Massively OP's MJ is more enamored with something a bit more suited to her. Have you seen the cool goose tank that's available?! And another one resembles a red castle! Seriously how can MJ pass […]

Frozen Flame reworks cooking and finalizes the Cradle of Keepers in latest update

You're going to want to cook meals in survival-centric MMO Frozen Flame, and now the process of doing that is hopefully a little more user-friendly with the game's latest update, which has reworked the cooking system to include fueling a cooking fire, the requirement of cooking one dish at a time, and the ability to […]

Darksburg introduces a new progression system in latest patch, attributes update delays to COVID

If you've been wondering where the co-op rogue-like ARPG Darksburg has been, last week brought some good news as a recent update has arisen after a span of several months where the game saw no updates whatsoever. "With the current world situation, movements in and out of lockdown here in France, working from home and […]

The Realm Online shares details on its PvP-centric seasonal server opening April 16

Who says that an old game can't try new things? That's the case for The Realm Online, which we noted previously for having plans to open a "disruptive" PvP seasonal server. Now we have a release date and additional details for when that server opens: Friday, April 16th, until Saturday, June 26th. The announcement post […]

Circuits and Shields is an indie 'modern gamers MOBA' heading to Kickstarter

Circuits and Shields came across our desk this weekend: It's an in-development MOBA from novice developer Koza Games, with an elevator pitch promising a "modern gamers MOBA" with "no gimmicks; just smarter design and superior gameplay" that combines "the knowledge gained from over a decade of MOBA design and improving it in every aspect." "Circuits and […]

Final Fantasy XIV prepares for its next live letter on May 15

If Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers got you to feel a feeling, you have Natsuko Ishikawa to thank for that. And she's working on the plot for Endwalker as well, so players have even more reason to look forward to being hit right in the feels by the game's story. So it's probably for the best […]

Whatever happened to Otherland, Guns of Icarus, and Pixel Starships?

Whatever happened to those MMOs you – and we – have forgotten all about? We're going to dig into three of them today. First up, Pixel Starships – remember that one? It was a cute retro online RTS with an MMO-like persistent world "similar to World of Warcraft," according to developer Savysoda back when it […]

MMO dev sitcom Mythic Quest will premiere a bonus episode April 16 ahead of season two debut

Fans eager for the upcoming second season of the MMO development studio sitcom Mythic Quest won't have to wait until they get a taste of their favorite dysfunctional game devs. A bonus episode of the show is set to premiere this Friday, April 16th, on Apple TV+. The episode, called Everlight, sees the studio's devs […]

Wisdom of Nym: Some interesting bits from Final Fantasy XIV's 5.5 patch notes

Part of me has never been altogether clear on why I am so enthusiastic about seeing the fresh set of patch notes for Final Fantasy XIV when the actual patch itself is a few days away. I can give an abstract answer and I understand the principle of it, naturally, but the preliminary notes are […]

Orbus VR adds sheep, chickens, and competent Bards

Here's your fun fact for the day: Did you know that Orbus VR is over three years old at this point? While virtual reality hasn't been quite the fertile ground for MMORPGs as some hoped it would be, this Kickstarted VR MMORPG has been faithfully plugging away at adding new content and experiences for several […]

Not So Massively: Four things I wish I'd known when I started Magic Legends

Inevitably after a couple weeks in a new game, you've learned a few things that you wish you'd known from the start. For me right now, that game is Magic: Legends. While I can't go back and tell my past self what I know now, I can share it with you, the community, in the […]

Blade and Soul prepares to send players to the Candycloud Carnival

The Candycloud Carnival is not like most other carnivals, so Blade & Soul players will need to prepare for that when it arrives in-game on April 14th. es, like most other carnivals, this one will ensure you end your time there tired, a bit queasy, and slightly sticky. Yes, you will probably be going on […]

First impressions from Diablo II Resurrected's alpha: Just as good as you remember

Multiplayer isn't in yet. There are only two acts and three classes available. So why am I heading into Diablo II: Resurrected? Simple: It's a stone-cold classic that's getting a makeover for modern audiences. Why wouldn't I want to check it out? It's been well over a decade since I last stepped into Diablo II's […]

Age of Empires IV promises up to 1600 units in eight-player multiplayer during preview

While a great deal of the focus in a recent fan preview for the upcoming RTS Age of Empires IV was about single-player features like new campaigns and the new Delhi Sultanate civilization, there are a couple of nuggets that enter our multiplaying wheelhouse that are worth mentioning, especially for fans of competitive RTS gaming. […]

Apple claims it competes with Nintendo and Microsoft, Epic outlines Apple iMessage's cross-platform blocking

We're still about a month away before the Epic vs. Apple legal fight moves to its May 3rd bench trial, which means we've still got weeks left for both Epic Games and Apple to continue their legal filing-based slap-fighting. Freakin' yay. We'll begin with Apple's argument that the assertion of having no competition is false […]

Gamigo outlines the timing for the last Defiance server shutdown

It's almost time to say goodbye to both versions of Defiance, and while fans of the sci-fi shooting MMO may be reveling in the game's final schedule of events, ultimately the game will go dark, the timing of which has officially been shared. The Defiance servers will turn off at 5:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, […]

Population Zero has apparently sunsetted, is now just plain zero

Population Zero appears to have fulfilled its destiny and now has zero population. Reports are coming in from both press and players on Steam that the survival MMO has quietly closed down its servers, and the game's website has already been taken offline. It's probably for the best, as the title had not seen a […]

The Daily Grind: How often do you change your MMO characters' outfits?

One of the nice things City of Heroes' rogue servers did for the community was open up all the costume slots for everyone. Obviously, since the game is no longer free-to-play, there's no need to incentivize people to pay for more costumes, or costume pieces or any of that. Just go in and make as […]

MMO Week in Review: The Dual Universe disturbance

I can count on one hand the number of prominent MMORPG studios that aren't forthcoming with customers about who is actually in charge, and I'm afraid that's a bad list to be on, as Dual Universe seems poised to find out: This past week, the game's backers discovered that its founder had been relieved of […]

PvP Sandbox MMO Profane updates its alpha roadmap

We've been watching the emergence of Profane with some interest, especially considering that this PvP sandbox has eye-catching graphics and an aggressive development schedule. It also doesn't hurt that the dev team is all over Twitter, chatting up the game and keeping fans in the loop as to what's coming down the pike. Speaking of […]

The MOP Up: Neverwinter's April Fools dungeon

April Fools Day may be past, but its spirit lives on in Neverwinter! This past week's small patch opened up a mini-dungeon for goofy explorers to enjoy. It sounds like this one is poultry in motion. "Players level 40 and above may now queue for the Sewers Most Fowl in the Events category of the […]

Elyon hints that previous air combat mechanics from Ascent Infinite Realm may still be used

Before the MMORPG Ascent: Infinite Realm decided to pivot away entirely from its former airships and steampunk vibe and move to a different style altogether (as well as rename itself to Elyon), we were being teased with a whole lot of airship-centric gameplay features, promising things like single-player training airships, massive multi-crew ships, mechs, and […]

Global Chat: Dealing with Magic Legends

Now that Magic Legends is out, you can best believe that a lot of MMO gamers are checking out Cryptic's latest offering. Among those is Nogamara of Battle Stance, who shares a few first impressions. "The game looks OK, but I wouldn't call it overwhelming. I'm usually not one to criticize non-flashy graphics, but it's a […]

Temtem highlights new content coming April 13, still has no new launch window

It's been quite a busy year for Temtem, especially when fans take into account all of the updates made to the Pokemon-esque MMO during its early access… and how far the game slid off its roadmap after that whole PS5 launch pitstop and price hike. Undaunted, the devs at Crema Games have put together a […]

One Shots: The voyage home

When you've spent a whole lot of calories burning, pillaging, and looting villages, it's a welcome sight to see the rest and shelter of home on the horizon. Until, of course, another ambitious Norseman comes along to burn, pillage, and loot the homestead. "Three tired Vikings return home with a hold full of silver after […]

The Daily Grind: What mount type do you wish more MMOs would offer?

Here are some of my mounts in Final Fantasy XIV: a sheep. A flying pig. A giant moss-covered sneezing monster. A drifting stalk of a plant. An entire bed. All of these mounts are wonderful because there's nothing like the sheer impact of storming into battle whilst lying back and relaxing on a bed that somehow […]

Corepunk Q&A discusses the launch window, guilds, mounts, and more

If you're the type of person who respects short, direct, and to-the-point answers to specific questions, then you're going to like the first part of Corepunk's community Q&A session. Artificial Core posted fan-asked questions about this cyberpunk-themed MMO along with the studio's brief answers on each subject. The biggest question, clearly, was the issue of […]

Dual Universe is asking players to 'wreak havoc on planets' soils' in its latest PTS build

If you're among the backers of Dual Universe who are somehow not unnerved by the silent ouster of Novaquark's president and continuing lack of information on what's going on at the company, then you've got a new PTS build to play around with. Also, you should probably be a little concerned by those business matters. […]

Chronicles of Elyria, now back up to five devs, examines its development achievements and shortcomings

As work on Kingdoms of Elyria (and by extension Chronicles of Elyria, according to claims made by Soulbound Studio CEO Jeromy Walsh) continues to press forward, the latest dev blog from the game has decided to look back at what's happened over the course of what it's called Milestone One, which readers will recall is […]

The Stream Team: Bring on a Valheim Bonemass boss beatdown

The bosses in Valheim are the measure of story progression; you work your way up the bosses for Odin. Your reward? More dangerous spawns raid your homes. Massively OP's MJ has yet to face Bonemass, and that boss is on the docket for today. Join us live at 2:00 p.m. for the Bonemass boss beatdown! […]

The Game Archaeologist: Lifestorm, Japan's first MMORPG

In comparison to how widely that China and Korea's game development studios embraced MMORPGs right from the beginning, Japan's been curiously low-key in creating for this genre. Oh, don't get me wrong: The country's produced several notable MMOs, but it's not been quite the obsession with dev studios the way it is with its neighbors. […]

Playable Worlds' Raph Koster shares the secret of good social design in MMOs

Raph Koster, the game designer behind Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, and Playable Worlds' upcoming project, has posted yet another essay about MMORPG design, all meant as preamble for the new game. In this latest piece, he challenges MMO players to re-examine and understand what social design is in games — and why it's so […]

WRUP: Insulting highways edition

Interstate 84: Hey, you! You're fat. You're stupid and fat. No one likes you. You smell like reclaimed caulk. Fat. Fat. Fat. Route 66: Ooh, look at me, a song was named after me! It was a different 66, you arrogant piece of turkey leavings. Everyone just pretends to like you when you're in the […]

The Daily Grind: What MMOs should be adapted to mobile?

Sometimes the success or failure of a game may come down to its availability on certain platforms and systems. Sometimes an MMO that didn't work that great on PC may be a smash hit on console, and sometimes a MMO may do way better on mobile than otherwise. I've long thought that there is a […]

Betawatch: Who in the heck is running Dual Universe's Novaquark?

Who is running Novaquark? Well, we know one person who is not, as the Dual Universe developer has finally admitted JC Baillie is not in charge. But who is? Could it be someone else associated with the company? Could it be me? Could it be you? All of those possibilities are equally likely! (They are not all equally likely. It's […]

The Stream Team: Stepping into AQ3D's Sandsea desert

AQ3D just opened up the vast Sandsea desert outside of Bastion, and Massively OP's MJ can't want to go explore it — be it by foot or by skiff! She also gets to know some of the NPCs better and help them out. Tune in live at 7:00 p.m. too see the largest area yet […]

Wizard101's spring update arrives to the test realm with new social features, balancing, and events

Players of Wizard101 are now able to kick the tires of the game's spring update, which will be adding a number of new features and updates to the game to help players make friends or fight foes. One of the main attractions in this patch is a couple of social-centered features like a new Friendly […]

Icarus is a session-based PvE co-op survival title on a dangerous Earth-like planet

We've got another PvE-centric co-op survival game on our hands, but this one trades a land of Viking myth for a deadly Earth-like planet instead. The game is called Icarus, which is described by developer RocketWerkz as a "session-based PvE survival game for up to eight co-op players." Players are tasked with surviving hostile wildlife, […]

AdventureQuest 3D continues the Sandsea Saga with a new area, new quests, and sand sharks

Did you really think that a desert realm in AdventureQuest 3D would be without its own version of a land shark? That's just one of the many things added to the MMORPG as the Sandsea Saga continues. The latest update has brought a new level cap to 33, some new main quests involving a search […]

ArcheAge tasks players with healing baby animals as the Pawesome Festival returns

ArcheAge has once more brought back its annual celebration of all things tiny animal friend. The 2021 Pawesome Festival is here, granting players the opportunity to heal a variety of doe-eyed digital animal babies for goodies and even the chance to take one home. The event area is located at the Windscour Savannah, where players […]

TitanReach previews character models, chat, and its WoW-esque UI

The TitanReach developer team has been pumping out blog posts all week, with two fresh one just since our last article. The first is stuffed with eyecandy that actually makes the game look damn appealing – and very WoW-like, or maybe more like "WoW but better." There's a flip through concept art of desert armor, […]

Skyforge turns six years old this week as the Aelion Day celebrations begin

My.games' Skyforge is having a big birthday this week: It's officially six years old, which means it's time once again for Aelion Day. Players can expect the usual round of activities and rewards. "You must be used to rescuing mortals by now, but this time it's a little different," My.games says. "During the celebrations, they […]

Elementia is an upcoming classless MMORPG planning a F2P alpha

Polygonal-style MMORPG Elementia popped up on our radar out of nowhere last month, and while it's clearly very early days for the game's development, it's pretty enough that it's worth bringing to your attention. According to the official website, the MMO promises a classless, weapon-based progression system that is fluid as you level up, with […]

Outriders offers players a care package to compensate for server outages and bugs

The launch for Outriders was messy because at this point it's just apparently de rigeur that every online launch is filled with connectivity issues and players angry about same. The developers appreciate the players having stuck it out through the launch problems, however, and as a show of appreciation a care package will be sent out […]

Neverwinter's second episode of Sharandar opens the Mended Grove to PC players on April 13

Players of Neverwinter on PC won't have long to wait for the next portion of Sharandar content, as the devs have announced on Twitter that the next episode is coming on Tuesday, April 13th. This next episode, subtitled The Soul Keeper, takes players to the Mended Grove, where some dire happenings can now be addressed […]

World of Warships announces still more reworks to its controversial captain skills

Naval warfare arcade World of Warships has certainly been busy lately, but not all of the recent changes nor announcements have been well-received. The naval MMO is in an interesting position in that Wargaming is trying to continually develop new ships with distinguishing features without completely upsetting the balance of a PvP-centric game. Easier said […]

Crowfall unveils a 10 event Hunger Dome PvP tournament, talks up new features in April ACE Q&A

We're still not quite sure when Crowfall will be making its official launch, but the fact that the game feels fit enough to showcase itself in a PvP tournament seems to suggest that it's probably close. That's right, ArtCraft's throne war MMO will be hosting the 2021 Eternal Champions Series, a 10 event-long PvP tournament […]

WoW Factor: Why WoW Classic players are mad about the Burning Crusade character boost

I'm not going to lie to anyone here: When the World of Warcraft: Classic team first announced the idea that you could boost a character up to be ready to go into The Burning Crusade right away, my reaction was a shrug and a big fat "so what?" But boy, if that didn't turn out to […]

Gamigo's next big thing is a 4v4 MOBA hybrid called Skydome

Gamigo's parent company's last investor report promised "an increased number of game launches […] on the roadmap for 2021," and now we know what at least one of them is: Skydome. Announced yesterday, Skydome is a Kinship Entertainment-build 4v4 MOBA-slash-tower-defense game – multiplayer, but not an MMO. Gamigo is publishing the title in North America […]