This week brought some news for MMORPG fans. As part of the replacement events for E3 and even before that, new games were announced. Additionally, The Elder Scrolls Online received a new expansion and New World teased the new patch.
The highlights of the week:
- Starkeepers is a new MMORPG with a Viking setting and was presented for the first time on Friday evening.
- With Wars of Prasia, a new MMORPG in the style of Lost Ark is being released, focusing almost entirely on PvP.
- The company Notorious has announced a new high-fantasy MMORPG. This is being developed by former WoW developers, and funding comes from Riot Games among others.
- ESO has released the new expansion High Isle. At launch, there were bans and extended server downtime. The new expansion is especially praised for its graphics.
- What was actually the most expensive character ever sold for real money in an MMORPG? We’ll reveal it:
The controversy of the week: Blizzard closes its office in Germany. Officially, it is stated that the operational business is no longer profitable here. Everything is becoming more digital and global.
The discussion of the week: The discussions around Pay2Win in Diablo Immortal continue. Nevertheless, the game is a financial success and there are many voices that strongly praise the new MMORPG from Blizzard. What do you think of Diablo Immortal?
New dungeons in New World, new PvP arenas in Black Desert
What happened in the major MMORPGs:
- ESO received two new companions with High Isle, and we’ll tell you how to unlock them. Additionally, the band Saltatio Mortis has created a music video for the MMORPG. We interviewed the band about their love for gaming.
- WoW nerfs 4 dungeons simultaneously, including 3 hate mobs.
- Guild Wars 2 unexpectedly overhauls the dungeons from 2012 and raises hopes for new dungeons.
- Players of Final Fantasy XIV are developing an unhealthy obsession with “Mami”, an NPC who has accompanied them from the beginning.
- In Lost Ark, gold buyers are now penalized more severely and can even accumulate a mountain of debt. Additionally, we took a closer look at the topic of bots.
- Black Desert released a completely new 3v3 PvP arena this week. The special thing: The equipment is standardized for all, and hardcore grinders lose their significant advantage.
What happened in the minor MMORPGs:
- New World has announced the major July patch. Plans include a new dungeon, the abolishment of dungeon orbs, and many “Quality of Life” improvements. We also updated our tier list on New World.
- Kritika is back. After its closure in January, a new version has been released, but it is even worse than the old one.
- The VR MMORPG Zenith is bringing a new patch on June 16. This will introduce new dungeons, quests, equipment skins, and enemies in the game world (via YouTube).
- ArcheAge has presented the upcoming summer patch in a video (via YouTube).
- Blade & Soul released a new dungeon and new rewards on June 8 (via Blade & Soul).
- The sandbox MMORPG Wurm Online has brought new treasures and further adjustments (via MassivelyOP).
What happened with the MMORPGs in development?
- Embers Adrift is changing the beta tests so that the whole weekend can be played. The game focuses on PvE and completely avoids PvP.
- As part of Find Your Next Game, we did an interview with the head of Fractured. He spoke about planned improvements, the number of beta testers, and the release in winter. We are also currently giving away beta keys for Fractured.
These were the news this week from the world of MMORPGs in overview. Tell us, what was your personal highlight of the week? Or did we perhaps forget something important? Feel free to write it to us in the comments here at MeinMMO.
