Until the next expansion for World of Warcraft arrives, you will have to be patient. With our five game tips, you won’t get bored during the waiting time until Battle for Azeroth is released!
BfA releases in August: The next expansion for World of Warcraft, Battle for Azeroth, will be released on August 14, 2018. However, you can also shorten the waiting time with other games.
5 MMOs to play while waiting for Battle for Azeroth
We recommend five MMOs that will keep you entertained during this short period. For most, you don’t need to invest much time and can jump right in!
1. Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy is our top alternative to WoW. Final Fantasy remains one of the most popular games, so you will always find someone to play with – or just bring your friends along. With a classic tab-target combat system, especially WoW veterans will find it easy to get started. Innovative classes (jobs) provide a refreshing change. The best part: The community of Final Fantasy XIV is known to be super nice and friendly!
| Developer/Publisher | Square Enix |
| Genre | MMORPG |
| Payment Model | Subscription |
| Release | September 30, 2010 (A Realm Reborn), June 23, 2015 (Heavensward), June 20, 2017 (Stormblood) |
What Final Fantasy is about: On the continent of Eorzea, war rages between nations. You play a hero in this battle, tasked with saving the land from occupation.
In the latest expansion “Stormblood”, you play more of a supporting role – watching others make decisions. You step in when heroes make wrong choices and defeat raid bosses like Ultima in the process.
What makes Final Fantasy XIV special: The story being told is engaging and invites you to learn more about it. The attention to detail in the world continually reveals new things to discover.
Mini-games spice up the gameplay and provide variety to the general grind or dungeons. Crafting introduces its own unique mechanics into the game. Each profession is a separate “job” that can be leveled and has its own equipment.
What’s currently happening in Final Fantasy: With a new update for Final Fantasy XIV comes an “Endless Dungeon” called the Heaven’s Pillar. In this dungeon of 100 randomly generated floors, you can level alternatively later in the game. This is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to quest and loves grinding in dungeons.
Final Fantasy is worth it for you if
- You want to dive into a different but still familiar setting
- You appreciate the style of Asian MMOs
- WoW didn’t offer you enough grind
- You value quests and story
- You are interested in crafting and mini-games – this is where Final Fantasy XIV excels
2. Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars has long been the classic alternative to WoW. With Guild Wars 2, you have an MMORPG where you experience your own story in chapters. The structure and combat system are similar to WoW, though the battles impress with a hybrid of classic and action styles. The aesthetic is a bit more modern, and the classes are more diverse.
| Developer/Publisher | ArenaNet/NCSoft |
| Genre | MMORPG |
| Payment Model | Buy-to-Play |
| Release | August 28, 2012 (Base game), October 23, 2015 (Heart of Thorns), September 22, 2017 (Path of Fire) |
What Guild Wars 2 is about: In Guild Wars 2, you experience your own story from a green recruit to a hero of the continent Tyria. The ancient dragons have awakened and threaten the land – and you must ally with others to defeat them.
In “Path of Fire,” your journey leads you to the Crystal Desert, where you fight the god of war, Balthasar. You can explore even more areas and receive new “Elite Specializations” for each class.
What makes Guild Wars 2 special: In the unique story of Guild Wars 2, you are the protagonist. You have your own nemesis and heroes and icons you aspire to. The further you delve into the game, the further you follow the story. On your journey, you can also explore the impressive world of Guild Wars 2. The vast areas of the world invite you to discover and enjoy.
The world scales with your level. No matter where you are, the enemies offer a similarly great challenge, making it easy to play with friends of different levels. Global events in the world present you with ever-new tasks, replacing standard quests. If you preferred the dynamic quests in WoW to the mundane quest hubs, you’ll find exactly that in Guild Wars 2.
One particularly special aspect of Guild Wars 2 is the PvP. Unlike in WoW, you are not grouped into levels, but simply adjusted. You can jump right in and compete with other players without needing to farm experience or gear in PvE first.
What’s currently happening in Guild Wars 2: The story you can experience in Guild Wars is divided into episodes that are grouped into seasons. You can buy and play the episodes individually. The latest episode is Episode 3 from Season 4.
With the episodes, new content is also added to the game – such as the Rollers as a mount. The players of Guild Wars 2 creatively handle such content, and even hold races with prize money with the new bugs.
Guild Wars 2 is worth it for you if
- You want to level wherever you want (free scaling)
- You want to experience a personal story
- You want to occasionally check in on a game without missing anything in between
3. Destiny 2
Our third suggestion offers you a completely different alternative to MMORPGs. The MMO shooter Destiny 2 is still quite young and provides action-packed variety from RPGs. If you enjoy diving into wild shootouts as a hero, this is the place for you.
| Developer/Publisher | Bungie/Activision |
| Genre | MMO Shooter |
| Payment Model | Buy-to-Play |
| Release | September 6, 2017 |
What Destiny 2 is about: Although Destiny 2 is a shooter, it tells a compelling story. The “Traveler,” an extraterrestrial construct, has visited Earth in the future and granted various playable species, the Guardians, special powers.
You play as one of these Guardians from one of three classes (Hunter, Titan, or Warlock) and travel the galaxy to protect it from dangers. You fight against various enemies and ultimately try to free the Traveler, who has been misused as a weapon by the evil Cabal.
What makes Destiny 2 special: The classes in Destiny 2 give the shooter an RPG aspect that makes the game unique. While you primarily use ranged weapons with proper shooter aim, the classes have abilities that strongly differentiate them and make them special.
Destiny 2 can be played solo in open PvE and in groups for dungeons and raids. The later dungeons will test your skills and challenge you. Destiny 2 offers countless hours of leveling and development before it becomes the “endgame grind.”
What’s currently happening in Destiny 2: The “Forsaken” expansion for Destiny 2 will expand the game in September with new skills and weapons. The addon continues the story of the game and allows you to dive even deeper.
With the “Dreaming City,” there will also be another raid and a whole new hub added to the game. The new content is appealing for both solo and group players and offers further development for your Guardians.
Destiny 2 is worth it for you if
- You want to take a break from the MMORPG genre and enjoy shooting
- You enjoy both PvE and PvP
- You want to just relax and play for a few hours
- You prefer to take your time while playing and do not want to grind at endgame.
4. Conan Exiles
With Conan Exiles, we offer you an alternative to WoW that lets you dive into a completely different, rough world. In Conan Exiles, you fight for your bare survival and play with other players – or against them, to progress.
| Developer/Publisher | Funcom |
| Genre | Survival MMO |
| Payment Model | Buy-to-Play |
| Release | May 8, 2018 |
The story of Conan Exiles: In Conan Exiles, you are an exile accused of various crimes and left to die. Conan the Barbarian himself frees you from the cross and sends you to survive in the land of the exiled.
You wear a bracelet that binds you to the land and kills you if you try to leave or remove it. In the world, you learn more about the story and about Conan himself, discovering flourishing and fallen cities. Your goal is to escape – but destroying the bracelet is not so easy.
What makes Conan Exiles special: Conan Exiles is a distinctive survival MMO. You build your own base with buildings, craft your own armor and weapons, and worship an entire pantheon of gods. You can join clans or explore the world alone.
With a leveling system, you can also customize your character. Become a hunter, warrior, artisan, or whatever you want. The world you can explore on your journey offers various locations, from deserts to swampy jungles to icy mountains full of undead and dangerous volcanoes.
A special feature of Conan Exiles is the “Journey” that accompanies you throughout the game. The Journey serves as a manual and compass for the many new challenges you must master. Conquer the next dungeon, defeat the next boss, or talk to the next important NPC to finally leave the land of the exiled.
What’s currently happening in Conan Exiles: On June 22, Funcom released the first DLC for Conan Exiles, in which you can craft new armor and buildings in Asian style. The next content is already known for early August and will bring stuff from Aquilonia.
The developers are also continuing to work on free content. In addition to numerous bug fixes, tameable companions and a new god will be added to the game, which thematically will also include a new dungeon.
Conan Exiles is worth it for you if
- You enjoy the harsh setting of Conan the Barbarian
- You can handle dying often in PvP
- You enjoy surviving and building
- You want to explore a fascinating world full of stories, myths, and dungeons
5. World of Warcraft: Legion
Even though the suggestion may sound strange, WoW is a good pastime while waiting for WoW. In the current addon WoW: Legion, there is still a lot for some players to do. Especially preparing for the next addon is worthwhile.
Level alternative characters: To prepare well for BfA, it always pays off to bring new characters to max level. This way, you have more options to switch in the next addon if your current class isn’t fun anymore.
However, the allied races are currently a good incentive to start a twink. After you unlock them, allied races start at level 20. If you bring a character of such a race to level 110, you will receive special “Heritage Armors,” cosmetic transmogifications tailored to the races.
See all content from Legion: WoW: Legion offers a lot of content that not all players have fully completed yet. Before Battle for Azeroth arrives on August 14, it makes sense to complete Antorus or gather achievements in all dungeons. The instances still provide a challenge, and you will often find groups aiming to complete these.
Also, the pre-event for Battle for Azeroth is likely to appear soon and is certainly interesting as preparation for BfA. The war between Horde and Alliance intensifies during this event and prepares you for the new addon.
