The Release of Throne and Liberty
What kind of game is this? Throne and Liberty is a new MMORPG from NCSoft (Lineage, Aion, Blade & Soul) and is launching soon in Korea. The focus is on a large game world without loading screens that you can explore, in which some dangers lurk.
A highlight is the weather system, which influences the world. Rain, for instance, is said to flood certain passages and make them inaccessible. At the same time, lightning attacks become more effective. Wind, on the other hand, increases the flight speed of arrows, while in the sun, fire attacks inflict more damage.
- While you have a detailed editor when creating characters, you can only choose humans.
- Your playstyle is determined by two weapons, which you can switch between in combat. There are no classes.
- The combat system was initially rather static and resembled Lineage 2. However, changes have been made, so it now offers a mix of tab-targeting and action combat.
- In PvE, you can expect dungeons, guild raids, and events in the open world.
- However, PvP is also intended to play an important role. There will be battles for outposts, special PvP events in the open world, and a castle that can be besieged every two weeks.
How likely is the release? 90%. Similar to Blue Protocol, Amazon originally planned the release for 2023. However, changes in Korea led to Throne and Liberty being delayed there, and it will only release on December 7, 2023.
For the western version, adjustments to localization and monetization will still need to be made. The release for PC is extremely likely, but for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, there could potentially be a delay into next year.
If you are interested in how Throne and Liberty launches in Korea, you should read this article:
The new expansion for Guild Wars 2
What kind of expansion is this? Guild Wars 2 is an MMORPG ideal for casual players. It primarily impresses with its beautiful game world, where dynamic events and hearts await you instead of quests. These tasks are better integrated into the world and usually offer multiple solutions. Additionally, hidden achievements and the tricky jumping puzzles further diversify the leveling phase.
In the game, you can expect an action-packed combat system, a fully voiced story, as well as dungeons, raids, PvP arenas, and the massive world vs. world, where three servers compete against each other.
At the beginning of 2023, the developers announced a new update cycle for the game. From now on, there will be a major patch every quarter that complements each expansion. These expansions are also expected to be released more quickly.
As for the current addon Secrets of the Obscure, which was released in summer 2023, there are still 3 updates planned, indicating that the next expansion is expected to be released in summer/autumn 2024. However, there are no specific details available yet.
How likely is the release? 80%. It is still unclear whether ArenaNet can really adhere to the planned cycle of one expansion and three quarterly updates. The plan is definitely there, but there is a small residual risk that the expansion might not be released and the time until then will be bridged in another way.
WoW: The War Within
What kind of expansion is this? World of Warcraft is probably the most famous MMORPG of all time. The expansion Dragonflight, released in November 2022, is generally considered successful, even if the numbers don’t necessarily reflect that.
The new expansion The War Within is planned for fall 2024. There, the heroes travel into the depths of Azeroth and visit new and familiar races, such as the Earthen or the Nerubians. The entire story is set within Azeroth – there will primarily be “underground” areas.
There will be new areas, new story content, and of course dungeons and raids. A small highlight will be the Delves, a new endgame activity for solo players. Additionally, many account-wide features, such as bank slots or transmogs, will be added.
The War Within is also the beginning of a cross-story that will be told over the next three expansions.
How likely is the release? Almost 100%. Blizzard has so far kept its dates well and promises the start of the first tests for The War Within to be in the first half of 2024.
Similar to Final Fantasy XIV, fans of WoW will face a small drought until then. With Patch 10.2, which will be released on November 8, the last major update of Dragonflight will also come. The time until the expansion will then be bridged with small updates and rotations in the dungeons and raids.
What else is happening in 2024?
In addition to the major highlights, the upcoming year also offers some alpha and beta tests as well as possible releases:
- Corepunk is a new MMORPG that mixes WoW with League of Legends. Initial tests took place there in September, and the number of invited players is expected to increase over time. Many players will likely be able to participate in 2024. There might even be a release here.
- In Ashes of Creation, Alpha 2 is expected to start in 2024. However, there is no specific date yet.
- ArcheAge 2 is supposed to be released next year, although there has been no information or tests thus far, making the date currently look unrealistic. An alpha or beta is considered very likely, though.
- Tarisland, the WoW from China, is expected to celebrate its release in 2024. There is already a beta test scheduled for November of this year.
- There may also be initial tests for Aion 2, as the game is scheduled to be released in both Korea and the West by 2025 at the latest.
- 2024 will also likely see new expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest 2. Both games have received an expansion almost every year since their release. EverQuest 1 is also celebrating its 25th anniversary, which could possibly lead to a larger celebration or release.
What do you think about the upcoming year from the perspective of MMORPGs? What interests you, and what do you prefer to avoid? And how did you find 2013?
For more information about all MMORPGs in development, click here:
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