Mounts or riding animals have become an integral part of many MMORPGs. But which online role-playing game actually had the very first ones? And what was it like? We will explore this question in the context of our MMORPG-theme week.
What role do mounts play in MMORPGs? Mounts provide not only functional value in MMORPGs, but they also ensure stylistic individuality. Primarily, they serve as a means of transportation to traverse the game worlds more quickly, but for many players, they are also trophies and status symbols.
Many mounts are rare and can be painstakingly earned, while others can be purchased in a shop for real money. In some MMORPGs, you can also fight on them, fly with them, or use them as additional storage.
During this week, we will present exciting articles every day on the topic of MMORPGs. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic reflections, streaming nights, interviews, columns, and analyses.
Here is the program for the big MMORPG theme week 2025 by MeinMMO
In short: Mounts are more than just a means of transportation – they are a mix of tool, medium of expression, and reward that significantly shapes the gameplay of many MMORPGs.
All the more, the question arises: Who actually started this, and what was it like back then?
Here you can see, for example, the rarest mounts in World of Warcraft:
Back to a time when mounts were still living beings
The answer takes us back to the year 1997: Specifically, to the launch of the MMORPG Ultima Online. For UO is not only the very first MMORPG ever to be officially titled as such, but also the first to introduce mounts into the game.
Players could directly at launch buy or tame horses, llamas, or other animals – all without any level requirement. These mounts were not mere means of transportation, but physically anchored in the game world. If you dismounted and were not careful, the animal could be stolen or killed. Mounts could thus actually be lost, which gave them real weight in the game’s progression. To secure them, one had to place them in a stable.
Moreover, riding was tied to skills such as “Animal Taming” or “Animal Lore,” allowing certain animals to be used only with appropriate effort. Thus, mounts in Ultima Online became not only practical helpers but also valuable possessions and status symbols that needed to be watched over.
At the beginning, the mounts in Ultima Online were primarily means of transportation in the form of horses, llamas, and ostriches that players could buy or tame. Later, special mounts were added that came with unique abilities, such as those that could assist in battle or serve as additional pack animals.
In 2001, the developers introduced mounts that did not require physical space and could be summoned. These so-called Ethereal Mounts could be obtained as a veteran reward after reaching a certain account duration (via Ultima Online).
Meanwhile, mounts have become an indispensable part of most MMORPGs. And admittedly, these companions are not only practical but also pretty cool. No wonder many players aim to collect as many as possible.
By the way, Ultima Online was indeed the first MMORPG that was officially labeled as such, but there were also earlier contenders that shaped the genre. So the question of the first MMORPG is not so easy to answer. That’s why we explored it in this article: What was actually the first MMORPG?
