An MMORPG with one of the best combat systems in the genre is getting fancier graphics soon

It’s time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG news in two minutes.” We summarize the most important news about the best genre in the world. Look forward to a modernized version of Blade and Soul, a lot of WoW, Aion Classic, ESO, and much more.

The highlights of the week:

The controversial “Plunderstorm” mode in WoW is back and entices with new rewards.
The next big patch for World of Warcraft is update 11.1 Undermined. We have compiled all the information for you.
Instead of bringing new character options, World of Warcraft solves an ancient problem in another way. A new potion is supposed to fix it.
On January 16, 2025, the battlegrounds of the Warsong Gulch and Alterac Valley from WoW Classic Fresh opened their doors (via worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com). When players registered for it, a bug allowed them to gain an unfair advantage.
Since January 14, 2025, you can secure the Coward’s Azure Target as a transmog for WoW (via worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com).

What else happened? This week, we updated the list of the 10 MMORPGs on Steam with the best ratings. Spoiler: There is a newcomer and a new top 1. MeinMMO editor and MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz also continued the beloved tradition and dared a look at the MMORPGs that will not witness the end of 2025 live.

The Plunderstorm mode is making a comeback in WoW:

WoW: Plunderstorm – this is how the battle royale mode works

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Preview of ESO: “Fallen Banners” and Update 45

This happened in the major MMORPGs:

For the dungeon DLC “Fallen Banners” and Update 45 of The Elder Scrolls Online, the developers have released a first preview (via elderscrollsonline.com). If you want to check out the new content, you can do so on the public test server since a few days ago. In the official forum, studio head Matt Firor made it clear that the DLC will also be available for crowns (elderscrollsonline.com).
Once again ESO: The “Celebrations across Tamriel” will begin on Thursday, January 23, at 4 PM CET and run until Tuesday, February 4, at 4 PM CET. As part of the 10th-anniversary celebration of The Elder Scrolls Online, this game event allows you to earn a selection of bonus rewards while adventuring in Tamriel (via elderscrollsonline.com).
In WoW, there have always been interpersonal problems. This week, a woman reported how difficult it is to avoid toxic men in the MMORPG. This is not the only danger in Azeroth. Stalking in WoW: Here’s how some suffer and how you can protect yourself.
A new PUG meta for heroic raids has established itself in WoW, where gems replace all healers.
With the Season of Discovery, Blizzard has created a playground where developers can explore new concepts for WoW Classic – or bring entirely new content. A new content is expected in January that will likely delight veterans.
A mage in World of Warcraft becomes the “pet” of his raid group – and he probably doesn’t even know what happened.
The situation in the guild OnlyFangs is escalating. A streamer abandoned his comrades in WoW Classic. This caused a lot of criticism in the community. Shortly thereafter, the same man, who incidentally once worked at Blizzard, also received negative attention in Ashes of Creation.
Thanks to the solo queue for rated battlegrounds, it has become easier for some players of World of Warcraft to achieve certain PvP successes. Others, however, are stuck in certain rating areas because randomly assigned teammates drag the team down.
Heartwarming story from Azeroth: A player just started with World of Warcraft and experiences an unpredictable moment during the leveling phase, which the community celebrates.
On January 21, 2025, the first season of New World Aeternum will start. This week, the developers revealed details about the features. However, these were not well received in the community. Additionally, there was a deep dive into the new artifacts (via newworld.com) and a FAQ about the battle pass of the season of conquerors (via newworld.com).
Players give two reasons why the MMORPG Throne and Liberty from Amazon Games and NCSoft is much worse than it could be.
You can currently play one of the best MMORPGs for free: Final Fantasy XIV is giving away almost 100 hours of playtime.
Players in MMORPGs want to be equally challenged. However, a developer from Final Fantasy XIV explained this week in a discussion that it is impossible to please all players.
Lost Ark will receive a new content patch next week, which will include the Kazeros raid “Brelshaza” Act 2, new karma and frontier systems, class 4 bracelets, and the start of the 3rd anniversary event (via playlostark.com).

This happened in the smaller MMORPGs:

Thanks to a data center in Europe and 64-bit technology, you can experience The Lord of the Rings Online soon lag-free and smoother than ever before. And this even if you don’t have VIP status.
With the first roadmap for 2025, the developers of Aion Classic also announced server merges. Part of the community reacted with the fear that this would completely wipe out the Asmodian faction. This week, Gameforge released a statement.
Meridian 59 catapulted the MMORPG genre into the 3D age in 1996. This week, the developer spoke out, who has kept the game running solo since 2000.
Following the major ban waves last year, the German developers at CipSoft continue their cleanup operation in the MMORPG Tibia in 2025. Among the deleted accounts was also a player from the global top tier for the first time.
The well-known Vtuber Nerissa Ravencroft has been playing Old School RuneScape for several months. Now, thanks to her community and ambiguous statements, she has almost fully mastered one of the hardest grinds of the MMORPG.
On January 14, 2025, the Tibia Token was officially introduced in Tibia (via tibia.com).
With Blade & Soul Neo, a modernized version of the MMORPG from NCSoft will soon launch. You can pre-register for it or secure one of the pre-order versions on bladeandsoul.com. When exactly the Neo version will go live is still unclear.