During the week of March 15 to March 21, there has been a lot happening, especially in the MMORPGs in development. In this post, we want to summarize everything important briefly and concisely.
The highlights of the week: New World has released a new alpha update and announced many innovations. This includes a new area, a dungeon, an overhaul of the quests, and adjustments to the UI.
Due to these adjustments, New World is increasingly moving towards a theme park MMORPG, according to MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch.
But there has also been a lot happening with other MMORPGs in development:
- The hardcore MMORPG Mortal Online will soon enter a test. This is planned for March 25 on Steam and mainly appeals to players who enjoy PvP.
- The sandbox MMORPG Fractured has announced the start of a new alpha test. This will begin on March 31 at 4:00 PM our time (via Fractured)
- The VR MMORPG Zenith showed 30 minutes of new gameplay. It will be released for both PC and PlayStation.
- The Ragnarök is an upcoming MMORPG inspired by God of War. The developers from NetEase gave an interview and revealed the beta start for 2021. We have introduced The Ragnarök in detail in the context of Find Your Next Game:
The controversy of the week: In September 2019, the MMORPG Astellia was released as a Buy2Play title for PC. Now, in March 2021, the Free2Play version Astellia Royale has been released.
Although the original game concept was well received, Astellia Royale is being criticized. The reason is adjustments that are not well received.
The MMORPG discussion of the week: Cortyn has revived Mecker-Mittwoch and is complaining about the 13€ Joker in WoW. The article was very well received here on MeinMMO and garnered 44 comments. What do you think about the Joker?
Black Desert brings new class, SWTOR announces season system
This week’s news from the big 5:
- Black Desert has released the new class Sage. It was launched on March 17 and is already very well received.
- The Elder Scrolls Online has released the major update 29 for consoles. For the coming week, the Feast of Fools was announced, which is particularly good for leveling.
- In WoW there was an adjustment to a quest that allows you to earn more gold each week. Additionally, there are 2 new pets that were released as part of a charity campaign.
- In Guild Wars 2, new bonus events around the Tengu have begun. Through these you can earn special weapons. More about this can be learned from our colleagues at Guildnews.de.
- In Final Fantasy XIV, things are still quiet. But that shouldn’t deter you from playing it. MeinMMO editor Irina Moritz has compiled 5 tips for returnees to FF14.
Additionally, MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski talked with experts in a new podcast special about ESO and the upcoming innovations of 2021:
The Blackwood expansion is a good reason to start ESO in 2021 – Expert Talk
In the new episode of our podcast, we invited two guests to talk with them about The Elder Scrolls Online. The MMORPG is getting its 6th major expansion with Blackwood. Learn more about it in our expert talk.
What is happening with the smaller MMORPGs?
- SWTOR announced the upcoming update 6.3 – The Dark Descent – in a livestream. This comes with a new flashpoint and a “Galactic Season” system with a battle pass.
- Blade & Soul has released a new update. Patch 11.4 brought a new raid, new events, and new gear (via BladeandSoul).
- The MMORPG V4 has a penguin as a new, crazy class
- The Lord of the Rings Online has received the new update “The Wildwood of Bree”. This includes new quests, instances, and the spring festival (via LOTRO).
- Phantasy Star Online 2 released a patch with a new urgent quest, new campaign, and some bug fixes (via PSO2).
What’s new with the other MMORPGs in development?
- Ashes of Creation has postponed its alpha 1 test last weekend. The reason given is “additional polishing” that is still needed. This postponement is particularly interesting because no new testers are coming in, but they are merely allowed to talk freely about the alpha. This shows that the classic alpha no longer exists for MMORPGs.
- Past Fate, a medieval sandbox MMORPG, has provided insight into the current development in a new devlog. This includes a new starter zone, improvements to combat, and a miniboss (via YouTube).
This was our overview of the most important MMORPG news of the week. Did we overlook any more interesting updates? Then write it in the comments. We would also appreciate feedback on the article itself.
