On June 27, 2024, the servers of ArcheAge went offline for good. All of them? Well, at least the European and North American worlds. And this now opens up an exciting opportunity …
What kind of opportunity is this? When the servers of ArcheAge were shut down last year, not all versions of the free-to-play MMORPG were affected. The Russian version of the game is still online today, and it has now received a surprising update.
According to the update notes from last week, the client version of ArcheAge has been updated (via archeage.ru). One of the new features is that interested players can now download and play an official English version of the client from the official website for the first time since June 27, 2024.
The only alternatives for ArcheAge fans are to either switch to private servers of the MMORPG or wait for the successor ArcheAge Chronicles. Here you can watch the first trailer for “ArcheAge 2”:
One of the last hype MMORPGs
Why was ArcheAge important? The MMORPG from XL Games was released in 2014 alongside Wildstar and The Elder Scrolls Online, marking the end of a period initiated by the enormous success of WoW. Between 2005 and 2014, there were numerous exciting announcements and releases of ambitious online role-playing games. Then in 2015, a severe drought phase began.
During this phase, ArcheAge was able to stand out from the competition because it offered features that were not present in Western MMORPGs, such as the race for the best land plots, capturing a fortress, and dominance on the server, as well as the mix of house building, economy, PvP, and guilds.
What do I need to know about ArcheAge Chronicles? ArcheAge Chronicles is said to focus more on the Western market than its predecessor and therefore offer extensive PvE and story content that can be tackled alone or with small groups.
According to the developers, the MMORPG will still rely on a player-driven economy and player collaboration. Exploring the vast world will also play an important role. Additionally, you can expect an overhauled combat system that aims to combine strategic depth with fast-paced action.
However, PvP elements and large-scale battles in the open world, which were once planned, are to be dropped. PvP will primarily be available in clearly defined, competitive areas for fixed teams and guilds. Furthermore, the plan is to adopt a buy-to-play model without pay-to-win elements, but with service elements. More information about the plans can be found here: From Aion 2 to Chrono Odyssey: Outlook on the MMORPG year 2025
