The MMORPG Legends of Aria by Citadel Studios is referred to by many fans as the “true” spiritual successor to the classic Ultima Online. Whether there is any truth to this, we will find out in June when the open beta of the new MMORPG starts.
Although Ultima creator Richard “Lord British” Garriott actually developed Shroud of the Avatar (SotA) as a spiritual successor to Ultima Online (UO), many fans prefer to wait for Legends of Aria (LoA), formerly known as Shards Online.
Because SotA is not as successful as desired and does not offer the classic gameplay that fans expect from a new UO.
Open Beta in Summer – Legends of Aria Roadmap set for 2018
Whether Legends of Aria can truly fill this gap, we will see in June. Because the open beta is supposed to start then, where anyone can participate.
The developers at Citadel Studios stated that only a few updates are needed to reach the status of the open testing phase. Once the open beta is running, the developers will prepare for the soft launch through an early access phase – although not yet via Steam. While a release on Steam is planned, there is no date for that yet. The developers want to wait for how the open beta and the soft launch go before offering LoA to a larger community.
The current roadmap for LoA looks as follows:
- Open Beta – June
- Final Wipe – July
- Early Access and Soft Launch – July
- Steam Launch – 2018 (expected Fall)
- Start of Marketing Campaign – 2018
Steam has to wait
The developers are currently keeping the launch on Steam open, as they explain that you only have one chance to launch here. And whoever messes this up usually has a big problem that, in many cases, can hardly be rectified. Is that an allusion to the failed launch of Shroud of the Avatar?
The developers of LoA believe that after the soft launch, they will need to make some optimizations and bug fixes, and there may even be rollbacks. They do not want to impose that on Steam users.
What is Legends of Aria?
Legends of Aria is aimed at everyone who loved Ultima Online – which recently launched a Free2Play version – but also want the ability to create their own worlds.
- You explore a vast, open sandbox world
- You decide whether you want to be an adventurer or crafter
- The game’s economy is entirely player-driven
- Many repeatable contents such as huge dungeons
- Open housing system
- Game strongly reflects the gameplay mechanics and features of Ultima Online
- PvP is generally possible everywhere, but in many zones you are protected by guards who will help you
- Players can create what are called shards and build their own worlds with their own rules
How close Legends of Aria ultimately comes to Ultima Online, we will still see. Players who participate in the closed beta feel strongly reminded of UO.
