It is good etiquette for MMOs to regularly receive new classes. But is it really necessary? Don’t new classes just complicate things? We want to hear your opinion on this!
Hardly any MMO comes without new classes that are introduced with major updates. Usually, new hero types appear in big updates or even expansions, like the Revenant in Guild Wars 2 or the Warden in The Elder Scrolls Online. Other games launch new heroes at record speed, for example Black Desert Online. But is that really important?
New Classes in MMOs – More Heroes Enrich the Game
As a strong pro argument, one can say that new classes bring fresh air into the game. This breaks established structures and reorients the “meta”. In games, ‘meta’ refers to the common optimal selection that eventually everyone plays because it’s simply the most effective.
But when a well-balanced new class comes into play, that rigid structure is gone, and the cards are reshuffled. Everyone gets to try out and experiment again.
Moreover, it is simply fun to try something new, and often new classes fill a niche that has not been covered until then, for example, that of a ranger and druids as seen in ESO with the Warden or a really strong pet class like the Necromancer in Diablo 3.
New Classes in MMOs Can Ruin Everything If They Are OP
New classes can enrich a game, but if they are not well balanced, they ruin everything. One of the most extreme examples of this was the Jedi in Star Wars Galaxies. This strong class has always existed, but you couldn’t play it right from the start; instead, it could only be obtained through extreme effort.
However, after the game was not the success it was hoped to be, many things were changed, and Jedi suddenly became selectable from the beginning, ruining the fun for many players.
Not as extreme, but still unpleasant, were overpowered heroes in the following games:
- When the Death Knight was introduced as the first new hero class in the WoW expansion “Wrath of the Lich King”, it was too powerful for a while. Its self-heal was just too strong.
- The Warden in ESO: Morrowind received a cool healing buff upon its implementation that had previously belonged to the Templar. This caused a lot of controversy among some players.
- In Dark Age of Camelot, The savage was a problematic class that was considered “OP” by many players.
But enough of the examples! What is your opinion on new heroes in MMOs? Do you see it more positively, or do disadvantages outweigh for you? Let us know in the comments!
