A fresh Lord of the Rings Online, a second Star Wars: The Old Republic or even a new World of Warcraft? How does that sound to you? We take a look at possible, necessary, and likely MMO sequels.
Hollywood has been criticized for years for not coming up with new ideas, summer after summer the same films, only the Roman numeral changes. And there are endless series of games as well. Call of Duty is rumored to have reached its 34th installment. EA Sports games release a new title every year.
However, MMOs are seen differently in the minds of gamers, right? The most successful titles run for a decade. Players age with an MMO, while their avatars remain eternally young. But there are also sequel titles for MMOs. The “2” in Guild Wars 2 is not accidental.
Economically speaking, an MMO sequel makes a lot of sense. Building a new brand is difficult and comes with high marketing costs and risks, while a recognizable name ensures an immediate fan base. Fantasy and science fiction fans, the two largest MMO subgenres, long for complex and established worlds: a sequel can provide that.
We take a look at possible sequels from former MMOs or current titles.
Already in Planning
Camelot Unchained
Dark Age of Camelot is still alive, it just smells funny. Even though the founding studio of the cult MMO, Mythic Entertainment, was closed a few days ago (and by “they” we mean Electronic Arts), the PvP of the classic remains popular, even though the game’s reputation has likely surpassed the (virtual) reality. Recently, The Elder Scrolls Online launched a spiritual successor to this PvP.
Mark Jacobs has been working on another “spiritual” successor with his team for some time. He raised the funds for it through Kickstarter. Camelot Unchained is currently still in an early development stage. The focus will clearly be on PvP.
While it will not be an official sequel to Dark Age of Camelot – practically everyone treats it as such. It specifically aims at PvP fans, especially former Warhammer Online players.
Everquest Next
With Everquest Next, Sony Online Entertainment is going in a different direction than with the PvE giants Everquest and Everquest 2. While Dungeons & Dragons was in the air every second there, they are opening the windows here to bring in fresh air. The graphics look much more comic-like than the predecessors, sandbox elements are introduced, and they are ready to face a new market.
Instead of just releasing a sequel, they want to redefine the Everquest brand. However, they aim to retain the background world and story they are proud of as much as possible.
Everquest Next is set to launch in 2015 and could lead the charge alongside ArcheAge in a sandbox invasion of the MMO genre.
TERA 2
A sequel to the Asian MMO TERA has also been announced. A year ago, they were looking for new staff members for it, and now the first concept art has been released. In Asia, sequels for MMOs are more common than here. With Phantasy Online 2, Lineage 2, Final Fantasy XIV (No, that didn’t have 13 MMO predecessors) and many other examples, another peculiarity of the Asian market shows itself here… alongside the schoolgirl-inspired fairy creatures and the preference for gigantic melee weapons.
Very little is known about TERA 2 so far. It is assumed that it will continue the lore and gameplay philosophy of Tera. A release is not expected until around 2016.
Possible Sequels – Is Something in the Air?
Lord of the Rings Online 2?
The Lord of the Rings license expires in 2017. Turbine has announced that they want to wrap up the original story about Frodo and the Ring in a final sprint. While they have said that they look forward to ending the story and then starting a new chapter of their own creation. However, Lord of the Rings Online unfortunately doesn’t seem very lively and current anymore, so some experts speculate about the end of the game after the incident with Mount Doom.
The game has only benefited little from the new Hobbit films. The last add-on, the rather unsuccessful Helm’s Deep, has proven to be quite challenging.
At the same time, Lord of the Rings Online, along with the game we are about to introduce, is certainly one of the most attractive licenses worldwide. If a new game based on the lore is set to launch in 2017, details could soon come to light.
A New Star Wars?
A few weeks ago, there was news that most people probably found relatively incomprehensible: With the new films, the canon of the Star Wars universe will be restricted. From now on, only the movies and an animated series are “canon” and the rest is not. If that seems a bit nerdy: In the new films, they will act as if all the other Star Wars stuff never existed.
This could mean for Star Wars: The Old Republic that the Force is no longer with the MMORPG. Because even the Free2Play title is no longer part of the official Star Wars canon.
Perhaps a new MMORPG will launch alongside the new film trilogy? Nothing has been confirmed here yet. And as probable as one might think, that is also not the case. After all, SW:TOR still has a stable player base and seems to be doing quite well in terms of revenue. Regular content updates are also rolling out.
And, which is no secret: The great hype around MMOs is over. About 10 years ago, many companies thought they could simply replicate the success of World of Warcraft and launch an MMO that would generate income – no one believes that anymore.
Warhammer Online – Part 2
Although some consider Camelot Unchained to be a spiritual successor for the Warhammer license as well, it is currently free. The Warhammer universe is known for its strategic tabletop games. The world of Warhammer reflects a significant part in World of Warcraft (although one could be stoned for such a statement), yet there would still be room and need for a Warhammer MMO.
The Warhammer license is certainly attractive. After all, the universe is richly designed and has already been implemented as an MMO that never really took off and ended last year. A new Warhammer Online is certainly a matter of price, but it is considered one of the most likely sequels overall. The rights holder will want to ensure the quality of the implementation.
For the science fiction variant Warhammer 40k, the Starcraft to this Warcraft, an MMORPG has also been announced for 2015.
Here a sequel seems quite pointless for the foreseeable future
World of Warcraft 2
There is a persistent rumor about the genre leader: Blizzard is letting the game run its course and will replace it with either World of Warcraft 2 or World of Starcraft. Blizzard dispels such speculation with the extensive remodeling of the characters.
Even though the magical level “100” would have made a nice closing point for the game, an end seems not to be in sight. The game remains highly profitable. Moreover, a highlight for 2015 is the World of Warcraft movie, from which Blizzard hopes for a second or third spring.
What do you think? Is your desired successor included? Or would you rather see entirely new licenses realized?
