MMORPGs are also in high demand in 2020. However, so far there have been very mixed news. While some titles joyfully talk about upcoming test phases, one game has already been canceled. We take a look at where the new MMORPGs currently stand.
This is the situation: Many different new MMORPGs are currently in development. The range extends from indie games with a lot of humor to big hopes from the West, some of which have been in development for 7 years or longer.
The reason for this article was the death of Chronicles of Elyria, the MMORPG where you were supposed to age and die. However, before the first users could explore the real game world, the title was canceled.
For this article, we take a look at what we believe are the 5 biggest and most promising MMORPGs in development. These are:
- Ashes of Creation
- Crowfall
- Camelot Unchained
- Crimson Desert
- Project TL
We look at where the games currently stand and what we can still expect in 2020.
Ashes of Creation – The Hope from the West?
This is Ashes of Creation: The ambitious MMORPG Ashes of Creation aims to create a world where PvE and PvP fans feel comfortable and which reacts dynamically to the actions of the players.
At its core is the Node mechanics, through which players can provide experience points to the settlement of each area with their actions. This is supposed to lead to the areas “leveling” and transforming from a small tent city into a village and eventually even a huge metropolis.
In each Node, there is a mayor who can collect taxes and expand the city. Housing also plays an important role in the cities.
However, a Node can also be attacked, destroyed, and conquered by a foreign alliance. Siege weapons are also planned for this. Additionally, there is PvP in the open world, which is supposed to protect newcomers and PvP refusers through a Karma system.
Furthermore, Ashes of Creation offers you:
- A hybrid combat system, either with action or with tab-targeting.
- Dungeons and raids, 80% of which are supposed to take place in the open world.
- Various mounts, including horses, but also unusual like otters or wyverns.
- Huge fortresses from which players are supposed to have influence over 1/5 of the entire game world.
How has development gone so far? The MMORPG started as a project of millionaire Steven Sharif, who founded a studio for this purpose. On May 1, 2017, Ashes of Creation launched a Kickstarter campaign and raised nearly 3.3 million dollars (via Kickstarter).
Through founder packages and the gained publisher MyGames the MMORPG secured itself financially as well. So it is doing well financially.
In 2018, it proudly announced that Ashes of Creation was supposed to be released in 2019. However, that did not work out, and even the start of the alpha was postponed indefinitely.
The release of Apocalypse also complicated matters. The PvP standalone was supposed to give a first glimpse into the combat system and simultaneously provide the developers with important lessons regarding live support and server technology.
However, the first release in 2018 failed. In 2019 it returned and even appeared on Steam. However, in the last 30 days only an average of 3 players played it. Only 35% of the reviews on Steam are positive.
In the end, Apocalypse harmed the image of Ashes of Creation more than it helped.
Here is where Ashes of Creation stands in March 2020: In a livestream, the developers provided a first glimpse into the alpha on March 27, 2020. In just under 2 hours, the main contents such as the nodes and a first raid boss were shown.
Everything looked better than many had expected. Viewers and readers on MeinMMO were positively surprised. Many of the planned systems worked, and the game also made a positive visual impression.
The Alpha 1 is supposed to start according to the livestream later this year and be free of an NDA. For 2020 you can expect a lot of new information and gameplay videos.
However, a release is rather unlikely. Furthermore, Apocalypse is supposed to be further developed. A siege mode for fortresses is planned here.
