This week has seen quite a bit happening in MMORPGs. WoW Classic released its new expansion Wrath of the Lich King and the PvE hope Embers Adrift has a release date. We from MeinMMO provide you with an overview in the weekly review.
The highlights of the week:
- On Tuesday, Wrath of the Lich King was released, the most popular WoW addon for the Classic version of the MMORPG. However, its popularity had consequences, and some players had to deal with gigantic queues.
- Lost Ark then immediately released its massive September update on Wednesday bringing not only a new class but also new events and a raid.
- A year after its release, New World can again boast player numbers not seen since February. Even new servers are being opened again. We looked into why that is.
The controversy of the week: The well-known sandbox MMORPG Black Desert showcased some new content in a trailer. This includes a fast travel feature that many fans do not like at all.
The discussion of the week: NCSoft showcased in a video the highlights of the internal beta of the MMORPG hope Throne and Liberty. However, this very video evokes mixed feelings among fans.
You can watch the video from the beta directly here:
In WoW, a bug becomes a feature and ESO gives away its new DLC
What happened with the major MMORPGs:
- Elder Scrolls Online is giving away its new DLC “Firesong”, but you have to cooperate in various challenges.
- A new update in EVE Online adds new spaceships to the sandbox MMORPG. Additionally, there is a bit more story in preparation for the major “Uprising” expansion (via mmorpg.com).
- However, the previously mentioned update in Lost Ark had its downsides as well, the servers were offline for a whole 16 hours in preparation for it. However, players have already been compensated.
- The retro MMORPG RuneScape planned an event with great new boost servers, but a lot went wrong in the process. Some fans are even demanding their money back.
- WoW Dragonflight finally has a release date. The latest expansion for World of Warcraft is set to be released on November 29. During the testing phase of Dragonflight, a bug with transmog was noticed, which was so popular that Blizzard is now making a feature out of it.
What happened with the smaller MMORPGs:
- Aion originally launched in the West back in 2009. For those who want to experience the MMORPG grandpa like before, a Classic version is coming to us in Germany soon. This has been running in America since June 2021 and relies on a mix of cash shop and pay-to-play.
- Also on Tuesday, the sci-fi MMORPG Dual Universe launched with a spectacular launch trailer.
- Lord of the Rings Online is currently giving away some quest packs again before the mini-update “Before the Shadow” is supposed to expand the story (via mmorpg.com).
- Tower of Fantasy is bringing a new character on October 6, which also comes with new events (via massivelyop).
- Phantasy Star Online 2 will raise its maximum level in October and introduce a new zone to match (via massivelyop).
- Blade & Soul is introducing some new content that is set to arrive on October 12. This includes the new musician class (via mmorpg.com).
The newest class in Lost Ark will be a kind of Ironman with laser weapons and drones. Check it out in the trailer:
Embers Adrift has a release date and Fractured is fixing bugs
What happened with the MMORPGs in development:
- Fractured Online entered early access in mid-September and initially struggled with some issues. Currently, the developers are fixing many bugs and releasing patches every few days (via mmorpg.com).
- Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen conducted a new pre-alpha phase on Saturday and Sunday. This started with some delays and was actually planned for September (via massivelyop).
- The PvE hope Embers Adrift is launching on October 15 and will be available for everyone. The MMORPG will stick to its subscription model, but those who subscribe within this year will get it cheaper (via massivelyop). Our editor Alexander Leitsch has played the MMORPG for a while and shares his insights with you.
- The tiny MORPG Book of Travels has faced many setbacks. Nevertheless, updates for the early access game continue. Recently, the developers added WASD controls and new controller features (via massivelyop).
These were this week’s MMORPG news at a glance. What is your personal highlight? Did you experience anything interesting this week? Or did we perhaps forget something important? Feel free to let us know in the comments here at MeinMMO.
For those who want to delve more into the developers’ perspective: The head of Final Fantasy XIV explains in an interview with Eurogamer what the ultimate MMORPG should look like.
