While many New World see as an example of the failure of MMORPGs, the head of three MMORPGs has a very different view on the genre.
Who is it about? Jack Emmert is the head of Cryptic Studios, the company behind MMORPGs like Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, and Champions Online. In an interview with GamesIndustry, he expressed his thoughts on the challenges of the genre and explained why MMORPGs are “on the way to a comeback”.
In this context, it’s precisely New World and Ashes of Creation, but also oldies like World of Warcraft and some conventions that prove how important MMORPGs are.
MMORPGs are the future, not the past
What does the head say? Emmert explains in the interview that New World has shown that players want MMORPGs. He believes that the strong sales of New World prove this. For the record: New World peaked at over 900,000 players on Steam, according to SteamDB. However, according to him, where New World failed was the lack of strategy and the infrastructure to provide enough for the players.
He explains: “I believe the claim that there is no MMO community is refuted by the number of players who still play World of Warcraft, my games, Daybreak, or whatever. They want something new.”
According to the head, the hype around the failed Ashes of Creation should also prove this: “There’s a reason so many people have followed this game.”
What does an MMORPG need in 2026? According to Emmert, the secret of the genre is not to take on too much. Large publishers often try to compete with World of Warcraft and then invest hundreds of millions of dollars to reach the widest possible audience.
The opposite is important: “The secret to the lasting popularity of MMOs is to successfully address a specific niche instead of trying to please everyone.”
“These new MMOs – or games that feel like an MMO – have been diluted by high expectations to the point that they have to be everything. And thus, games arise that are basically just collections of features, but have no soul… and that’s where they end up.”
Jack Emmert in an interview with GamesIndustry
He believes that a new MMORPG doesn’t need to cover everything that the genre already knows. According to him, it doesn’t need 200 hours of unique content; instead, he thinks it needs a launch and updates with new content every three months that expand the game to keep players engaged.
“In my experience, at some point, it comes down to the fact that you think: ‘Hey, these are your most loyal fans, they will never abandon you.’ And then the goal is to get players who have left to come back (by offering them cool content).”
Jack Emmert in an interview with GamesIndustry
That he is right with the secret recipe is proven by the fact that all of his MMORPGs are still online and available and have not had to close so far. The expert possibly gives a hint in the interview about what we can expect from his new MMORPG: “A new MMO is coming from me” – The failed game about Warhammer brings genre veteran Jack Emmert back to Cryptic.
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!