MapleStory versus MapleStory 2
The MapleStory franchise from the South Korean publisher Nexon is one of the most successful MMORPGs of all time. Over 260 million players are said to have logged in since 2003 and the games have reportedly generated over 4 billion US dollars so far.
Of course, Nexon wants to continue milking this digital cash cow in the future and therefore released a sequel for the then 12-year-old MMORPG in 2015. Also hard monetized but with a third-person perspective and a Minecraft-esque look.
After successful initial years, MapleStory 2, however, saw a steady decline. The original was still too popular in Asia. For the West, it was considered too grindy, greedy, and naive (especially in terms of user data privacy rights). All this led to the end of part 2 in May 2025, while MapleStory has even seen increasing player numbers since then.
One of the trailers for MapleStory:
Lessons from the Past
These were just three examples that shed light on when a sequel for an MMORPG can make sense and when it cannot.
When does a sequel for an MMORPG make sense?
- When a game is so outdated and has fundamental design issues that continuing the service hardly makes sense. With a more modern restart, you can start fresh and address a younger target audience or a new generation of players.
- If done cleverly, as with Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, you can build on the foundation that part 1 has created and thus take the fan base along and gradually expand it.
- MMORPGs are best when they have a vibrant community. At the same time, it is in the nature of the matter that player numbers gradually shrink over the years. A sequel can give a dormant brand a boost with its launch, conquer new markets, and restore (old) relevance – see Final Fantasy XIV.
When does a sequel for an MMORPG not make sense?
- If the predecessor is to remain live and function as a service, but the sequel does not clearly stand out from part 1 and thus targets the same audience – leading both games to cannibalize each other.
- If the original has a community that is so connected to the game that it is only possible to lure them to the successor with enormous effort or by closing the old servers – see MapleStory.
Simply setting aside the predecessor with the release of part 2… what sounds like a simple solution is often a financial shot in the foot. On the one hand, many established MMORPGs achieve solid to very good revenues over decades.
One would have to forgo this without the assurance that the successor can sustainably succeed in the tough competitive environment of service games. One must not forget how expensive and lengthy (and thus risky) it is to develop an MMORPG.
On the other hand, one quickly alienates the remaining community of the original, which one would likely not want to lose as paying customers.
Why has there never been a World of Warcraft 2?
WoW may have been around for over 20 years, but it remains one of the most played service games in the world. Therefore, Blizzard currently has no reason to take the servers offline or to compete with a second part.
Game Director Ion Hazzikostas agrees, who stated in an interview at the end of 2024 that there is currently no reason to deal with WoW 2:
Theoretically, at some distant point in the future, this could be a question we seriously consider. But at the present time, we have a large, vibrant, and growing community that we are eager to support.
The Sequels of the Future
When it comes to the most exciting MMORPGs of the future, several sequels are on the list:
- Aion 2: Current prestige project from NCsoft, with 300 developers working on it and is expected to be released in the home market in 2025. More info: The biggest MMORPG release for 2025 has just collapsed. The first Aion is still playable, but hardly relevant.
- ArcheAge Chronicles: ArcheAge Chronicles will focus more on the western market than its predecessor and therefore offer extensive PvE and story content that can be tackled solo or with small groups . The release is planned for 2026. The first ArcheAge is now offline.
- Guild Wars 3: During an investor call, NCsoft simply dropped the info that ArenaNet is working on a new Guild Wars title. Development is still in its early stages, and therefore a release is a long way off.
Additionally, there is the already mentioned EverQuest project, which is more of a reboot of part 1 and is expected to be released in 2028.
Which MMORPG would you love to see a sequel to? Which already released MMORPG sequel disappointed you? Let us know in the comments! And what would a MMORPG have to offer in general to make fans excited again? Here is the personal answer from MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz: If someone announces such an MMORPG, I will take a front seat on the hype train
- 1
- 2
