There was once an official MMORPG for Warhammer. Or rather: there is, because unofficial servers are still running after many years. MeinMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus has taken a look at Return of Reckoning and feels like he is in a history lesson that you can touch.
I have said it before and I am happy to say it again: In a perfect world, the largest MMORPG today would be World of Warhammer. I have a deep connection to Warcraft, but Warhammer is more mature, darker, and dirtier. Things that I appreciate much more today.
In 2008 there was an attempt to launch Warhammer Online as a competitor to World of Warcraft. The MMORPG had a similar structure, with two factions (Order against Chaos), races, classes, and a very similar control scheme. Unfortunately, it did not last long.
By 2013, the servers were shut down again – at least the official ones. Because just a few months later, in July 2014, a few fans started unofficial private servers, which are still running today. Return of Reckoning is the project and receives regular updates.
For a long time, I postponed a visit, simply because MMORPGs consume so much time. But Return of Reckoning is different. For me, it is not just a game I play, but a playable history from one of the best fantasy worlds of all time.
Return of Reckoning is the world of Warhammer to touch and explore
I don’t want to bore you with my entire gaming experience, especially since I have only managed to play a few hours so far. Most of the time I simply hang out in the world and admire the surroundings.
As a Druchii player, I am particularly taken by the world of Dark Elves. Just to explain: Return of Reckoning is divided into campaigns and chapters. Depending on which race you play, you have a different story ahead of you.
As a Dark Elf, you start right in the war with the High Elves somewhere in Ulthuan. After a few lore-correct kill quests, I come to a place that amazes me every time I log in: a black ark. These are the ships of the Dark Elves, or rather: floating cities.
I knew these barges were huge, but I didn’t expect them to be of such absurd size. The ark is no less impressive than the entrance to Icecrown Citadel in World of Warcraft, and you discover it right at the beginning:
Right next to it, there are a few buildings of the High Elves, whose architecture I know pretty well from Total War: Warhammer 3, but have never been able to see up close. For the nerds among you, a few other places you can visit are:
- Altdorf, even as a proper capital – there is a good video on YouTube with a tour of the city
- Praag
- Karaz-A-Karak
- Karak Eight Peaks
During this week, you can expect exciting articles every day around the topic of MMORPGs. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic throwbacks, streaming evenings, interviews, columns, and analyses.
Here is the program for MeinMMO’s big MMORPG theme week 2025
Lore-accurate classes feel much cooler than the RPG standard
Return of Reckoning actually caught my interest right at character creation. Sure, the graphics are very outdated. Unlike WoW, Return of Reckoning has never received a graphics update and still looks like it is from 2008.
But the class selection blew me away. There are classic archetypes like the “ranged fighter”, a “light melee fighter” or a “healer”, so in the end tank, rogue, mage, hunter or whatever.
But all classes have their own designation, and it is different for each race – and fits the respective lore:
- “Rogues” of humans are Witch Hunters/Inquisitors; those of High Elves are the White Lions of Chrace
- dwarves have Ironbreakers as tanks, while High Elves have Swordmasters of Hoeth, and the Black Orcs are at the front with Greenskins
- The Empire offers Fire Wizards, while Chaos provides a daemon-summoning Magus.
- Dwarves, who cannot use magic, heal through Rune Priests, while the Empire relies on Sigmar Priests
- There are some peculiarities: Dwarves have Slayers who are exclusively male and Machinists as ranged fighters. Among the Dark Elves, there are Witch Elves exclusively for female characters
Most classes still follow certain archetypes, but they all have special mechanics and are only somewhat comparable to their counterparts in other races. That is the diversity I love about Warhammer.
More a museum than a game – in several ways
Return of Reckoning is still actively played, but the majority of players are at endgame. In particular, PvP is an important part of the game and belongs to the world, but in this case, organically. The open areas blend in so well that PvP – outside of dedicated battles – is rarely noticeable.
Otherwise, players are constantly looking for companions for dungeons and such in the global chats – but at a high level. This means: while leveling, you won’t encounter many other players, rather none.
Here you can sign up for Return of Reckoning.
Return of Reckoning is still worth it in 2025, as our MMORPG expert Karsten Scholz has pointed out. And it is true, but you should prepare to spend the first hours solo or be carried through.
So either you go off alone and explore the world – like I did – or you take a few friends with you and set off as a group. In any case, however, Return of Reckoning is immensely worthwhile if you want to explore the world of Warhammer without having to rely on dry lore books. You can find more tips here: Warhammer has more to offer than just the dark world of 40,000 – Here are the 5 best games for Warhammer Fantasy
