The MMORPG Runes of Magic by Gameforge was a big hit almost a decade ago, but is now hardly relevant. Nevertheless, this MMORPG veteran wants to make a fresh start on Steam. Will it go well?
What is Runes of Magic? Runes of Magic (RoM) is a Free2Play online role-playing game that was released in 2009 and, for a brief period, was the most well-known free alternative to WoW.
At that time, it was extremely successful and gained over 300,000 players during the beta. By 2010, there were around 4 million registered players. Of those, according to Wikipedia, about half a million were actively engaged. Additionally, the game was awarded multiple times back then, initially praised highly and constantly advertised on German television.
And what happened then? Unfortunately, it didn’t stop with the initial success. Frustration quickly set in. This was due in part to buggy and insufficient content, a scandal concerning data protection, and perceived Pay2Win elements from the cash shop.
Another niche MMO: Runes of Magic continued to run in the following years, but at a simmer. The last video from the developers was released on YouTube in 2017. Nevertheless, a core group of fans remained who particularly appreciated the profound, complex gameplay and the system of multiple classes. This core group of Runes of Magic players could soon find themselves in company again.
Relaunch on Steam!
In June 2018, an unexpected announcement came: Runes of Magic is set to launch on Steam! This announcement immediately led to an excited discussion. Some players found it completely absurd to drag a “dead” game onto Steam.
You still need skill! Other players defended the relaunch. After all, you still need talent and skill for an old-school MMORPG like Runes of Magic. There’s still real depth to it. So, let’s have that Steam release!
Only with new servers, please!
However, most interested players agree: If Runes of Magic is to launch on Steam, new servers are a must. Newcomers should have the chance to start well in the world and not lose courage in face of experienced veterans and their progress.
Developers promise new servers for everyone! Indeed, the developers of Runes of Magic seem to think alike. In a post on the Steam forum, new servers have already been announced. However, these are not only for Steam players. Users of the regular version should also be able to play there.
Where is the game?
Players are getting impatient: In the first announcement on June 20, it was mentioned that Runes of Magic was supposed to be released in July 2018. A month has passed since then, and nothing is here yet. Some players are slowly losing their patience and threaten to kick the game off their wishlist.
But at least the displeasure and a thread over 10 pages long in the Steam forum show that some players are indeed interested in the MMORPG veteran. So, it remains exciting.
