Place 5 – Lost Ark
Developer: Smilegate | Platform: PC | Release Date: February 11, 2022 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Lost Ark is a Korean MMORPG that, while reminiscent of Diablo in gameplay, is a full-fledged MMORPG. You create a character and enter the world of Arkesia, which you view from an isometric perspective.
You can choose from 25 different classes, which can be played either as damage dealers or supporters.
While you explore a lot in the early and mid-game, complete quests, and follow the story, in the endgame, almost everything revolves around grinding for better equipment. For that, you spend a lot of time in dungeons and raids.
A major strength of Lost Ark is its raids. These become extremely challenging at the highest levels and can only be mastered with a lot of practice. You need to master your character perfectly and memorize the abilities of the bosses. A new raid has already been announced that is supposed to be even harder than anything before.
Why is it still relevant? Lost Ark is the largest MMORPG in Korea and is also very popular among us in the West. Even today, around 35,000 players log in daily (via SteamDB).
There are also regular updates, including new classes, continents, and instances.
However, interest has noticeably declined recently. While it would have placed third earlier this year, Lost Ark is now falling behind Black Desert in June and July.
Who should check this out? Lost Ark is interesting for all fans of action and fast-paced battles. The crisp duels are the highlight of the MMORPG. It doesn’t matter whether you beat your way through hordes of weak monsters with powerful skills or take on a massive Legion Commander with eight players.
The combat system is always precise, feels extremely good, and doesn’t get boring even after thousands of hours. Thus, it is clearly the highlight of Lost Ark. For fans of completionist tasks and interesting stories, Lost Ark is also exciting, as it offers an extremely wide array of content through the continents and islands.
So, if you don’t mind the endgame grind and if the hunt for the constantly better character can motivate you in the long term, Lost Ark is one of the best MMORPGs currently available.
Place 4 – Guild Wars 2
Developer: ArenaNet | Platform: PC | Release Date: August 28, 2012 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is this? Guild Wars 2 is an MMORPG perfect for casual players. It impresses with its beautiful game world, where you are rewarded for exploring and discovering. This includes challenging jumping puzzles, hidden treasures, dynamic events, or beautifully scenic viewpoints.
During character creation, you have the choice among 9 different classes and 5 races, with no restrictions in this regard. With your character, you level up to level 80 and can still use the older areas because you are dynamically scaled down and still have a challenging task.
In the mid- and endgame, dungeons, boss instances, and raids await PvE fans, while PvP players can focus on arenas or the world-versus-world mode.
Guild Wars 2 shines with a combat system that combines action and tab-targeting. You must actively dodge attacks and can place AoE effects, but you can also target enemies bluntly like in WoW and bombard them with your abilities.
Why is it still relevant? Guild Wars 2 celebrated a great success in 2022 with End of Dragons and was even able to significantly increase its player numbers. Following that, updates were made to close a larger gap in the story, which caused interest to taper off a bit.
Now, in August, a new expansion called Secrets of the Obscure is set to be released, which has rekindled interest. Looking only at the past 30 days, GW2 would even move up to third place.
Even outside of the expansion, Guild Wars 2 is always worth a look. It is the best MMORPG for players with little time and, thanks to the lack of subscription fees, also serves well as a secondary game next to another major title.
Who should check this out? Guild Wars 2 is worth it for MMORPG newcomers and players who value a good story and enjoy exploring worlds. Fans of mass PvP battles or solo players will find plenty to enjoy here.
Anyone who is a fan of open-world PvP should stay away from Guild Wars 2, as should those who can’t get excited about exploration or those who like to optimize their equipment. Because once you have your perfect gear in GW2, you never have to grind for new gear again.
If you are wondering whether the entry is worth it, we have explained it here in detail: Is it still worth starting with Guild Wars 2 in 2023?
Place 3 – The Elder Scrolls Online
Developer: ZeniMax | Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia | Release Date: April 4, 2014 | Model: Buy2Play
What kind of game is this? The Elder Scrolls Online is the first MMORPG that can climb the podium. It aims to combine the classic experience of the Elder Scrolls series with the virtues of an MMORPG and is very successful in doing so.
As a result, you will recognize many areas, races, and stories if you have traveled in Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. ESO focuses on significant gameplay freedom and an exciting story that takes center stage.
However, MMORPG fans get their money’s worth as well, with regular new dungeons, raids, or PvP, where battlefields or the vast Cyrodiil are available. In Cyrodiil, for example, you fight in large battles between the three playable factions for forts – similar to the world-versus-world aspect of Guild Wars 2.
ESO features an action combat system that requires you to block, dodge, and aim with your abilities.
Why is it still relevant? In 2023, the new expansion Necrom was released, which also introduced a new class. The Arcanist alone attracted much attention because it provided a fresh challenge for both new players and veterans.
Additionally, ESO made headlines by breaking the regular patch rhythm. Instead of concluding the story at the end of the year with a DLC, the story in Necrom is self-contained. At the end of the year, a new dungeon feature is expected to arrive.
Who should check this out? Players looking for good, voiced stories or who do not want to grind in the endgame will get their fill with ESO. Even the latest expansion can be experienced from level 1. Because there are new sets but no new gear tiers released, you will also save a lot of grinding.
ESO is the ideal MMORPG for solo players because it has a great story, and you rarely need help from other players. In 2021, companions were also introduced, NPCs that can fill roles like tank or healer. This lets you accomplish everything without needing help from other players aside from group dungeons and raids.
Also positive is the console version of the game. It’s well implemented and usually receives updates only a few days after the PC version. This makes ESO one of the best MMORPGs for PS5 or Xbox Series X/S.
Place 2 – Final Fantasy XIV
Developer: Square Enix | Platform: PC, Mac, PS4, PS5 | Release Date: August 3, 2013 | Model: Pay2Play
What kind of game is this? Final Fantasy XIV has been a good game since its rebirth in A Realm Reborn and has improved with every expansion. This MMORPG centers around an engaging and emotional story, which is among the best in the genre.
By now, you can enjoy dozens of hours of story, numerous areas, challenging dungeons and raids, and a strong crafting system. Fans of other Final Fantasy titles will especially enjoy it, as the imaginative world is filled with familiar characters, Easter eggs, and Chocobos.
However, MMORPG veterans should not underestimate the game. With its 8 races and now 19 different jobs – classes that you can switch and level anytime with one character – you have the choice of various playstyles. With these, you can learn challenging rotations to compete for the best loot in the raids.
Why is it still relevant? At the end of 2021, the current expansion Endwalker was released, which even led to temporary server overloads. Just a few weeks ago, the content was supplemented with another patch. However, the addon cycle is coming to an end, which is why interest is increasing again.
In July 2023, the first information about the next expansion is expected to be released, which is anticipated for 2024.
However, solely due to the large player numbers, the MMORPG remains omnipresent. It is one of the largest MMORPGs on Twitch and has a massive following, especially in Japan.
Who should check this out? Final Fantasy XIV is primarily aimed at fans of JRPGs. It contains an Asian style with races having cat ears or tails, a colorful game world, and a deep story with many cutscenes. The story is a focus during the level process.
In the endgame, however, it also appeals to players who want to experience challenging dungeons and raids but don’t want to play WoW or Lost Ark.
Casual players can also engage in side activities such as housing, composing their own songs, mini-games, or the island paradise.
Place 1 – World of Warcraft
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment | Platform: PC, Mac | Release Date: November 23, 2004 | Model: Pay2Play
What kind of game is this? World of Warcraft is the most famous and popular MMORPG in Europe and North America. It offers content for every type of player, whether you’re PvE, PvP, solo, or group player.
The nine expansions have constantly brought new content. You can create your character from 13 different classes and 16 different races. With this character, you follow an exciting story that is told through quests and beautiful cinematics. You traverse dozens of areas that you can explore in the open world.
With the Shadowlands expansion, the leveling process was revamped, allowing you to play up to level 70 again in the current Dragonflight.
In the mid- and endgame, you can expect dungeons, raids, dangerous world bosses, and, of course, PvP battles. The MMORPG employs a comic graphics style that has been periodically beautified over the years but is still somewhat dated.
Why is it still relevant? Since its release over 18 years ago, World of Warcraft has consistently dominated the MMORPG charts at number 1. It is therefore not surprising that it also has the largest spike in Google Trends.
However, initial interest in the latest expansion, Dragonflight, was not that great, as Blizzard catered to fans with a strong overhaul of the crafting system and talents, as well as a better update structure than in the previous four expansions.
This way, Dragonflight keeps the WoW flag flying high even 9 months after its release.
Who should check this out? WoW offers something for every type of player. Whether solo players, fans of instances, or hardcore PvPers, everyone can find something for themselves. All players also benefit from the strong story and the large community of the MMORPG.
Anyone nostalgic for the old times can turn to WoW Classic, where a slightly adjusted version from 2005 and a remake of Wrath of the Lich King are available. The handy aspect is that you only need one subscription to use all three versions.
What do you think of the ranking? Are there surprises or is every position as you expected? And which MMORPG do you play the most?
If you’re interested in the best MMORPGs according to our editorial team, you’ll find it here:
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