We look at the best new MMOs and MMORPGs that we expect in 2022 and beyond in Germany. What games have announced their betas or releases for the coming months, and which gems of online games can we count on?
This is the situation: There was a long drought between 2015 and 2020, during which no new major MMORPG was released for years, and online role-playing games were constantly postponed. But 2021 was a year in which several long-awaited projects celebrated their release:
- The biggest release was New World in September 2021. The game proved that an MMORPG can still become huge and dominate the gaming discussion. But it also demonstrated how quickly such hype can fade away.
- In addition, the MMORPG Crowfall was released in 2021, which fans had been waiting for many years. The MMORPG fizzled on release. Alongside it, Swords of Legends Online was released, which would have been a highlight in other years, and Elyon is a game for fans of Asian MMORPGs like TERA.
- For 2022, the release of several other major titles is on the horizon: It seems to be a year of “Action-MMORPGs” in isometric perspective. This trend from Asia is now also arriving in Europe. We discussed this in detail in our MeinMMO podcast: .
How is the list of promising games put together? The list is a selection from our author Gerd Schuhmann. Since 2014, he has overseen the major online games at MeinMMO.
The selected games are those online games and MMORPGs that are set to be released in 2022 or at least be playable in an alpha/beta state, which he considers to be the most relevant games, and from which an interesting turn is expected in 2022.
A game like Star Citizen, which has been in continuous development for years and has not announced a peak for 2022, therefore does not appear on the list.
Crimson Desert – Focus on Story and Campaign
Genre: Open World Action-Adventure | Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X | Release: Uncertain
This is Crimson Desert: Crimson Desert was initially planned as the new “flagship” MMORPG by Pearl Abyss. The South Koreans have earned millions with Black Desert, especially with the mobile version, and are investing the money into a new engine and new games. In the meantime, Crimson Desert has become an “Open World Action-Adventure” with an additional multiplayer mode.
Crimson Desert is specifically aimed at the West and wants to offer a story campaign and more PvE content than the PvP-heavy predecessor Black Desert.
The player is supposed to lead a mercenary band. The aesthetics are reminiscent, not coincidentally, of Game of Thrones.
A special feature is that the player will play the fixed hero “Macduff” in the single-player part. However, in the multiplayer part of the game “Another Journey,” the player can create their own character.
Pearl Abyss wants to offer versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X in addition to a PC version. The goal is for Crimson Desert to reach as many platforms as possible.
A release of Crimson Desert was originally planned for the 4th quarter of 2021.
However, in July 2021, it became known that Crimson Desert will no longer be released in 2021. The release date was postponed to give the game “more time”. Pearl Abyss wants to introduce new ideas to the game.
There is currently no release date for Crimson Desert.
How has the development of Crimson Desert gone so far?
- It has been known for some time that Pearl Abyss is working on a new engine, on which all future games are to be released. The engine from Black Desert is now considered outdated by the Korean MMORPG specialists.
- In August 2019, it was said that Pearl Abyss is planning a new major MMORPG that particularly focuses on the Western market.
- In November 2019, Crimson Desert was revealed with a first trailer.
- In 2020, Pearl Abyss announced that they would move away from “pure MMORPG” and focus more on single-player. It was even said that Crimson Desert is “its own genre.” While the concept sounds like Red Dead Online: Single-player with a fixed character – multiplayer then with one’s own.
- In July 2021, it was said that the game was well received in the first feedback, but still needed longer in development.
- A teaser of what the game will look like was given by Pearl Abyss with a trailer for DokeV. The MMO is aimed at children but already thrilled with its graphics at Gamescom 2021.
This is Crimson Desert at best: So far, it sounds like a game with a linear story, like Red Dead Redemption 2. The NPCs are expected to play an important role. But MMORPG aspects such as mass battles and trade are also expected to be included.
At best, story fans will receive a good, long campaign, while the endgame will lean towards MMORPG and offer the opportunity to play interesting PvE content.
Pearl Abyss has greatly developed Black Desert so far, which can also be expected for Crimson Desert. For now, the game looks strong and “next-gen” in screenshots.
This is Crimson Desert at worst: It is still not clear how the gameplay will work and what the activities after the story will look like.
Apparently, Pearl Abyss wants to develop an open-world action-adventure for Western console players that also offers multiplayer elements, a game similar to Red Dead Redemption 2 or The Elder Scrolls Online.
Whether Koreans can really meet the tastes of Westerners is still open. In the worst case, Crimson Desert would likely be a blockbuster game with an attached online component that offers little long-term motivation once the campaign is completed.
Here you can find the latest information on Crimson Desert.
