In 2023, several promising MMOs and MMORPGs are on the horizon. We look at what to expect this year and which exciting titles are waiting for their release in 2023.
What is the general mood in 2023? Between 2015 and 2021, there was a prolonged phase where things looked rather bleak for fans of online games and MMORPGs, but from then on, some titles had a true surge.
- In September 2021, New World opened the world of Aeternum and managed to attract nearly over 900,000 players simultaneously on Steam. Even though the game was riddled with bugs and other annoyances, it has built quite a fanbase and is still unmissable in 2023.
- Smaller MMORPGs like Swords of Legends Online, Elyon, Fractured, and the long-awaited Crowfall also launched. Although Crowfall as well as Elyon are already shut down in 2023, there haven’t been this many MMORPG releases at once for a long time: a good sign.
- Anyone wanting to talk about MMOs and MMORPGs in recent years cannot bypass Lost Ark. With one of the highest player peaks on Steam of all time, the Korean Iso-MMO crashed into the West and can still impress a year after its release. Find out here what makes Lost Ark so lovable.
How is the list of games with the best prospects compiled? The list is a personal selection from our MMORPG author Mark Sellner. He has been writing about MMOs, MMORPGs, and multiplayer gems on MeinMMO since June 2021.
The selected titles mainly focus on those that are very likely or even certain to be released in 2023 and, according to the author’s assessment, can deliver on their promises. Therefore, games like Ashes of Creation, which are unlikely to release in 2023, are absent here.
The list follows no fixed order, and each game can be seen as the next highlight of 2023.
1. Throne and Liberty – Completely different from what was originally planned
Genre: Action-MMORPG | Platform: PC, Xbox Series, PS5 | Release: First half of 2023
This is Throne and Liberty: The story of Throne and Liberty goes back further than many other MMORPGs. The game was originally supposed to continue the famous Lineage series in the 2010s, which is a really big deal, especially in Korea.
Initially, the game was supposed to be released in an isometric perspective, similar to Diablo or Lost Ark, and be filled with monsters. However, during the development, NCSoft ultimately decided on a classic 3D view.
For a long time, Throne and Liberty was quiet, which by the way has only recently gotten its name. Before 2021, it was only called “Project TL”, and even earlier, it was called Lineage Eternal. After the MMORPG was originally supposed to be released at the end of 2022, it is now set for the first half of 2023.
As a reason for the delay, developer NCSoft states that they need to find a perfect partner for the release in the West, the game itself is actually already finished. This initially raises hopes for the title.
So far, the development has gone: Originally, Throne and Liberty was supposed to be something completely different than it is today. Announced in 2011 as Lineage Eternal, it aimed to lead the Lineage brand away from PC and towards more mobile devices. Eternal was meant to be playable on both devices.
The game was even far enough along that a Western release was planned for 2015, and 13 classes were confirmed for Throne and Liberty that would have aided you in the game.
At practically the last second, the Korean team from NCSoft canceled the release of TL. Eternal was no longer to be released. Instead, they announced a complete reboot called Project TL. The new project was supposed to not only use the then-new Unreal Engine 4, but also have new personnel in charge.
Subsequently, the game fell into a kind of development hell:
- Project TL was initially supposed to enter beta in 2018 and be released by 2019 at the latest, said the team back in May 2018.
- After that, there was no news about the MMORPG for about a year and a half. Some fans even wondered if the project was completely dead.
- In June 2021, NCSoft spoke up again. There would be large tests for TL in the second half of 2021. The game would also not only be released for PC but also for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- In November 2021, the official news came: Project TL is to be released worldwide simultaneously in the second half of 2022.
- In March 2022, Project TL was finally shown to fans. The name changed to Throne and Liberty and a completely new world was created, focusing on story, environment, and action.
- Since NCSoft had much more ideas for the world of Throne and Liberty, they presented the MMORPG Project E at the same time. This is supposed to complement TL in a few years and take place in the same world.
Although Project E will take longer to arrive, the first trailer looks quite nice:
This is Throne and Liberty at best: If everything goes well, Throne and Liberty will bring the long-missing innovation into the MMORPG genre. It could be an AAA blockbuster at a really high level that offers a completely immersive world.
Especially the focus on weather, which can actively change the world, could work beautifully and create a world that never stays the same. Furthermore, NCSoft is already known for developing grand and long-lasting MMORPGs. If the long wait pays off, Throne and Liberty could be more than just the MMORPG of the year 2023.
As Project E is already planned as a supplementary game, this could be a sign that the developers also want to go a long way with Throne and Liberty and therefore do a lot to make the game even stronger.
This is Throne and Liberty at worst: Even if it wasn’t necessarily bad, a second New World debacle could still be waiting for us. Behind New World also stand a lot of money and a big studio – that alone unfortunately does not guarantee a good game.
What can come in the way of the MMORPG are mainly potential technical problems and game mechanics that don’t translate well into reality as they might sound on paper. The long development time also raises doubts about whether the game will actually come to fruition.
This is planned for 2023: Since Throne and Liberty is supposed to be released in the second half of the year, it’s reasonable to expect that the marketing campaign for the upcoming MMORPG will ramp up soon. Accordingly, we anticipate public tests, betas, and additional trailers for the game.
Otherwise, the release is afoot, which we will, of course, follow for you on MeinMMO.
For even more details, we have summarized everything about Throne and Liberty in one article.
On the next page, we’ll discuss a “Genshin-MMORPG”
