MMORPGs – at least on PC – have been considered a rather declining genre for years. They are among the most challenging and expensive games overall and simultaneously require much time and effort from the players. However, looking into the future, it looks surprisingly promising, finds MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch.
The years 2014 to 2021 were tough for MMORPG fans:
- On the one hand, players had to say goodbye to some favorites forever, such as Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Warhammer Online, or Wildstar.
- On the other hand, only a few new and really good games were released. The highlights were Asian games, such as Black Desert, or remakes of old games, like WoW Classic.
It seemed as if the glorious time of MMORPGs, initiated by WoW in 2004, was finally over. This was probably also due to WoW itself failing to excite fans even with expansions like Battle for Azeroth, Legion, and Shadowlands.
There was a slight trend reversal in 2021/22 with the releases of New World and Lost Ark. However, neither were typical games for WoW fans; instead, they captivated a different target audience with their unique combat systems and dark worlds.
But looking a bit further into the future, I have great hope for the genre. Many of the recently announced MMORPGs have either innovative ideas or big names behind them – and that’s exactly what was missing.
In fact, I believe that the future has never looked better than it does now.
Many Asian games, a lot of PvP, and no big names
From 2014 to 2021, there were numerous new MMORPGs, but they all struggled with similar issues. Most games simply lacked a special feature, a unique selling point. This could be innovative ideas, particularly beautiful graphics, or at least a big name.
However, it was mostly Asian games that, while experiencing hype beforehand – like Bless and Revelation Online – ultimately disappointed many. The same game principle and often interchangeable graphics and PvP at endgame describe many of the – from a Western perspective – failures.
But the next 5 to 7 years look significantly brighter. Because there are both big names and innovative ideas.
Two big franchises are now getting MMORPGs
The greatest hope, in my opinion, is the MMORPG set in the League of Legends universe by Riot Games. The company has created an exciting world with Runeterra, has years of experience in running live games, and simply enough money to invest in the project.
With Ghostcrawler, they also have an excellent lead who is himself an active MMORPG player and takes endgame very seriously. We can expect many PvE contents and challenging instances.
Simply because the name League of Legends is involved, the title must be taken seriously. However, it is not the only one associated with a major franchise.
Currently, NCSoft is reportedly working on a new MMORPG in the world of Horizon: Zero Dawn. The game has not yet been officially confirmed, but Sony has been interested in a multiplayer title for the series for a long time. With the Korean studio NCSoft (Lineage, Aion, Blade & Soul), they would have a solid partner for the project.
Here, we must await the exact details, but the potential is huge, as Horizon shines with a great world and various movement options that could also fit into an MMORPG.
Another small ray of hope is the upcoming MMO by Zenimax, which is said to receive a completely new IP. Zenimax has already proven with ESO that they can build a solid MMORPG. However, there is currently too little information, aside from the fact that it has reportedly been in development for several years. Therefore, I only consider the title as a bonus.
As a bonus, one could also mention the upcoming MMO for Dune, which is expected to be more of a survival game than a classic MMORPG.
Two new MMORPGs score with innovations
Big names are one thing, innovations are another. And I am most excited about Palia. Palia is an MMORPG focused on the activities you usually perceive as side tasks.
You build a house, make social connections, fish, and cook. Because in Palia, fighting plays a minor role. Only during the hunt for meat and on smaller adventure trips will you have to engage in combat. Otherwise, much of it is reminiscent of Animal Crossing, which is a very successful game series.
Moreover, it advertises that it wants to be the fairest free-to-play game.
Palia may not appeal to hardcore raiders or PvP players, but even among MMORPG players, there are fans of cozy gaming sessions and role play. Additionally, Palia can bring a completely new target audience into the genre. That alone makes it interesting.
Going in the completely opposite direction is Ashes of Creation. Here, the focus is on battles against giant world bosses and other players. New is the node system, where players can level areas and improve cities. At the same time, there are wars over these cities.
Ashes of Creation is the dream of a gamer who used to enjoy playing ArcheAge but found too many elements there that he didn’t like. Steven Sharif is, however, a millionaire and, therefore, began financing his dream MMORPG.
Currently, dozens of developers are working on the game, and it is among the most anticipated MMORPGs ever.
Moreover, there is another MMORPG for sandbox fans that sounds very interesting: ArcheAge 2. The first shown gameplay makes a strong impression.
The biggest uncertainty factor is, however, the payment model, as the first ArcheAge already had huge problems in the west. Therefore, it is again only a “bonus title” on this list.
Two MMORPGs will be released in 2023 and could hardly be more different
For those who do not want to wait until 2025 or even longer, you can already look forward to 2023. Two small highlights await you there.
Throne and Liberty will be an action MMORPG focusing on large boss fights and battles for fortresses. It has so far impressed primarily with the idea of a dynamic weather system, many movement options like flying, swimming, and a grappling hook, as well as large battles for fortresses.
The first gameplay looks graphically good. However, it is currently not completely clear how strong the influence of PvP will be. It might break the series of failures from Asia (Bless, Bless Unleashed, Elyon, etc.) simply because a large company like NCSoft is behind it, which wants to succeed in the west again.
The other title, which will at least be released in Japan in 2023, is Blue Protocol. It is an anime MMORPG focusing on story and PvE.
You can choose from 5 classes, follow a captivating story, and complete dungeons and raids in the endgame. There is also a crafting system that is expected to be important for upgrading your equipment. Because there will not be classic armor drops.
Blue Protocol also forgoes PvP. There will be neither open-world combat nor arenas. However, anyone who still wants to compare themselves with others will have a leaderboard for the fastest dungeon runs.
However, with this MMORPG, it is unclear when and how the game will be released in the west. Currently, there’s only talk of “spring 2023” for Japan. However, new information about it is expected at the Game Awards on December 8th.
So much potential like never before in 13 years
Since 2014, it has somehow looked bleak for MMORPGs. There was a feeling that developers were avoiding the genre because the chance of failure was too high. There were also prominent examples, such as ESO, which had to be completely rebuilt, or Wildstar, which was shut down.
All that remained was hope for a good Asian game. However, only Black Desert could convince in the long term.
Although many of the titles listed here will still be in development for a few years, it sounds for the first time in years as if MMORPGs have a chance for a second spring.
Because all the titles mentioned here have potential, provided they are well implemented. Recently, I was as excited about the future in 2009 when Guild Wars 2, SWTOR, and ESO were developed simultaneously.
On top of that, there are also a few indie games that sound at least exciting on paper, such as War of Dragnorox, where the gameplay is dynamically changed by game masters or Corepunk, which is heading towards a LoL MMORPG.
If someone had given me this list of new MMORPGs in 2016, I would have gladly accepted it.
What do you think about the future of the genre? Which titles do you expect the most from, and which seem less interesting?
This list provides an overview of all MMORPGs expected to be released in 2023:
