It is time for our MeinMMO format “MMORPG News in 5 Minutes”. We summarize the most important news about the best genre in the world. You can expect creator drama, a successful German MMORPG on Xbox, the battle for New World, and more.
Highlights of the week:
- The end of New World is supposed to happen as early as January 2027. But players’ hopes are resting on a sale. What it takes and how the chances stand is explained by a former developer. In the meantime, further updates for the MMORPG are being released.
- World of Warcraft is changing if you continue the campaign starting this week. Midnight is upon Azeroth.
- Josh Strife Hayes is considered a smart MMO expert on YouTube and Twitch. For a series of sponsored videos, he had to justify himself to part of his community.
- Albion Online is not only receiving a graphics update, but it will also be released on April 21, 2026, for a new platform, namely the Xbox. Thanks to the Free2Play model and cross-progression, you can easily play your existing characters there. All further details regarding the Xbox premiere of the most successful MMORPG from Germany since Tibia can be found on albiononline.com.
What else has happened? A lot of Crimson Desert. The new game from the creators of Black Desert is not an MMORPG, but it has many strengths of its quasi-predecessor – such as in combat system, graphics, and plethora of features. You can find the report from MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz here.
What does the future hold for ESO? We will know soon!
What happened with the major MMORPGs:
- The bosses in World of Warcraft were too weak. Therefore, Blizzard corrected it, making dungeons and raids harder, in line with the start of the season.
- In World of Warcraft, you can fail at the World First Race – in a funny way. Method 1: Forget to pay the WoW subscription.
- A guild has secured one of the coveted first kills in World of Warcraft during the World-First Race. In doing so, they clearly show what they think of Blizzard.
- World of Warcraft finally as an animated series. A new video fuels fans’ hopes and brings tears.
- A personal Xal’atath in the bedroom – for some fans of World of Warcraft a dream. One could fulfill it for quite a small amount of money. Speaking of which: Priests are currently receiving messages from Xal’atath again.
- The worst trinket of all time is a reputation you have to work hard for in World of Warcraft. One trinket is working hard on it.
- On March 31, 2026, at 9 PM, the ESO 2026 Seasons Direct will take place, discussing the future of the Elder Scrolls MMORPG. Where? On Twitch! Additionally, from April 2 to April 15, the 2026 game anniversary will be running, with an experience points buff and special rewards. You can find information about the event on elderscrollsonline.com.
- Final Fantasy XIV is receiving an increased age rating in Japan with the next patch. This is not due to the battles or the story, it is due to the photos players take of their characters.
- The update from March 26 for Black Desert brought improvements to the world map UI, the removal of the Godes Eye weapons, and more. You can find the patch notes at playblackdesert.com.
Guild Wars 2 is one of the most extensive and popular MMORPGs of our time. But is it worth starting or returning to in 2026, around 14 years after its release? We will tell you in the following, but also feel free to visit the MeinMMO YouTube channel!
What happened with the smaller MMORPGs:
- Pax Dei has received its spring update, featuring improved inventory management, player duels, map improvements, and more. You can find the patch notes among others on Steam.
- With Havenhythe, a new region has appeared in RuneScape, with a story that is set to unfold throughout the entire year of 2026. You can find out everything about it on runescape.com and via the trailer on YouTube.
- RuneScape is also launching its annual Easter event. PvP fans can look forward to quality of life improvements as well. There have been optimizations for the mobile client. The patch notes? On runescape.com.
- Reign of Guilds has also received a new update, with a new island. Those who take big risks there will be able to claim more valuable rewards. The teleportation system has also been revised. And there is now an eternal siege mechanic for the castle of Maenboff County. All details can be found in the patch notes on Steam.
- In Neverwinter, the April Fowls event is running until April 2, 2026. Look forward to two new rewards, including a mechanical goose mount. Pictures of the mount and the patch notes can be found
- After the difficult launch in February 2026, the player numbers and ratings of The Quinfall are slowly rising. This is mainly due to the many updates that have been released in recent weeks. Brand new: Patch 1.0.0.22. The patch notes are available at Steam.
- For the 16th anniversary, Star Trek Online has released a new video over 14 minutes long on YouTube and announced a special Enterprise bundle with 4 starships.
- For EverQuest II, Update 131 titled “Gerion’s Reckoning” has been released. Look forward to new dungeon and raid challenges. The patch notes are as usual on everquest2.com. You can also watch the official trailer as provided below and on YouTube:
What happened with the MMORPGs in development:
- Even before the release in the West, Aion 2 is receiving a major update for its classes and balance. The developers want to make the MMORPG and its classes more unique.
- With EverQuest Legends, a project has been announced that aims to bring back and improve the classic EverQuest experience from 1999. And you won’t have to wait long.
- On the night of March 23 to March 24, panic broke out in the MMO community. According to a leaker, the LoL MMORPG is supposed to have been canceled, but the situation is not that clear.
- The new MMORPG Never Wither features a wild class system with interesting power fantasies and also focuses on survival and PvP. How this all fits together is something the developers want you to experience soon on Steam.
- On April 10, 2026, a public playtest for the 2.5D MMORPG Etherwind will take place on Steam. The project is being handled by a solo developer.
We have summarized the most important things that have recently happened in the world of MMORPGs.
What were you excited about this week? What annoyed you? Let us know in the comments. If you are looking for an overview of the history of online role-playing games, you will find it in this comprehensive special: The History of MMORPGs – From Habitat to Throne and Liberty, and everything in between