These 7 MMORPGs were already really successful before WoW

EVE Online

Release: May 6, 2003 | Platform: PC, macOS | Setting: SciFi | Developer, Publisher: CCP Games | Here’s the official website of EVE Online

Anyone who has ever played the space MMORPG EVE Online knows that you either play it entirely or not at all. EVE Online can keep its players engaged for hours in the sandbox and constantly offers the choice between risk and reward. When a spaceship is destroyed, it is gone forever. Many players probably spent more time in Excel than in the game itself, since 2023, there is even an Excel integration for the MMORPG.

Even though the game is older than World of Warcraft, it still impresses with incredible space battles involving thousands of players. This often leads to the destruction of fleet armadas worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

EVE Online is also a sort of genre pioneer for sandbox MMORPGs. The developers do not set many rules, but let the players write the stories. Some later titles have borrowed a bit from this concept.

EverQuest

Release: March 16, 1999 | Platform: PC | Setting: Fantasy | Developer, Publisher: Darkpaw Games, Daybreak | Here’s the official website of EverQuest

The MMORPG EverQuest holds almost the same significance as World of Warcraft when it comes to MMORPG standards. The game is also considered the spiritual predecessor of World of Warcraft and was even the largest MMORPG before World of Warcraft entered the scene. Even the developers of World of Warcraft played it extensively.

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25 years after its release, EverQuest continues to receive updates and expansions. The 31st expansion of the MMORPG, “The Outer Brood,” is set to be released in December 2024. According to the developers, their game is still so popular today because it is so hard. Players want the “Dark Souls” experience and thus play the genre classic.

World of Warcraft remains one of the most significant MMORPGs in the world to this day. Since the game’s launch, the MMORPG has continuously evolved, introducing not only new content but also many characters and stories. If you want to find out what has happened in the history since the launch of World of Warcraft, then check it out here: The story of World of Warcraft to this day – all the lore summarized