Fractured Online
Genre: MMORPG | Developer: Dynamight Studios | Platform: PC | Release: July 24, 2024 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is it? The sandbox MMORPG has undergone turbulent years. After the closed beta in September 2022, development had to return internally because there were issues with the backend platform of a third-party provider.
In April 2023, it was announced that they would part ways with publisher gamigo. Five months later, the comeback with the early access version on Steam arrived. In July 2024, the final launch occurred.
In Fractured Online, you can expect a dynamic open world with day and night cycles, crafting, trading, guilds, action-packed battles, PvP events, and city management.
The early access trailer for Fractured Online:
That’s why I believe Fractured won’t make it: Since the return to Steam, user reviews have been mixed and player numbers are low. Even the transition from a Buy2Play to a Free2Play model, as well as the start of the first season in November 2024, hardly changed anything.
The stark numbers from steamdb.info:
- The all-time peak for over two years is 1,515 concurrent active players
- Before the Free2Play transition, there were fewer than 30 players concurrently online on Steam
- After the Free2Play transition, it was briefly possible to scale the number up to 386 concurrent active players
- Currently, there are fewer than 70 at the 24-hour peak
This is far too little to earn enough money with a Free2Play payment model to be able to provide an MMORPG with new content in the long term.
RIFT
Genre: MMORPG | Developer: Trion Worlds | Platform: PC | Release Date: March 1, 2011 | Model: Free2Play
What kind of game is it? Rift is a genre oldie that has been around for almost 14 years and enjoys the reputation of being one of the few MMORPGs to have had a nearly problem-free launch. This, in turn, ensured that the content pipeline early on provided regular supplies, allowing Rift to quickly establish itself as a strong alternative to WoW and co.
In terms of content, Rift was early on accused of offering a “best of” from the MMORPG genre’s content and systems. There were hardly any original ideas. Yet, the well-known elements were adapted and combined so well that it was often highlighted as a positive aspect of Rift.
That’s why I believe Rift won’t make it: Colleagues already included Rift on their respective lists in previous years, and for very good reasons: Player numbers are continuously dropping to very low levels (daily peak is 146 active players, via steamdb.info), new content is scarce.
The situation for Rift has not improved in 2024. Quite the opposite: in summer, it was necessary to merge additional servers. The official website trionworlds.com mainly rotates announcements for the annual events. And how quickly a once-popular MMORPG oldie can be affected, last year’s ArcheAge showed.
