At one point in time, MMORPGs were as rare as the legendary loot players desperately hoped to receive at the end of a quest. The history of the genre is littered with total failures and ambitious games that never got the attention they deserved.
However, there appears to be a change in 2020 with the continued success of popular MMORPGs like WoW Classic, Neverwinter and Final Fantasy XIV proving the timeless nature of the subgenre. As live service games become more and more common, we can expect to explore new worlds alongside other players in the years to come.
Here, we'll be highlighting the top MMORPGs coming in 2020 and beyond, including a mix of newly announced games and some still in alpha, beta, or early access periods.
Destiny's Sword
Date: 3/May/2021 | Developer: 2Dogs Games
Destiny's Sword is a squad-based strategy MMO where winning a battle takes more than brute strength. This is because the game features unique social mechanics that task players with managing their team's physical and mental well-being while commanding them in battles with enemy factions.
As the war progresses, your character will begin to develop mental illnesses that can affect your performance in battle and also your team's morale. Destiny's Sword considers itself a "community MMO", where personal victories take a back seat to elevating your teammates; Communicating and cooperating with your team will be an essential part of success in battle.
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Release date: Beta in 2020 and release in 2021 | Developer: Amazon Games
While Crucible hasn't quite managed to set the world on fire or really create a spark, Amazon Games is looking for redemption with New World, the company's first foray into MMOs. The game introduces players to a fantasy-inspired open world called Aeternum, where you can wield swords, bows, weapons, and magic using an active combat system based on that of Dark Souls.
Offering both PvP and PvE gameplay, New World features a variety of modes, including large-scale 50v50 siege battles to control player-occupied territories. Amazon is proud that over 1.000 players will be able to share the same world, so we're looking forward to seeing the game in action.
Ashes of creation
Release date: Not specifically revealed, but in 2020 | Developer: Intrepid Studios
A preview of Ashes of Creation bodes well for Intrepid's MMORPG, with footage highlighting one of the game's raid bosses, as well as a unique node system that allows players to populate the world map with their own gameplay and invest in various properties, from farms to luxurious mansions.
Another notable feature is the ability to raid castles with support for guilds and full-scale battles. While Ashes of Creation's high fantasy aesthetic might pull you a little too close to generic-looking territory, Intrepid appears to be on the cusp of something big, evident by the game's approach to a player-driven economy and proprietary ownership.
Starbase
Release date: Not specifically revealed, but in 2020 | Developer: Frozenbyte
Starbase is a future space MMO set in an ever-expanding, fully destructible universe that combines voxel and vertex-based technology to create highly detailed environments capable of simulating real-world physics. This allows for in-game collisions that can break a few pieces of your ship or destroy it completely, depending on how fast you're traveling.
The game focuses on building and designing a variety of spaceships and stations, as well as exploring meteors, intergalactic wreckage, and more. Players can interact with each other in a variety of ways, including trading, co-op building, and engaging in combat. Lastly, developer/publisher Frozenbyte has included a sandbox mode where you can explore alone or with a group of chosen friends in their very personal universe.
Dual Universe
Release date: Not specifically revealed, but in 2020 | Developer: Novaquark
Dual Universe is another space MMO that shows a lot of promise. The game boasts of having the first fully changeable universe where players are free to create full-size vehicles, ships, buildings and even cities. It doesn't end there, as the player-driven economy, politics, trade and warfare systems offer a truly immersive experience that allows for more intricate player interactions.
While a game of this scale could easily fall into many of the usual MMO pitfalls, such as long loading times and overly crowded servers, developer Novaquark came up with an ambitious solution. Dual Universe will feature a seamless universe that connects all players, known as a "single continuous fragment". If successful, this would allow for a much more populated game world with a stronger sense of community compared to other MMOs.
Crowfall
Release date: Not specifically revealed, but in 2020 | Developer: ArtCraft Ent.
Crowfall is a fantasy MMORPG centered around forming political alliances and rivalries to divide and conquer. Up until this point, the game has emphasized interacting with other players through a number of political/economic systems such as territory ownership, alliance hierarchies, trade, and more. Players can leverage each of these systems to advance their position of power and seize the throne.
When it comes to character creation, Crowfall uses a point-based stat system that allows players to adjust different archetypes to match their preferred playstyle. This ensures that no two buildings are the same, as each avatar will have its own distinct advantages and disadvantages, determined by the player. Currently in beta, the game has recently been updated with a new Day/Night system, as well as improvements to progression and crafting.
Camelot Unchained
Release date: Not specifically revealed, but in 2020 | From the developer: City State Ent.
In development for about six years now, the Arthurian fantasy MMO Camelot Unchained appears to be the latest victim of what has been deemed "development hell". So far, we know that the game will allow players to join one of three factions - Arthurian, Tuatha De Danann, and Viking.
From there, players will be able to explore a variety of activities, including large-scale battles spanning multiple realms, base building, trading, and armor/weapon crafting. While far from ready for release, an upcoming Alpha release will provide a little more context on what players can expect from Camelot Unchained in the future.
City of Titans
Release date: Not specifically revealed, but on | Developer: Missing Worlds Media
While many are still mourning the loss of the popular superhero MMO superhero City of Heroes, developer Missing Worlds Media has spent the past six years creating a spiritual successor, aptly named City of Titans. Similar to CoH, the game will allow players to create an original hero or villain and start sculpting their adventures through selectable stories.
The game's powers cover almost every superhero trope you can think of, including flight, teleportation, super strength, and laser vision, to name a few. While CoT is still a long way from being completed or even playable, the latest developer update shows improvements to the game's UI and character creation tools.
Elion
Release date of: Undisclosed | Developer: Bluehole
Formerly called Ascent: Infinite Realm, Elyon is an MMO being developed by Bluehole, the company behind PUBG. The game sees players exploring a massive open world of steampunk fantasy in search of a new home. However, to traverse Elyon's mostly vertical environments, they'll have to soar into the skies using a wide selection of highly customizable floating vehicles and flying mounts.
These are more than just navigation, with many vehicles offering defensive/offensive options that make full use of the game's unique aerial combat. Plus, ground-based weaponry like mechs, anti-aircraft artillery, and cannons make Elyon's full-scale wars look like epic battles straight out of a page of a fantasy novel.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen
Release Date: Undisclosed | Developer: Visionary Realms
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is another MMO set in a high fantasy world full of swords and sorcery. Assuming the role of a legendary hero who has lost his powers, players will have to rebuild his legacy by exploring Terminus, a world filled with formidable enemies and powerful relics waiting to be revealed.
The game places great emphasis on group play and social interaction, with many high-reward missions that require a full party. Most promising is Pantheon's strategic combat system, which removes the option to switch skills and instead encourages players to carefully plan each action before executing.
