Astellia
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Little is known about this one, except that it’s recently launched in Korea, and is slotted for a 2019 release in the West. Featuring Pokemon-like Astells that you collect and use in battle, Astellia could be another Bless Online, or potentially a Blade & Soul or Black Desert - as in, a Korean MMORPG that actually does well in the West.
New World
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Amazon’s big survival MMO has been in alpha testing for a few months now, and it’s heartening to see that the game hasn’t had any big leaks in that time. This usually means one of two things - either the game is good and people don’t want to risk losing their access or that it’s not good and no one cares to spill the beans. I know many an MMO gamer is sick of “survival” as a trend, but it’ll be interesting to see how a big AAA studio fares with the mechanic and whether it’s something worth playing in the end.
Saga of Lucimia
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A group-focused MMORPG, Saga of Lucimia’s first big release is scheduled for early 2019. With no quest hubs, no mini-map, and a focus on exploration-based gameplay, it could wind up that SoL is just the game many are waiting for. We’ll find out soon enough, I’d wager.
