2016 was a rough year. The long-standing MMOs we’ve come to love carried along quite well, but for new titles the selection was pretty limited. And so, as we’re fond to do at year’s end, we look forward to 2017 and the titles we expect to launch (even if in early access, which we pretty much consider launched but half-baked). In no particular order, we present our Most Wanted MMOs of 2017.
There may be titles on this list that slip into 2018, some that we missed entirely because we don’t have an ETA (as is the case with imports like Lineage Eternal, for example). Still, we think what we have below is a solid list of the numerous MMOs coming in 2017. Some are “less MMO” than others, but we felt all of these games are worth mentioning to our audience. If even a handful of them turn out to be good games, we’re in for a solid year. Here’s to the next twelve months and the many hours of gaming goodness we hope it brings.
Crowfall is a fantasy MMORPG in development from ArtCraft. The game focuses on political alliances, as well as feudal conquest. Expected to follow ArtCraft's professed desire to create MMORPGs that promote risk taking, player skill, and competition. Crowfall players are expected to compete with one another, with the chance to take the throne in the offering.
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Camelot Unchained is an Arthurian fantasy MMORPG from City State Entertainment and Mark Jacobs, founder of Mythic Entertainment and known for his development of Dark Age of Camelot. Camelot Unchained offers the three factions of Arthurian, Tuatha De Danann, and Viking, and focuses on Realm-vs-Realm, housing, and a player economy, along with crafting and other features.
Chronicles of Elyria is the first MMORPG where your character ages and dies, encouraging you to think beyond your character to their role in a larger story. Fearless in its design, it embraces a character's ability to impact other characters. A closed economy, finite resources, non-repeatable quests, and a fully destructible environment means the world is experienced differently for every character. Each time you log in there is something for you to participate in. Local, regional, and national conflicts are continuously unfolding, giving birth to repeated opportunities for you to change the course of history.
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Dark and Light is meant to be a fantasy sandbox survival MMORPG. Players stake claims on the land using magic to change the physical laws and ecosystem of the world; this embodies the essence of the game: constant opposition and conflict. Numerous conflicts exist within human society in the game, as well as between humans and the environment around them. Exploration and competing for survival are the major themes at the core of Dark and Light.
Bless is a 3D fantasy MMORPG from Neowiz Games. Featuring 10 different races, cinematic storytelling, and photo-realistic graphics based on the Unreal Engine 3, the game offers realm vs. realm, PvP, raids, high level missions, and much more.
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MU LEGEND is the highly-anticipated action MMO and the follow-up to MU Online. It features fluid and impactful hack n’ slash combat, content that caters to both solo and party play, and a world that’s deep and intriguing that will satisfy new players and fans alike. Players can choose from four distinct classes: Darklord, Whisperer, Blader, and Warmage - and engage in the endless battle between the world of MU and Pandemonium. MU Legend offers spectacular visuals that will run on lower-end systems as well as offer detailed art design with stunning effects.
Lineage Eternal: Twilight Resistance is a fantasy MMORPG from NCSoft that will large scale battles, including siege warfare, and the will reintroduce the isometric perspective that made the series famous years ago. Changes to the game have recently been made it so that at times you control and switch between several members of a party, though the game still behaves much like any other MMORPG where multiple players are needed for group content.
Revelation Online is an ambitious new MMO in which players will discover an amazing adventure and explore a vibrant world of ancient mystery using the power of flight without any boundaries. It is difficult to come across this much and diverse content for any type and level of player. The game includes several PVP modes, like a Last Man Standing arena, sieges for up to hundreds of players, as well as PVE raids, requiring teamwork and tactical gameplay.
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Shards is a sandbox RPG in development for PC by Citadel Studios. It is a collection of online virtual worlds where the community has ultimate power; not just a game but a platform for player generated content. In the multiplayer online game, players can fully customize their experience. Collaboration will determine how the world evolves. Explore an ever-expanding universe with deep lore and dynamic environments. Employ Shards' unprecedented modding capabilities. Connect servers, create and run your own MMO, set your own rules, and play how you want to play. Shards will change the face of multiplayer role-playing games and give players more power than ever before.
