People play MMOs for all sorts of reasons. You may be interested in competitive PVP or PVE, meeting new friends, or filling out collection tabs, for example. There’s a lot to love about getting involved in huge online worlds.
One reason that people may get into MMOs that’s a little more niche is for transmog and cosmetic purposes. For some people (this author included), dressing up your character and creating sets that go with their backstory is a lot of fun. It ties into the completionist aspect of MMOs and some transmogrification items can hold a lot of prestige, too.
Here, we’ve gathered up 7 of the best MMO titles for transmog fans.
It’s important to note that we are just focusing on transmog/armor systems and that these games are not ranked based on their other content or communities. They’re also not ranked in any particular order.
Destiny 2
To start, Destiny 2 has an incredibly fun transmog system called the Armor Synthesis system. It was introduced relatively recently - in the last few years, anyway - and it’s gone down well with the majority of the community.
Armor Synthesis allows players to equip appearances without changing base stats, and it lets people save different sets for different purposes. The variety of armor and weapons in Destiny 2 is great, with some truly striking appearances that can be combined in unique fashions.
It’s not the most straightforward transmogrification system out there, with the process requiring you to complete a set mission to unlock the system and then unlock various materials to craft Ornaments, but it is account-wide for relevant classes, which is good. Having to go through the process of turning items into Ornaments for every single character would be frustrating.
Destiny 2 also has Shaders, which allow you to change the color scheme of your chosen items. This adds to the depth of the game from a transmog fan’s perspective, making it a worthwhile pick if you’re looking for a new, transmog-friendly title with sci-fi flair.
World of Warcraft
Despite its flaws, it would be difficult to not mention World of Warcraft in an article about transmog. There are mountains of items to pick from in WoW and the system itself is relatively quick and easy to pick up.
It does cost a chunk of in-game currency to transmog a full outfit but updates to the system in recent years have made it much more enjoyable to use. Transmog vendors are easy to find in major cities or important locations, and there’s even a mount that was introduced back in Mists of Pandaria which allows you to access a portable transmogrification vendor.
Some transmog appearances in WoW are prestigious and signify a great achievement in the game, and others come from questing, raiding, PVP, or even exploration. The addition of the Trading Post into World of Warcraft means that players can now access legendary sets a little easier, giving people more space to get creative.
If you’ve never played World of Warcraft before but you enjoy cosmetic-related content in MMOs, you’re sure to enjoy it.
There’s even a regular event called Trial of Style which allows players to compete against each other in a fashion show of sorts, and a handful of purely cosmetic items which can be picked up from various seasonal events or special vendors. Winning a Trial of Style will reward players with currency to purchase exclusive cosmetic items, so it’s worth doing.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is immensely popular with fans of transmogrification and cosmetic content. During our research, this was the most heavily recommended game that we came across in transmog fan forums and Subreddits.
The wardrobe system is impressive, and it’s clearly been designed with ease of use in mind. The system can be accessed at almost any time, and the currency that is needed to transmog an item is relatively easy to get your hands on. Items are appropriately unlocked across characters and accounts, too.
The sheer variety of items that you can experiment with in Guild Wars 2 is incredible. No matter what sort of outfits and aesthetics you’re interested in, you’ll be able to unlock a great variety of options when playing and leveling up your characters.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV is a game with some divine visuals and it does not disappoint when it comes to transmog - or in this case, glamours. The glamor system is intricate and detailed, making it a lot of fun to sink your time into.
It’s not hugely approachable for a beginner, but the potential for vibrant, layered outfits is huge. Once you’ve unlocked the process by completing the necessary quests, you can use glamours and dyes to mix and match outfits to your heart's content.
Not only can you use glamours personally, you can also use them on some quest NPCs and soldiers in your personal squadron, too. This is a fun design choice that is quite rare to see in modern MMOs and it gives players even more space to express their creativity.
One of the only issues with the FFXIV glamor system is that you need to be near a glamor dresser in order to use glamours without burning currency. It’s not a major issue, though, and the FFXIV transmog system still stands out as one of the best options out there. There’s a great glamor community within the game, too.
Lineage 2
Lineage 2 is an free-to-play MMORPG that seems to be somewhat divisive amongst gamers. While it may not be everyone’s first pick for a transmog/collection-based title, the Appearance Stone mechanic in L2 is a lot of fun to play with.
With plenty of seasonal items and outfits available for transmogrification purposes, there are a lot of ways to customize your appearance in Lineage 2. The Appearance Stone mechanic makes it relatively easy to apply appearances to items without losing stats - you will simply need to have enough in-game currency and the right items in order to pull it off.
Lineage 2 isn’t exceptionally groundbreaking in terms of visuals but it does have some lovely armor and weapon designs that fit in with the world-building well. It’s worth taking a look at if you’re a World of Warcraft or FFXIV fan looking for something new.
Lord of the Rings Online
Lord of the Rings Online has a fun transmog system that has had a large impact on the wider MMO community when it comes to outfits and cosmetic systems. It may not be a perfect system, but it’s one of the best options out there and it’s fun to play with.
The outfit system is simple yet effective, letting players have access to two different outfit slots for free. It’s possible to purchase even more outfit slots if desired, using in-game currency to do so. Armor pieces, clothes, and weapons can be dyed to change their appearance and lend a further level of customization to the process.
There are a variety of ways to obtain transmog items in Lord of the Rings Online and the variety in set styles and aesthetics is great. The system is simple, as mentioned, but it’s easy to get to grips with as a beginner and gives people plenty of creative freedom, too.
Rift
If you’re a fan of fantasy MMORPGs, chances are that you’ve come across Rift at least once. This game has some interesting visuals and aesthetic choices, and the wardrobe system it offers certainly scratches the transmog itch.
One of the best things about the Rift wardrobe system is that collecting appearances is fully automatic. You don’t need to hold onto an item or equip it in any particular manner, and there are costumes to pick up alongside regular armor pieces and weapons. It’s a user-friendly and approachable system for the most part, and using dyes is intuitive as well.
In a similar fashion to LotRO, Rift does require players to purchase additional wardrobe slots if they want to have more room to experiment with sets and outfits.
Aside from this, though, Rift is a contender for one of the best MMO transmog experiences. The system is easy to use, you don’t get punished for mistakes like using a dye incorrectly, and there’s a good variety of items that can be picked up for transmog purposes from a variety of different sources throughout the game.
Final Thoughts
Transmog might not be everyone’s cup of tea but for some MMO fans, it can make or break a game. It’s not just the transmog system itself that needs to be good - the process should (ideally) be affordable/free, easy to access, and full of interesting cosmetic options that fit a wide variety of different aesthetics.
It’ll be interesting to see whether more upcoming MMOs start to add deeper transmog systems into their game over the years or not - there’s certainly a demand for cosmetics and customizations in the gaming world, especially when they’re not tied to in-game purchases, but transmog systems aren’t always present in new MMO titles.
