Looking Back On The MMORPG Year That Was 2024

2024 was arguably one of the busiest years in a while for MMORPGs. New releases, expansions, and various updates have taken all one’s attention. Nevertheless, all this activity has divided fans of the genre as to the quality of the offering. Indeed, 2024 turned out to be quite unpredictable, with both new arrivals and cancellations and half-hearted launches.

Games’ death and renewal

This year notably saw the demise of anticipated projects or long-running MMORPGs. One of the most memorable is ArcheAge, which was indisputably considered a groundbreaking sandbox experience. After years of population decline, the game finally shut down its servers, marking the end of an era for intellectual property that shaped the idea of a player-driven world for many people.

Moreover, This year also saw Bandai Namco declare that Blue Protocol had been cancelled. Originally announced as a colorful anime-like title, the game’s worldwide launch was halted due to unsuccessful debut in Japan. Numerous players expressed regret over what the game could have been, emphasizing how its focus on cooperative PvE and storytelling would differentiate it from other Asian MMORPGs. Yet, that’s not where the story ends. In a surprising turn of events, Tencent has been commissioned to rescue the project and gave it a new life by the name of Star Resonance. Presently under the management of the Chinese studio BOKURA, Star Resonance has drastically changed its direction. Currently, a closed beta is taking place in China. The game is now expected to be released both on mobile and PC. This news reinjects life into a title many thought was gone forever. 

New World's near-death experience

Another attempt at resurgence is Amazon Games’ New World: Aeternum, as October 2024 saw the rerelease of New World (initially launched in September 2021). At launch, New World garnered astounding numbers, but soon suffered a downfall due to technical bugs and lack of endgame content. Through a major technical overhaul, console port, new 10-man raid, and free-for-all PvP zone, Amazon Games hopes Aeternum brings life back to its title.  

This rerelease was met with a warm reception from the console community but received a more hesitant one from PC veterans. The latter being unsure if this new departure will finally atone for the missteps of the previous one.

Lastly, The recent developer roadmap has sparked interest in the community. Many feel like it’s a final chance to build a long-term player base while managing the tricky task of bringing console newcomers and PC players together with a solid player experience.  

New releases

Several new launches happened as well this year. Most significantly, Throne and Liberty, NCSoft’s ambitious MMORPG that launched globally in October.  Although the game garnered attention for its open world and scale, its monetization raised concerns. Instead of direct pay-to-win purchases from the in-game’s shop, Throne and Liberty transferred them to the auction house - as AH currency can also be bought in real money! Some people said that it’s a nice addition to the Korean monetization model, as you are able to sell your loots and reinvest your earnings. Others fear that the acceptance of this system might normalize similar P2W structures across the genre.

Another free to play contender was Tencent’s Tarisland. Tarisland was marketed as a traditional MMORPG, focusing on PvE features. Launched in June, it appears that the game has struggled to develop much interest throughout the year. Although it was good temporary fun at the time, it is now very unlikely to be a long-term boon. A recurring criticism is the lack of substance in this MMORPG.

Early Access

Several MMORPGs were released in Early Access in 2024. Launched in June, Pax Dei stands out for its declared ambitions, especially with regard to its crafting and construction systems. Even though the response was mixed at launch, Pax Dei is holding its own with regular updates. Corepunk also attracted attention as an isometric MMORPG that offers more of an old-school experience, heavily focused on exploring and tactical gameplay.

With their unique gameplay, other Early Access games, such as Brighter Shores and Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen, are targeting niche audiences. Both show how smaller developers can take advantage of Early Access to refine their vision thanks to feedback. While Brighter Shores is a recent project and, to my mind, a breath of fresh air, it's hard to say the same about Pantheon, which has taken an exceedingly long time to get here. This raises questions about Visionary Realms' ability to reach the next milestones.

Expansions

If 2024 had one undeniable strength, it was the number of expansions released for already-established titles. World Of Warcraft introduced The War Within, which brings new zones, dungeons and raids, lore-driven storylines, Delves - a new kind of solo dungeons, as well as Warbands and Hero talents. In addition, Blizzard doubled down on Classic with Cataclysm Classic, vanilla fresh start servers, but without leaving retail out as the modern version also got seasonal updates such as Plunderstorm and Mists of Pandaria Remix. This strategy of providing content for every kind of player seems to have paid off as WoW continued to top discussions this year.

The Final Fantasy XIV expansion Dawntrail brings new content into an already vast universe. Its success and the consistency of their delivering kept Square Enix in a leading position among the narrative-driven MMORPGs segment.

The Elder Scrolls Online gave us Gold Road, while Guild Wars 2 released Janthir Wilds. The expansions showed their respective strength: While ESO focused on immersive questlines and the new Scribing system, GW2 brought dynamic world events, Housing, and a raid (the first in 5 years). Other noteworthy updates were Black Desert Online: Land of the Morning Light: Seoul, and The Lord of the Rings Online: Morgoth’s Legacy.

Looking towards 2025

With 2024 having come and gone, the MMORPG genre is at a crossroads. Although the resilience of the industry giants has not been scratched, this year has highlighted the difficulty of creating truly refreshing new experiences. From today's perspective, the future looks bright with upcoming titles like Dune: Awakening and ArcheAge Chronicles, but only time will tell if 2025 will fulfill the innovation that players are looking for.