There was a time when every single publisher wanted their own World of Warcraft. That industry-wide case of MMO fever has since died down significantly, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still intriguing persistent worlds in development.
So if you’re a fan of those massively online games, here are 16 big ones worth watching.
1. Black Desert
Platforms: PC, PS4
Release Date: TBA
Korean MMOs generally mean cookie-cutter F2P grind-fests, but Black Desert is way too gorgeous to ignore. It’s not just easy on the eyes either, the game also features a number of innovative features like a parkour system, dynamic weather, and large-scale castle siege combat.
2. Camelot Unchained
Platforms: PC
Release Date: June 2016
A spiritual successor to Dark Age of Camelot (led by the lead designer of that game), Camelot Unchained will focus on three-way Realm vs. Realm PVP combat. The game was primarily funded through Kickstarter and crowdfunding, raising over $3 million in the process.
3. Entropy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5VGtQTXRRI
Platforms: PC
Release Date: TBA
The creators of Battlestar Galactica Online are working on this massively multiplayer space flight sim. The game’s mechanics have been compared to Wing Commander, with the addition of mining and trading systems. It’s currently available on Steam Early Access, although no date has been set for a full launch.
4. EverQuest Next
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgPuEl5Nuk
Platforms: PC, PS4
Release Date: TBA
The next installment in the EverQuest saga will see the franchise returning to its roots, with a gameplay style inspired by the original EverQuest MMO. Despite the fact that the game has been in development for almost half a decade now, we still don’t know too much about it, aside from the fact that it feature user generated content from Daybreak Game’s sandbox MMO, Landmark.
5. H1Z1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ko5AXctkIE
Platforms: PC
Release Date: TBA
A zombie survival sandbox MMO, H1Z1 has so far been compared, both favorably and unfavorably, to DayZ. If DayZ‘s cutthroat atmosphere is too intense for you, H1Z1 might be a better option, given its much bigger emphasis on teamwork. The game is currently available on Steam Early Access, although heavy development is still continuing.
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What about Crowfall? They seem to show a big promise although the game is still in development mode, but maybe worth checking out as well? You can read about the recent progress of the game here: http://bit.ly/1BlZWy6