What MMO games are most players looking forward to in 2023

The MMO genre has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in recent times, with a record number of titles hitting the market. From massive open world adventures to smaller indie projects, this category of games offers something unique for every gamer. As technology advances and developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, players can look forward to increasingly immersive and engaging experiences.

• Corepunk
• The Day Before
• Ashes of Creation
• Palia
• Throne and Liberty
• Dune: Awakening
• ARK 2
• Blue Protocol
• Wayfinder
• Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

Corepunk

• Release date: June 2023 (PC)
• Developer: Artificial Core
• Publisher: Artificial Core

Corepunk is an isometric MMORPG developed by Artificial Core studio that combines fantasy and steampunk elements. The game features several character classes, each with unique abilities. The open world, shrouded in the fog of war, offers a variety of locations, from desert encampments to steampunk cities.

Exploration is aided by the ability to use public transport. Corepunk features both PvE and PvP combat, varied by randomly generated dungeons. Equipment, artefacts and aesthetically pleasing outfits can be created using an extensive crafting system. Players can form teams and guilds to collaborate on quests and battle monsters or other players.

The Day Before

• Release date: 10 November 2023 (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S)
• Developer: Fnastic
• Publisher: MyTona

The Day Before is a survival MMO game set in a post-apocalyptic world where a mysterious disease has turned people into bloodthirsty monsters. Playing as one of the survivors, the player must find answers to questions about the state of the world and help rebuild it. The game offers a vast territory to explore, including cities, wilderness areas and military outposts.

The player must be constantly vigilant as hostile players and hordes of the living dead lurk around every corner. Gathering supplies, including weapons, clothing and food, is an important part of the game. Although it is possible to play alone, it is recommended that you form teams with other players to traverse the dangerous world together.

Ashes of Creation

• Release date: 2023 (PC)
• Developer: Intrepid Studios
• Publisher: Intrepid Studios

Ashes of Creation is an MMORPG set in a classic fantasy universe. Players play an important role in shaping the game’s reality, influencing its political and economic situation. The world in this title is vast and varied, responding to the actions of the player, who can create settlements that grow into cities or giant metropolises.

Players can also engage in bloody battles for strongholds, control territories and trade goods via caravans. Ashes of Creation features both PvE modes with advanced artificial intelligence and PvP modes with large-scale clashes.

Palia

• Release date: 2023 (PC)
• Developer: Singularity 6
• Publisher: Singularity 6

Palia is a colourful multiplayer life simulation MMO with RPG elements set in a fantasy land. The plot tells the story of mysterious humans who return to the world after thousands of years of absence with the task of securing the future of their species. The game features a vast open world to explore, full of wilderness, towns and settlements.

Players can interact with the inhabitants, complete quests and discover Palia’s past. As well as adventuring, you can also farm, fish, cook, expand and decorate your home. Your character will evolve as you progress, learning new skills and acquiring tools. Although Palia can be played alone, the best experience is to play with others.

Throne and Liberty

• Release date: 2023 (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S)
• Developer: NCSOFT
• Publisher: NCSOFT

Throne and Liberty is a dynamic MMORPG with a turbulent past and many concept changes during development. Players battle Kazar, the Phantom of Conquest, and his ally Revila Lupius, who have kidnapped a key character in order to obtain an ancient artefact that grants unlimited power. The game features spectacular third-person combat that allows for fluid movement, parkour and the use of a grappling hook rope.

Combat is based on character skill, with a selection of weapons and spells. Unique mechanics such as the effect of weather on spells and the trajectory of arrows can also be observed during gameplay. Throne and Liberty focuses on PvE skirmishes, where players must cooperate with computer-controlled opponents.

Dune: Awakening

• Release date: 2023 (PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
• Developer: Funcom, Nukklear GmbH
• Publisher: Funcom

Dune: Awakening is a survival MMO set in a popular science fiction universe. Players travel to the sandy planet of Arrakis to collect the precious substance Spice. The game allows players to gather resources, build camps and fight for survival in a harsh environment.

Arrakis is famous for its extreme sandstorms that reveal new locations to explore. Players can consume spices to gain access to a variety of powers. Strategy and cooperation are key, as creating factions and joining existing ones allows for open conflict, trade and diplomacy.

Dune: Awakening features an exclusive multiplayer mode where players can cooperate or compete for control of the planet Arrakis.

ARK 2

• Release date: 2023 (PC, Xbox Series X|S)
• Developer: Studio Wildcard, Grove Street Games
• Publisher: Studio Wildcard

ARK 2 is an epic sequel to the survival game that takes players to a primordial world full of dinosaurs and a battle for supremacy. Together with the legendary heroes, players must discover how they arrived on this mysterious planet and face powerful dark forces. The game features revolutionary cross-platform customisation, advanced character movement mechanics, intense melee combat and vast new alien environments.

Component-based item creation, dynamic world events, advanced building and sharing templates and sentient AI add depth to the gameplay. Players can develop their characters through an extensive skill tree. ARK 2 takes full advantage of the power of Unreal Engine 5 to deliver stunning visuals and realistic environmental effects.

Blue Protocol

• Release date: 2023 (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S)
• Developer: Bandai Namco Holdings
• Publisher: Bandai Namco Holdings, Amazon Game Studios

Blue Protocol is a network action RPG with MMORPG elements, combining fantasy and science fiction worlds. Players take on the role of heroes on the planet Regnas, where intrigue can change the fate of the world. The plot revolves around dangerous technologies that cause rifts in space-time, mixing different eras.

Players create a character, choose a profession and explore the open world. Gameplay includes character development, completing quests and fighting enemies through an arcade system, using white weapons, firearms and techniques based on magical beasts called echoes. You can play in small groups, take part in large raids against bosses or go on solo adventures in an online-only mode.

Wayfinder

• Release date: 2023 (PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S)
• Developer: Airship Syndicate
• Publisher: Digital Extremes

Wayfinder is an action game with MMO and RPG elements set in Evenor, a world of magic and wonder destroyed by the apocalypse. Players take on the role of the titular Navigators, the last powerful warriors capable of controlling the ever-present Chaos. Their goal is to save the world from destruction, ensure the survival of its inhabitants and defeat the Forerunners responsible for the catastrophe.

Players do not create their own protagonists, but customise existing ones to their liking. Characters have strengths, weaknesses and their own stories. Character diversity is key to exploration and expeditions into lost zones.

Wayfinder has charming cartoonish graphics and requires a constant internet connection. The game can be played solo, but some challenges are designed with a group of players in mind. The game features microtransactions, but items can also be earned by playing.

Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

• Release date: 2023 (PC)
• Developer: Visionary Realms

Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is a MMORPG set in the fantasy world of Terminus, composed of fragments of other realities. Players enter the world after a cataclysmic event caused by a rain of magical meteorites. The game offers an elaborate storyline that we discover as we develop our characters.

Pantheon represents a return to the roots of the MMORPG genre, offering a large world, freedom of action and a high level of difficulty that forces players to work together. Players choose their hero’s race and class, explore locations, slay monsters and gain treasures by collecting experience points.

Combat is a mix of classic RPG mechanics and arcade elements. Players must use their own hands to block blows and perform dodges, but attacks are automatic and the right selection of skills and equipment is key. Co-operation with other players is also important – lone wolves will struggle to survive the heavier clashes.