Service games are here to stay for years to come. The twelve MMORPGs from this list, which have been around for more than 20 years and are still online, offer a particularly great retro feeling and nostalgia. We introduce you to the lively pioneers of World of Warcraft.
Even though the MMORPG genre only really took off with the launch of World of Warcraft in 2004 or 2005, there were already online role-playing games that thrilled numerous players and built loyal communities.
Such loyal communities that the servers of various MMORPG oldies are still online today. In this special we would like to remember some of these WoW pioneers who are still playable. We focus on games that are at least 20 years old and were launched before April 2004.
If we’ve forgotten any important MMORPGs from this early era that you can still experience on official servers today, feel free to post your recommendations in the comments. After all, such lists can be easily expanded.
Meridian 59
Release: December 15, 1996 | Platform: PC | Setting: Fantasy | Developer, Publisher: Open Source | Click here to go to the official Meridian 59 website
Meridian 59 was not the first MMORPG, but it is considered the first online role-playing game with a 3D graphics client to display the game world. All moving objects such as characters and enemies were still displayed in 2D.
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The oldest MMORPG with an open world was released 26 years ago and you can still play it – even on Steam
from Annie
The gaming focus was initially primarily on PvP duels. Virtual death was punished drastically – with the loss of maximum health points as well as all belongings that could be looted by other players.
In 2000, the servers went offline due to the operators’ bankruptcy. A comeback followed in 2002. Today you can experience the MMORPG classic in the Resurgence version; the last update was in April 2023.
Ultimate Online
Release: September 30, 1997 | Platform: PC | Setting: medieval fantasy | Developer, Publisher: Broadsword, Electronic Arts | Click here to go to the official Ultima Online website
The iso-MMORPG from Richard Garriott’s venerable Ultima series looks back on an eventful past. Since the launch, not only have countless content expansions and updates landed on the live servers, there has also been a general overhaul and various development teams that have been able to try their hand at the online adventure.
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My first MMORPG is restarting 23 years after release and I really want to be there
by Andreas Bertits
Since 2014, Ultima Online has been in the hands of Broadsword, who continue to provide the MMORPG oldie with updates on a very regular basis. However, the last major expansion was released in 2015. In 2020, New Legacy was a new server for the nostalgic reboot.
Ultima Online offered player housing for the first time and fascinated with its online world Britannia and the freedom of play. But the MMORPG could also be quite frustrating when so-called player killers were out to hunt down newbies.
Ultima Online: New Legacy Announcement Trailer
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EverQuest
Release: March 16, 1999 | Platform: PC, macOS | Setting: Fantasy | Developer, Publisher: Darkpaw Games, Daybreak | Click here to go to the official EverQuest website
On March 16, 2024, EverQuest turned 25 years old. More than 9.32 million characters were created during this time. That may sound like comparatively little, but the successor followed in 2004, which you can still experience today – go to the EverQuest 2 website here.
The first EverQuest relied on a persistent 3D world at launch and provided many mechanics that are still standard in online role-playing games today. For five years, no MMORPG has been more successful in the USA, 29 expansions have been released to date – the last in December 2022.
Since nothing came of EverQuest Next, fans of the Norrath game world are hoping for EverQuest 3, which is currently in development at Daybreak and is scheduled to appear in 2028.
It continues on the next page.