There are numerous MMORPG announcements for the future. Some of them show wonderful trailers that make the time until the release almost unbearable. MeinMMO author Anny Bader introduces you to the most promising ones.
For this list, we looked at trailers for upcoming MMORPGs and compared them with previous information about the game to gauge relevance. For example, we don’t include Play2Earn games, although some of them show beautiful trailers. Also, we only feature games that aren’t out yet.
Who writes here? Anny has been working as an MMORPG author at MeinMMO since February 2022. She has played many members of the genre – including Lost Ark, New World, Tower of Fantasy and Final Fantasy XIV.
ArcheAge 2
What kind of game is this? ArcheAge 2 is the sequel to a sandbox MMORPG of the same name that was a dream come true for many. The second part takes place in the same universe and should now do a lot better. It will be a AAA MMORPG and the developer XL Games will use Unreal Engine 5.
It relies on an open game world that is twice as big as in the first part. The map should not only enlarge, but also offer more content and feel denser.
A few days ago, the publisher Kakao Games presented the first trailer for ArcheAge2.
Why does it look so promising? Already at the beginning of the trailer you can see how detailed the game world is designed. Waves on the sea, clouds in the sky, a misty valley and a sunset fill the first 20 seconds.
The gameplay shown afterwards is also convincing. You see enemies that could be bosses. One creates lightning around itself, another is a fire-breathing dragon. There also seems to be many different weapons and magic is also used.
All in all, ArcheAge 2’s graphics and gameplay look wonderful. If it really improves on the mistakes of its predecessor, it could be a very successful MMORPG.
When does it appear? ArcheAge 2 is scheduled for release in 2024, but it is still unclear when exactly. The developers are aiming for a simultaneous release on the PC and the common consoles, although it is not further defined here which consoles they mean.
Ashes of Creation
What kind of game is this? Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG that offers PvP and PvE content. The combat system is a mixture of action combat and tab targeting. You choose from different races and classes that you can combine with each other. There are 64 different options in total.
What is special about the MMORPG is the so-called node system. Nodes are locations in the open world that can be conquered, upgraded, and defended. Each node has a zone that it influences. Everything that happens inside the zone affects the node. Completing tasks or collecting materials earns you experience points.
Some features are very reminiscent of New World, such as the recently introduced collection system. In the open world of the MMORPG, you can collect and dismantle almost everything you come across. Professions come in Gathering, Processing, and Crafting types.
Ashes of Creation trailer for the first alpha
Why does it look so promising? The trailer for the first alpha of the MMORPG shows beautiful fantasy creatures acting as mounts. We see players riding, flying, and swimming on them.
Crafting is also shown and looks like it does in New World, which is a big plus for me personally. The animations also appear fluid, while the surroundings are lovingly designed.
Towards the end of the trailer you can also see many players tapping on huge bosses, which also appear detailed and beautiful. It is briefly reminiscent of Final Fantasy XIV or world bosses in Lost Ark, how numerous players fight a huge monster in a thunderstorm.
Now that you consider that the trailer is from the first alpha, the expectations for Ashes of Creation grow even more.
When does it appear? The development of Ashes of Creation is rather sluggish. Ashes of Creation was supposed to appear in 2019, but didn’t even manage to have a permanent alpha active by the end of 2022. However, the development team regularly provides the waiting fans with updates and holds a monthly live stream.
Blue Protocol
What kind of game is this? It’s a PvE-focused theme park MMORPG by Bandai Namco with nice anime graphics. Visually, it’s strongly reminiscent of Genshin Impact, Noah’s Heart, and Tower of Fantasy.
In Blue Protocol you choose your character from 5 classes and travel 1000 years into the past to save the world from a catastrophe.
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The story should play an important role and is accompanied by cutscenes. You follow various quests that bring you closer to the story, and you can also complete side quests. There will also be dungeons and raids.
Blue Protocol – New Japanese trailer
Why does it look so promising? Because it looks very high-quality graphically and is close to Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy, Blue Protocol could become a big exciting anime MMORPG. It is also special that it only appears for the PC. Many anime MMORPGs are mobile-optimized and also appear for the PC, but then don’t have a reasonable user interface.
The trailer also features beautiful landscapes and characters, epic boss fights, and at one point you see a character riding a kind of wolf – so there could be mounts in Blue Procotol.
When does it appear? Blue Protocol is scheduled for release in Japan in spring 2023. A worldwide release is planned, but there is no publisher for the west yet.
Dune: Awakening
What kind of game is this? Dune: Awakening is an upcoming MMORPG set in the Dune universe. It was announced for the first time with a trailer at this year’s gamescom. The developers Funcom are also responsible for the popular survival game Conan Exiles.
The MMORPG combines classic survival elements with the social interactions of a large multiplayer game. It features an open world for you to explore and build your own shelter. Through crafting you create everything possible to protect yourself from enemies and sandstorms in the desert. Possible enemies are also other players who can attack you.
The fictional drug “Spice” from the Dune universe plays an important role. You farm and consume spice to use certain skills.
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Why does it look so promising? While the cinematic trailer doesn’t show any gameplay yet, the voice acting combined with the scenes and the idea of Conan Exiles becoming an MMORPG make Dune: Awakening very exciting. You can already see the desert, which looks like the starting area in Conan Exiles. Only the graphics look much higher quality here.
When does it appear? There is currently no information about the release. You can register for the beta test on the website with your current email address. We don’t know when the beta will start either.
Throne and Liberty
What kind of game is this? Throne and Liberty was originally announced as Lineage 3 or Lineage Eternal. But the developers NCSoft decided to rework it to make it a true next-gen MMORPG.
It offers a completely open game world in which you will find PvP but also PvE content such as large world bosses. PvP is then about conquering certain objects in the world – you can also besiege castles.
There should be a variety of options for getting around. You can use a grappling hook and transform into a flying or aquatic animal. The environment is also important: there is a day/night cycle and different weather situations that affect the game.
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Why does it look so promising? The graphics of Throne and Liberty are to die for when they look exactly the same in the real game as they do in the trailer. You take in the gaze of an eagle flying over a coastal town that looks beautiful. The next scenes present the different situations of the sky – clouds, sunsets and then it rains stars.
Throne and Liberty seems to offer a wide variety of maps, all of which are creative and detailed. The enemies and the fights also look fantastic.
When does it appear? The MMORPG was originally supposed to be released on PC in 2022, but was postponed to 2023. A release is also planned for consoles.
What do you think of our list? Which MMORPG are you most looking forward to? Which trailers also look promising? Write it to us in the comments here on MeinMMO!