ArcheAge was a sandbox MMORPG that many players had high hopes for. However, technical problems, later design decisions and a terrible payment model have slowed the hype. Now the successor ArcheAge 2 should do a lot better. We at MeinMMO reveal what is known so far.
What kind of game is this? ArcheAge 2 will be a new MMORPG that focuses on sandbox elements. In addition, the game world should be about twice as big as that of its predecessor and also more beautiful – thanks to Unreal Engine 5. However, basic mechanics should be retained, including:
All in all, ArcheAge 2 should offer fewer features than its predecessor, but they are better thought out and more in-depth. The combat system should also be more action-packed. It’s supposed to be a non-target action system in which you have to actively dodge and parry.
In the following we will tell you all the details known so far.
Here you can watch the only gameplay trailer for the MMORPG so far:
ArcheAge 2 – All about the release and platforms
ArcheAge 2 was originally supposed to be released in 2022. The release date has since been officially set for 2024.
The new MMORPG will be released for both PC and current consoles. This probably means primarily the Xbox Series X/S and the PS5. There will be no mobile version.
ArcheAge 2 will be Free2Play. Exact details about an optional subscription or the shop are not yet available.
Housing and building should get even better in ArcheAge 2
What makes ArcheAge 2 special? The predecessor was already celebrated for its strong housing and many good sandbox ideas. This should be continued with ArcheAge 2 as well. However, housing should be even more important and more closely integrated into trade and crafting.
So there should be the possibility to get together in cities and to work together on houses. This should also increase the focus on the guild. You may even be able to build and escort caravans and merchant ships in groups.
It is also important for developers that the systems are more in-depth and well thought-out in the future. You want to learn from the mistakes of your predecessor. In ArcheAge 2, every single item should also be tradable.
What do we know about classes and races? At the start there should be the six previous playable races Elves, Nuian, Dwarves, Firran, Harani and Warborn. In addition, other races are planned that did not exist in the predecessor.
The class system was not commented on, but you can already see rough archetypes in the trailer, such as a melee fighter with a sword, an archer, a magician and a warrior with an ax and shield. It is currently not clear whether the MMORPG will again focus on specializations that can be mixed and matched.
How is the game world structured? The new game world should be twice as big, but at the same time offer more content that you can experience and discover. Everything should still feel more compact and populated than in the first part.
In the trailer you can see larger settlements of people, huge forests, deserts and mountains. So the landscape becomes very varied.
Story and graphics should be better than ArcheAge 1
What do we know about the story? ArcheAge 2 takes place on the continent of Auroria – albeit some time after the events of ArcheAge 1 and also in a parallel universe. There should be a story that can be played in multiple branches and different order. This should increase replayability with new characters.
However, there should not be a big story with heroes and gods, but rather smaller, individual stories. Behind the story is the author Minhee Chung, who also developed the story for the first part.
What do we know about the graphics? Visually, ArcheAge 2 should be more realistic. Thanks to the Unreal Engine 5, this is quite easy. In the trailer, the game looks even better than Black Desert, which gives hope to many.
The slight change of perspective for the player is exciting. In ArcheAge 1, the camera position was slightly higher and you were further away from your character. In the new trailer you are much closer, which according to the developers is also wanted for the successor.
Development has been going on for several years and new employees are constantly being added
What do we know about the developers? ArcheAge 2 was first introduced in 2020. At that time it was said that about 50 employees were developing the MMORPG. In the meantime, more than 100 people are said to have been assigned to the development.
The studio XL Games, which already developed the predecessor, is working on the game. The game’s chief designer is Jake Song, the former developer of Lineage and later founder of XL Games. The publishing in the West is to be taken over by Kakao Games.
How is the development going so far? As usual for games from Asia, there was radio silence after the announcement. Only with G-Star 2022, a gaming trade fair in Korea, was new information and the trailer linked above shared.
In the coming months there will be more details about the gameplay and the shop.
ArcheAge 1 will not shut down immediately
What’s next for ArcheAge 1 after release? The developers of XL Games emphasize that ArcheAge 1 should continue for the time being. New and major updates are also installed. One wants to develop the MMORPG “as long as possible”.
What do you think of ArcheAge 2? Does the game appeal to you? Or are you worried that it will make the same mistakes as its predecessor?
By the way, if you are looking for new MMORPGs that will be released next year, you will find them here:
5 new MMORPGs that will definitely be released in 2023