Anyone looking for a new MMORPG in 2023 currently has dozens of games to choose from. But which ones are really worth it and which ones should you ignore? MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch introduces you to his personal tier list.
What is this list? This list aims to offer you a ranking of the biggest MMORPGs at a glance. Below you will also find some explanations and justifications for the list.
The idea came from a video by TheLazyPeon, but the list is based on my own opinion and experience over the past few years.
Who is speaking anyway? I’m Alex and the MMORPG expert here on MeinMMO. My MMO career started with the games Guild Wars 1, Aion and RIFT. Lately I’ve mainly been on Guild Wars 2, New World, ESO, Lost Ark and FFXIV.
From this list, I’ve played every MMORPG for at least 5 hours, most 10+ hours, and some 1,000+ hours.
The list was originally created in late 2021 and was last updated on February 12, 2023.
Tier list of MMORPGs
Explanations and examples of the different tiers
I would generally recommend games from the S-Tier to all of my friends:
Guild Wars 2 is at the top for me because it has the best combat system, the best mounts, and one of the fairest gear systems out there.
WoW and FFXIV are the strongest tab-targeted MMORPGs and have the best dungeons and raids. If you prefer a Japanese setting, you should go for Final Fantasy, if you like the comic look, you should go for WoW.
I would recommend Tier A games to people who have a certain type of player:
For example, Albion Online is one of the best PvP MMORPGs out there, but not everyone likes that focus.
Black Desert has the most fun combat system ever and interesting economies, but endless grind and luck with equipment.
For me, ESO has the best soundtrack, excellent stories and is well suited for beginners. The action-combat system is fun, but it also has some gaps in terms of power. In addition, the content was not so strong in 2022. In 2023 it has the potential to return to the S tier.
Lost Ark offers interesting dungeons and raids and is incredibly busy. In addition, the PvP is very fair and places value on skill. It’s by far the best iso perspective MMORPG, but that and the grind are understandable criticisms.
New World has ramped up tremendously in 2022 and is well on its way to becoming an S-Tier title, though the combat system and grind won’t please everyone.
Old School RuneScape offers an incredibly rewarding gameplay that almost no other MMORPG offers. It also relies heavily on nostalgia. However, the graphics are getting on in years, so that it is definitely not enough for an S-Tier game.
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The games in the B tier are basically not bad, but they all have a catch or are too specific in the target group:
Blade & Soul is a fun MMORPG, but it has a lot of grind and real money helps to shorten it.
EVE Online is very specific in terms of gameplay and simply not intended for every type of player.
Although Lord of the Rings Online has a strong IP in the background, it is just as old in terms of graphics and gameplay.
Mortal Online 2 is a hardcore, no-holds-barred PvP MMORPG. This can be cool, but is uninteresting or frustrating for most.
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is fun in terms of gameplay, but currently offers too little content to get into the A tier.
SWTOR has a cool story and is a must for Star Wars fans, but purely on gameplay it feels dated. Unfortunately, the latest expansion was also disappointing. Still, the class stories early in the game are some of the best the genre has to offer.
Trove is an MMORPG with fun dungeons and building features. It doesn’t have that deep gameplay, but belongs to the more entertaining games.
Although Zenith is the strongest VR MMORPG at the moment, it lags far behind classic PC games in terms of content and is also not that strong graphically. In addition, VR games are generally a niche.
C-tier games have a bigger catch than B-tier games:
ArcheAge is one of the best sandbox MMORPGs in terms of gameplay and has the potential for B or even A tier. But it keeps struggling with exploits, Pay2Win, a lot of randomness and balance problems, even under the new publisher Kakao Games.
While Age of Conan is a usable MMORPG, it doesn’t get much new content and it also plays a bit old-fashioned.
Guild Wars 1 is one of my favorite MMORPGs ever, but it just doesn’t get any new content anymore, which is why it misses the leap into the B tier.
Shroud of the Avatar already looked old-fashioned at release and has a very weak tutorial.
Vindictus has an incredibly fun combat system but is very grindy, unbalanced and has pay2win content.
D-Tier games had some good concepts but are more or less dead:
On the other hand, I actively advise against games in the E-Tier:
Fiesta Online is a poorly optimized game that feels like there’s no love at all. Every player should save themselves the download.
League of Angels is an autoplay MMORPG that basically has no gameplay but offers dozens of ways to spend your money.
Revelation Online is a loveless Asian MMORPG that also comes with performance issues and Pay2Win.
Perfect World also features Pay2Win heavily, but at least has the cool flying combat that used to make the MMORPG interesting.
The most exciting MMORPGs in development
What MMORPGs will come in 2023 and beyond? More MMORPGs will be released in the coming months and years, which will surely get their place in the Tier List.
The three most interesting titles are NCSoft’s Ashes of Creation, Throne and Liberty, due out in 2023, and the League of Legends MMORPG. They all have the potential to be among the best games out there if properly implemented and appropriately supported by the developer and publisher.
There will also be some new indie games including Corepunk, Profane and Fractured. They have potential, but have yet to prove themselves. We will keep the tier list up to date accordingly.
Everything about the new MMORPGs in 2023:
6 new MMORPGs that will definitely be released in 2023
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