We’re taking a time-machine back through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey before we head into 2019!
You might think that August, having birthed Battle for Azeroth, would have been the bombshell month for 2018, but you’d be wrong. It was in fact September, which saw the announcement that EVE Online and CCP Games had been bought out by Black Desert’s Pearl Abyss, the news that THQ Nordic had bought the rights to and abandoned MMO Project Copernicus, the revelation that WildStar and Carbine were being shut down, and the report that Daybreak had seen major investment from a benefactor aiming to use it to build mobile games and an e-sports empire.
And that was all just on September 6th! The rest of the month was no slouch either; we learned that another Lord of the Rings MMO is in the works, Boundless launched, Belgium began its criminal investigation over lockboxes, and MassivelyOP itself got a major website overhaul.
Incidentally, we think September 6th, 2018, is now the biggest single news day in MMORPG history to date, followed closely by March 11th, 2016, when Daybreak canceled EverQuest Next, WildStar was hit with mass layoffs, and Colin Johanson left Guild Wars 2, all in the span of a few hours.
Current mood. pic.twitter.com/FTjJciFFpn
— breetoplay (@nbrianna) September 7, 2018
Read on for the whole list from September of this past year!
TOP NEWS STORIES OF SEPTEMBER 2018
Tencent’s market value dropped by $20B following new Chinese gaming regulation plans
PAX West 2018: Anthem shuns content paywalls, lockboxes while embracing ‘reactive storytelling’
Frodo lives: A new Lord of the Rings MMORPG is apparently in the works
Esports in the Olympics isn’t happening any time soon thanks to ‘killer games’
Destiny 2’s Forsaken DLC is officially live today – are you going back?
Valve’s Artifact will feature no moderation and no cards earned through play
Black Desert counts 10M global registered users, plus news on today’s patch, Pearl Abyss benefits, and the Drieghan teaser trailer
Standing Stone says that new LOTR MMO will have no impact on Lord of the Rings Online
Star Wars The Old Republic announces massive fall update, Jedi Under Siege
EVE Online developer CCP Games bought by Black Desert Online studio Pearl Abyss
THQ Nordic has bought up the rights to 38 Studios’ Project Copernicus and Kingdoms of Amalur
WildStar and Carbine are shutting down
Daybreak announces new investment, new H1Z1 and EverQuest mobile titles, and a new esports arena
DragonCon 2018: Secret World Legends is finally getting a new scenario
New World interview covers sandbox design, hosting tech, combat, death, and more
Former Cryptic employee reveals story of how City of Heroes assets and source code accidentally ended up on players’ computers
Belgium begins criminal investigation into EA’s noncompliance with gambling laws as lockboxes remain in FIFA
Boundless officially launches on Steam, releases new trailer
ArenaNet introduces World Boss Teleport Device to Guild Wars 2 cash shop, unveils redesigned website
WildStar fans start a petition to urge NCsoft to save the game
CCP Games discusses EVE Online as a forever game, its 300K players, and its mobile and big screen aspirations
Riot Games hires former Uber exec to advise on still-raging sexism scandal
TERA’s Happily Evil After PC update is live today
THQ Nordic suggests it bought Kingdoms of Amalur and MMO Project Copernicus chiefly for their IP
Welcome to Massively OP 2.0!
UK researchers identify link between lootboxes and problem gambling
DragonCon 2018: Camelot Unchained’s Mark Jacobs on VR, battle royale, and more
Bethesda wants Fallout 76 to last forever
International regulators co-sign declaration to investigate lockboxes and skin gambling
Middle-earth Enterprises reassures Lord of the Rings Online fans that the original MMO will be fine
Wargaming is building a new ‘free-to-play multiplatform MMO’ in the UK
Fortnite player arrested for threatening to kill an 11-year-old opponent
Secret World Legends has launched its new Occult Defense scenario
World of Warcraft guild Method nets world-first Mythic Uldir clear, Blizzard introduces $75 mount-and-subscription bundle
Bless Online’s last remaining Korean servers are shutting down
Interview: Bless Online on early access, pay-to-win, and its western refuge on Steam
Bethesda grants terminally ill 12-year-old’s wish to play Fallout 76
Wanna feel old? Ultima Online launched 21 years ago today
Players are apparently trying to save Pirates of the Burning Sea, so Portalus delayed its sunset
World of Warcraft made more money than League of Legends last month, SuperData reports
ArenaNet confirms Belgian Guild Wars 2 gem-purchasing blockade
WoW Classic will be playable at BlizzCon – and also with a virtual ticket
The last remnants of Club Penguin are sunsetting, again, as Disney lays off Club Penguin Island staff
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF SEPTEMBER 2018
LOTRO Legendarium: The unique feel of Lord of the Rings Online
The Daily Grind: What MMO area do you find most annoying to navigate?
The Daily Grind: What major blunders in MMORPG history should future devs study?
PAX West 2018: Getting my feet wet in Elder Scrolls Online’s Murkmire
Wisdom of Nym: What we learned in Final Fantasy XIV’s anniversary letter
PAX West 2018: Bless Unleashed is nothing like Bless Online
PAX West 2018: Survival MMO Rend’s surprising art, Dorito map, faction PvP, and inbound PvE
EVE Evolved: How would you reboot EVE Online?
Perfect Ten: Why World of Warcraft is still worth playing
PAX West 2018: First impressions of PWE’s Remnant From the Ashes
The Soapbox: I have a bad feeling about Anthem
PAX West 2018: How to win and lose at Dauntless
The Daily Grind: So how worried are you about Pearl Abyss’ buyout of CCP Games?
PAX West 2018: Every mobile game should play like Elder Scrolls Blades
A eulogy for WildStar – a marvelous MMORPG and avoidable tragedy
Massively Overthinking: Massively OP’s PAX West 2018 awards and poll
PAX West 2018: The PWE gauntlet of Neverwinter and Torchlight
LOTRO Legendarium: A new Lord of the Rings MMO enters the One Ring
EVE Evolved: What could the sale of CCP Games mean for EVE Online?
The Daily Grind: How could WildStar have succeeded?
Wisdom of Nym: Why subjobs wouldn’t work with Final Fantasy XIV
Jukebox Heroes: Star Citizen’s soundtrack
Massively OP Podcast Episode 186: The perfect storm of MMO news
Perfect Ten: My favorite MMORPG names
Massively on the Go: Our guide to legendary and EX raiding in Pokemon Go
The Daily Grind: Do you still log in to play MMOs that are scheduled to sunset?
Vague Patch Notes: WildStar deserves its shutdown, even though we loved it
The Game Archaeologist: City of Heroes moves into the Paragon Studios era
The most amazing cosplay on display at DragonCon 2018
EVE Evolved: Two ways that EVE Online’s monetisation could be expanded under Pearl Abyss
Wisdom of Nym: Picking apart Final Fantasy XIV’s patch 4.4 notes
The Daily Grind: Do you think you’ve aged out of MMOs?
Flameseeker Chronicles: First impressions of Guild Wars 2’s A Star to Guide Us
Perfect Ten: My favorite WildStar memories
Hyperspace Beacon: What will we see on SWTOR’s ‘ancient Jedi world’?
The Daily Grind: How do you pick your MMO character names?
Massively Overthinking: Which MMORPG, living or dead, offers the all-time best crafting experience?
Vague Patch Notes: Trickle-down metagames in MMORPGs
Chaos Theory: The rosy side of the Secret World Legends’ less-than-ideal scenario situation
LOTRO Legendarium: Future classes, business models, and direction
The Daily Grind: What’s the nicest thing you can say about an MMORPG you dislike?
Chaos Theory: The prickly side of Secret World Legends’ less-than-ideal scenario situation
Wisdom of Nym: Examining Final Fantasy XIV’s patch 4.4, Prelude in Violet
The Daily Grind: What if World of Warcraft had never happened?
Jukebox Heroes: DC Universe Online
Perfect Ten: The big book of MMORPG death mechanics
The Daily Grind: Are you excited with the World of Warcraft Classic playable demo announcement?
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR, a roleplay community divided
The Survivalist: Can ROKH’s transparency help it survive?
Ask Mo: The real value of MMO interviews
Vague Patch Notes: World of Warcraft, math, and making choices ‘interesting’ in MMOs
The Survivalist: Will ARK Survival Evolved’s Conquest be PvP salvation or ultimately a clustercluck?
EVE Evolved: The rookie’s guide to fitting ships in EVE Online
ALL 2018 YEAR-IN-REVIEW POSTS SO FAR
MMO Year in Review: The SWTOR sunset scare (January 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Dragon Bones, Funcom’s revival, and the politics of lockboxes (February 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Thieves, Avatars, and Gorgons (March 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Columbus Nova who? (April 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Mixed Bless-ings (May 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Fallout 76, Elder Scrolls Online, and Bethsoft’s bonanza (June 2018)
MMO Year in Review: So, uh, how ’bout that underwater combat balance (July 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Watching the world tree burn (August 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Literally the biggest news day in MMO history (September 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Gamigo’s gory Trion Worlds acquisition (October 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Blizzard and Bethsoft’s dumpster fire showdown (November 2018)
MMO Year in Review: Daybreak gonna Daybreak (December 2018)
