We’ve been taking a time-machine back through our MMO coverage, month by month, to hit the highlights and frame our journey as we head into 2019!
Where do you even start with December 2018? With Daybreak, of course: It followed up mass layoffs with a new game announcement – PlanetSide Arena, an MMO battle royale – and a big “limited” sale of lifetime MMO subs, which sold out and were promptly refreshed.
Meanwhile, Bethsoft did its best to right its Fallout 76 wrongs, Ashes of Creation launched and then paused its Apocalypse battle royale, and Wildcard announced, delayed, delayed again, and launched its buggy but ambitious new MMO Atlas. Blizzard continued struggling this month too, all but giving up on HOTS, losing traction with WoW and Overwatch, downsizing staff, and dealing with Activision’s influence.
We also put out our entire batch of 2018 awards, picking Final Fantasy XIV, Warframe, Torchlight Frontiers, Elder Scrolls Online’s Summerset, Grinding Gear Games, and Project Gorgon for special honors. And don’t forget our weirdest stories countdown, music awards, and bloopies – don’t miss the Schlaggies either!
Read on for the whole list from December of last year. And then… we’re done! Happy 2019!
TOP NEWS STORIES OF DECEMBER 2018
Superdata founder Joost van Dreunen sees dark days ahead for the game industry
Legends of Aria pushes off Steam early access launch into 2019
Fallout 76 collectors edition buyers will get the canvas bags they were promised after all
Rumor: Daybreak might be building a new PlanetSide game
Funcom’s tactical adventure game Mutant Year Zero has officially launched
The first early access shot is fired in Civil War battler War of Rights
Epic will challenge Steam with the Epic Games Store’s pro-developer policies
Dungeons & Dragons Online offers a two-year season pass for $299
Even Fallout 76’s ticket system is a buggy mess: A customer support loophole was leaking personal info
Rapper 2 Milly files lawsuit against Epic Games over Fortnite dance emote
Ashes of Creation Apocalypse, the MMORPG’s battle royale mode, launches December 18
ARK’s Studio Wildcard is launching a 40K-person-server pirate MMO called Atlas next week
Digital Extremes’ retro OARPG Survived By has hit early access
A judge has dismissed another chunk of Crytek’s Star Citizen engine lawsuit
Lord of the Rings Online offers an everything-in-one $200 bundle
Path of Exile’s biggest expansion ever, Betrayal, is live this afternoon
Daybreak has suffered another round of layoffs, between 60 and 70 people
Anthem doesn’t need whales to succeed, says BioWare’s Mike Gamble
Population Zero is an upcoming crafting-survival MMO inspired by classic sci-fi
Monster Hunter World announces Iceborne, a full-fledged expansion for autumn 2019, and Witcher crossover
Former Square Enix America CEO advises Bethesda and Blizzard to learn from Final Fantasy XIV
Anthem player learns why you don’t break NDAs. Or why you don’t use Origin. It’s one of those.
South Korea now has a law criminalizing the act of boosting in online games
UK parliament committee will investigate addictive tech, lootboxes, and harmful gamification
The International Olympic Committee casts doubt on the inclusion of esports at the Olympics
World of Warcraft’s Tide of Vengeance update goes live today
Elite Dangerous’ Beyond – Chapter Four is live today with exploration, background sim, and guilds
China’s Online Games Ethics Committee lifts year-long ‘freeze’ on game licenses but bars multiple games
Daybreak is announcing a new game on Thursday
EverQuest: The Burning Lands has launched
Artifact’s playerbase is already dropping fast, just like the value of its cards
Prosperous Universe blasts off to early access today
Daybreak’s new game is PlanetSide Arena, and yes, it’s a battle royale
Blizzard scales back Heroes of the Storm development cadence, esports, and dev team
Riot suspends COO for gross sexual jokes involving farting and touching subordinates’ genitalia
Valve’s Steam store has been challenged hard by Discord now, not just Epic
Fallout 76 may be flipping on its no-lockboxes vow
Carlton is making trouble in Fortnite’s neighborhood – by suing Epic over his dance
Escape From Tarkov devs lodge DMCA strikes over YouTuber’s ‘misinformation’ and ‘negative hype’
Warframe launches its 38th ‘frame, Baruuk, with today’s Fortuna: The Profit Taker
Daybreak’s offering a $300 lifetime sub for its stable of MMOs, and it’ll probably sell out
Guild Wars 2’s next living story episode ‘All or Nothing’ launches January 8th
Ashes of Creation’s Apocalypse is now expected to launch this afternoon
ZeniMax says 2019 will be a ‘huge year for The Elder Scrolls Online’
Wildcard’s new pirate MMO Atlas has been delayed yet again
Interview: New World’s Rich Lawrence on solving PvP problems and defining the sandbox
There are no Blizzard games in the November 2018 SuperData games revenue ranking, not even WoW
Star Citizen ATV, Squadron 42’s projected 2020 beta, and Cloud Imperium’s $46M private investment
City of Titans delays Issue 0 launch into 2019 – ‘We’re still here. We’re still fighting’
Blizzard details new HOTS cadence, shames toxic Overwatch pros, and pays over 100 Irish staff to leave
The continuing early access launch saga of Wildcard’s new pirate MMO Atlas
Bethesda compensates Fallout 76 players with three free Fallout titles
Gambling addict successfully petitions Path of Exile to disable lockboxes
Blizzard’s corporate culture is becoming much more cost-focused with stronger Activision influence
Ashes of Creation: Apocalypse is down until specialized test weekend in January
Atlas struggles to right a ship that is carrying thousands of hopeful players as the global pirate war begins
Daybreak found another 6000 $300 lifetime subs to sell, somehow
Fallout 76 asks banned players to submit a 500-word essay on why cheating is wrong
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF DECEMBER 2018
LOTRO Legendarium: Taking a fresh look at Lord of the Rings Online’s early zones
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV will let you pet the rabbits
Leaderboard: What do you think about Steam’s new revenue sharing plan?
The Daily Grind: What’s the meanest thing you can say about an MMO you adore?
Choose My Adventure: Taking the steering wheel of Star Citizen
Perfect Ten: The healthiest live MMORPGs at the end of 2018
Vague Patch Notes: MMO emulation as a paean for the dead vs. a mockery of the living
Hyperspace Beacon: Why PVPers are abandoning SWTOR – again
Ask Mo: The hits and misses of Massively OP’s 2018 predictions
WoW Factor: The zones that changed the most from Classic, Eastern Kingdoms edition
Massively Overthinking: The best and worst MMO developer quotes of 2018
The Game Archaeologist: Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2
One Shots: Our favorite screenshots of 2018
Jukebox Heroes: My ‘best’ FFXIV music picks
EVE Evolved: How could Project Nova live up to its true potential?
Wisdom of Nym: Other potential limited jobs for Final Fantasy XIV
EVE Online: Operation Permafrost, the Alaska cruise, and getting your wardec on
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG offered the best PvE experience in 2018?
Choose My Adventure: Postcards from the Star Citizen universe
Perfect Ten: MMOs to watch in 2019
EverQuesting: It’s a cash shop Christmas in EverQuest II’s Frostfell
The Daily Grind: When have MMO devs brought up ‘universal’ experiences that ring hollow?
Hyperspace Beacon: First impressions of SWTOR 5.10 ‘Jedi Under Siege’
Vague Patch Notes: The taxonomy of corporate apologies in video games
Massively Overthinking: Our favorite MMO stories of 2018
LOTRO Legendarium: Lord of the Rings Online’s 2018 review
Chaos Theory: Secret World Legends has a Krampusnacht content gift – here’s your guide
The Daily Grind: Which MMORPG has the best graphical appeal as of 2018?
Wisdom of Nym: No, Final Fantasy XIV reliability isn’t a bad thing
The Daily Grind: What was the most painful MMO sunset of 2018?
Choose My Adventure: I am not good at drug running in Star Citizen
Leaderboard: What was the most overrated MMO of 2018?
Massively OP’s 2018 MMO Video Game Music Awards
Perfect Ten: The MMOs with the best value going into 2019
Vague Patch Notes: Understanding systems before you talk about them
EverQuesting: Why I’m hesitant to jump on Daybreak’s lifetime membership deal bandwagon
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2019
The Daily Grind: What was the worst MMO trend of 2018?
Hands-on: Dipping into Ashes of Creation’s Apocalypse battle royale
WoW Factor: The great Superdata fall-off
The Game Archaeologist’s ultimate MMO archives v2.0
Jukebox Heroes: More MMO Christmas tunes
Perfect Ten: The biggest MMO surprises of 2018
Choose My Adventure: Star Citizen’s missions and their bugs
Vague Patch Notes: The complexity of classic preservation for MMOs
EVE Evolved: How mass surveillance is improving EVE Online
The Daily Grind: Will you kickstart any MMOs in 2019?
WoW Factor: The zones that changed the most from Classic, Kalimdor edition
Leaderboard: What’s the best classic MMORPG still running at the end of 2018?
LOTRO Legendarium: Eight tips for leveling up in Lord of the Rings Online
ALL 2018 YEAR IN REVIEW POSTS
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)
