At the tail end of this month, World of Warcraft released the Dragonflight expansion, the full weight of which wasn’t really felt until December. November itself was New World’s to lose, and Amazon met the challenge as New World’s concurrency blossomed with new fresh start servers. Furthermore, Elder Scrolls Online released its Firesong DLC, we learned Blue Protocol was still alive, and Crowfall met a hopefully temporary end.
But the biggest news of December came on the heels of the Activision-Blizzard investor call, when we learned that Blizzard’s and NetEase’s failure to negotiate their renewal contract would lead to the sunset of almost every single Blizzard game in China.
TOP NEWS STORIES OF NOVEMBER 2022
Netflix acquires cozy game dev studio Spry Fox, which promises work on non-violent MMO will continue
Astellia Online is back again as a crummy blockchain MMO called Astel of Atra
Elder Scrolls Online’s Firesong DLC and Update 36 are live for PC players
New World’s fresh start concurrency soars to 119K as Amazon adds 33 new servers
A huge star just ruptured in EVE Online in the lead-up to the Uprising expansion
Activision-Blizzard continues obstructing QA worker unionization with latest appeal
Star Anvil’s Secret World TTRPG Kickstarter successfully funds with $150K raised
Funcom’s cartoony multiplayer roguelike Conan Chop Chop hasn’t seen an update since April
Blue Protocol is alive: Bandai Namco finally acknowledges continuing development
Raven workers accuse Activision-Blizzard of ‘continued intransigence’ during union negotiations
World of Warcraft’s freebie Feldrake mount causes fan outrage as Dragonflight’s dungeons are previewed
Final Fantasy XIV’s Naoki Yoshida sparks backlash over a bad answer to questions on diversity in Final Fantasy XVI
Guild Wars 2 players raise over $100K for Extra Life and unlock all collection hints in the process
PlanetSide 2 breaks its own world record two times over and begins public testing its next update
This past weekend saw New World hit its highest player concurrency all year
Square-Enix Q3 2022: Final Fantasy XIV subs continue to grow along with company’s NFT aspirations
Crowfall is going offline on November 22, supposedly for further development work
EVE Online brings new ship variants, frontlines, and shinier hangars in today’s Uprising update
Neverwinter’s Northdark Reaches module is live on PC and console today
Sony and NCsoft have reportedly teamed up to produce an MMO based on the Horizon franchise
Diablo Immortal merged a ton of servers with today’s update
Dungeons and Dragons Online releases Update 57 Grip of the Hidden Hand today – here are the patch notes
SWTOR is launching Showdown on Ruhnuk with new planet and PvP overhaul by the end of the year
Ex-CCP devs announce post-apoc survival MMO Annex
Nexon Q3 2022: ‘Record breaking quarterly revenue’ is earned on the strength of mobile gaming in Korea
Wild Terra 2 New Lands has officially launched as the sequel to 2017’s Wild Terra Online
Final Fantasy XIV previews the upcoming patch ‘Gods Revel, Lands Tremble’
NCsoft Q3 2022: Lineage W drives QoQ revenues, Guild Wars 2 had a great year
DC Universe Online devs and fans honor the passing of Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy
Roblox Q3 2022: Revenue rises by a small margin but net losses continue ‘for the foreseeable future’
Pearl Abyss Q3 2022: DokeV and Crimson Desert delays, CCP’s new blockchain game, and EVE Online’s uptick
Arcane Waters launches into access launch today – a full day early
Lord of the Rings Online goes Before the Shadow today with new zones, leveling changes, and delving system
Blue Protocol confirms an early spring launch in Japan, schedules an announcement at the Game Awards
World of Warcraft moves into its second Dragonflight pre-patch phase with Dracthyr Evokers
EVE Online hits its second highest daily user count for November thanks to Uprising and promotional offers
WoW, Overwatch, Diablo, and more to sunset in China following failed Blizzard-Netease licensing deal
ArcheAge 2 teaser introduces you to a vibrant world that needs smashing
EG7 Q3 2022: LOTRO’s monthly active players are up 11% compared to last year
Crowdfunded survival MMO Frozen Flame officially enters early access
Seed MMO halts comms, disables website over cease and desist from… a sugardaddy dating service?
Blizzard once again tries to delay Albany QA workers’ union vote through a request for review
ArcheAge 2 confirms PC and console versions, action combat, and non-linear progression
Lord of the Rings Online’s community goes bonkers for a boulder nicknamed Dwayne Johnson
Albion Online welcomes players into the Mists a day early with Beyond the Veil
Standing Stone Games’ executive producer says he’s ‘low-key angry’ he couldn’t save Asheron’s Call
ZeniMax’s unannounced AAA MMO has ramped up to 200 developers since 2018
Crowfall goes dark today with a slim hope of a future return
A new fan-made timeline shows Star Citizen development adjacent to the tech industry, From Software, and CD Projekt Red
New World of Warcraft ad reminds you that you get your own dragon partner in Dragonflight like Pedro Pascal
Elite Dangerous confirms Update 14 for November 29 along with ‘live’ and ‘legacy’ versions of the sandbox
Camelot Unchained developer City State picked up another $15M+ in investment funding
Guild Wars 2 introduces a comfy cat chair and more bag slots for all
Trove’s Reeling in the Stars update revamped fishing and added a star chart progression system
The FTC might challenge Microsoft-Activision Blizzard acquisition
Gamigo silently pulled Aura Kingdom off Steam after months of payment issues
Bless Global is a blockchain-linked version of Bless that’s headed for Steam and mobile devices
How WoW Classic became a ‘hellscape of instrumental practices’
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight launches tonight [Update: It’s live!]
Elite Dangerous adds adjustments, fixes, and the promise of new narrative content in today’s Update 14
Lord of the Rings Online dug a grave for players and killed our pet rock
EverQuest II: Renewal of Ro launches today
Australian lawmaker proposes bill that would classify games with lockboxes for adults only
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF NOVEMBER 2022
Wisdom of Nym: Final Fantasy XIV’s potential future destinations and expansions for Variant Dungeons
Fight or Kite: Galahad 3093 turns the knights of the round into mech fighters in a cyberpunk future
Choose My Adventure: Running face-first into the brick wall that is Neocron
Perfect Ten: 10 great reasons to revisit older MMORPGs
Vague Patch Notes: The art of picking winners and losers in MMO design
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go is just not keeping its community promises
Massively Overthinking: Would you do hard MMO content without rewards?
WoW Factor: Breaking down the ‘third era’ of World of Warcraft development
LOTRO Legendarium: What class should you pick in LOTRO?
Vitae Aeternum: Tackling New World’s endgame as a solo player
Wisdom of Nym: The unfinished spaces left in Final Fantasy XIV
Choose My Adventure: Mist Legacy manages to somehow be both an idle and punishing MMORPG
Flameseeker Chronicles: Wrapping up Guild Wars 2’s S1 reboot with episode 5, The Battle for Lion’s Arch
Perfect Ten: 10 metrics to check to gauge MMO success or failure
Flameseeker Chronicles: How the Elementalist saved Guild Wars 2 for me
Vague Patch Notes: Alas, poor Crowfall, you’re gone now
Massively Overthinking: The New World comeback
First impressions of Marvel Snap, an addictive mobile card game by Hearthstone’s former director
Wow Factor: Welcome the desert of the real Blizzard
Wisdom of Nym: Reactions to the first Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.3 live letter
Choose My Adventure: Broken Ranks is a grim and fascinating bit of RPG gaming
Perfect Ten: The players you’re likely to meet in MMO hell
Why I Play: World of Warcraft, 2022 edition
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go players are voting against Niantic with their feet
LOTRO Legendarium: Exploring Before the Shadow’s new starter area and skirmish
WoW Factor: So Blizzard just lost China
Massively Overthinking: Changing ‘mains’ in MMOs
WoW Factor: First impressions of the Dracthyr Evoker
MMO Cartographer: Elyon, dead game walking
Massively on the Go: How Pokemon GO players can prepare for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Vitae Aeternum: The storm clouds on New World’s horizon
Wisdom of Nym: What’s the future of Final Fantasy XIV’s story arcs?
Choose My Adventure: Genfanad is ‘nostalgic’ in almost all of the wrong ways
Perfect Ten: 10 things we’re thankful for in MMO gaming
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet inches franchise closer to Monster Hunter multiplayer status
WoW Factor: What works and what doesn’t about Dragonflight’s Primalists (so far)
Massively on the Go: A dozen Splatoon 3 Salmon Run tips from the EVPs
The Game Archaeologist: Wizardry Online, the short-lived permadeath MMO
Wisdom of Nym: Thematic discussion of Final Fantasy XIV’s first major story arc
Massively on the Go: Pokemon GO’s Mythical Wishes season needs to win players back
Fight or Kite: Conqueror’s Blade brings Dynasty Warriors vibes to the MMO genre
End-of-Year Eleven: The Biggest MMO Surprises of 2022
From the Depths: ‘Free-to-play’ World of Warships is an expensive journey
THE FULL 2022 YEAR-IN-REVIEW
MMO Year in Review: Microsoft has entered the chat (January 2022)
MMO Year in Review: End of Dragons, Lost Ark (February 2022)
MMO Year in Review: From Ukraine aid to Throne and Liberty (March 2022)
MMO Year in Review: Leaky Blizzard and Lord Blockchain (April 2022)
MMO Year in Review: Press F for another Marvel MMO (May 2022)
MMO Year in Review: High Isle and Diablo Immoral (June 2022)
MMO Year in Review: Smedleyfaire (July 2022)
MMO Year in Review: DUNE, Neptune, and Island Sanctuaries (August 2022)
MMO Year in Review: The Lich King (September 2022)
MMO Year in Review: Embers and Brimstone (October 2022)
MMO Year in Review: Blizzard China (November 2022)
MMO Year in Review: The FTC strikes back (December 2022)
