If you weren’t paying much attention to BlizzCon this weekend, you missed out on some big reveals: World of Warcraft announced a three-expansion content cycle called the Worldsoul Saga, which starts with The War Within in 2024; WoW Classic announced Cataclysm Classic and a Season of Discovery that gives players some of what they wanted from a theoretical Classic Plus; Diablo IV announced its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred; Overwatch 2 revealed its first Samoan hero, Mauga; and Warcraft Rumble launched into the wilds of mobile.
Read on to catch up with the very best of this week’s MMO news and opinions today as every Sunday (since 2010!) in Massively Overpowered’s Week in Review!BLIZZCON 2023
BlizzCon 2023: World of Warcraft’s next expansion is The War Within, first in the Worldsoul Saga expansion trilogy - The next World of Warcraft expansion has indeed been announced as The War Within, with players descending into the heart of Azeroth itself, engaging with Nerubians, Earthen, and other subterranean…
BlizzCon 2023: WoW Classic panel reveals Cataclysm, Hardcore, and Season of Discovery - Despite shouts of "Classic Plus!" coming from the crowd at BlizzCon, Blizzard resolutely pushed forward the more predictable path for World of Warcraft Classic: a return to 2010's controversial Cataclysm.…
BlizzCon 2023: Everything we learned about The War Within in World of Warcraft’s What’s Next panel - This year's opening ceremony for BlizzCon did not feature the usual kickoff of a new major World of Warcraft reveal followed by a lengthy explanation; instead, the explainer was offloaded…
BlizzCon 2023: World of Warcraft’s War Within systems deep dive - If you were entranced by all of the promises unveiled as part of World of Warcraft: The War Within's reveal at BlizzCon on Friday, you probably still had some questions…
BlizzCon 2023: WoW, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and more at the Opening Ceremony - All the big news is at the end! We're gearing up for the start of BlizzCon - and its freebie virtual stream - as the opening ceremony kicks off at…
BlizzCon 2023: WoW Classic is getting Cataclysm in 2024 and Season of Discovery in Vanilla - Yes, World of Warcraft fans, WoW Classic is indeed going ahead to the next expansion in the game's history. WoW Classic: Cataclysm has been announced for release in 2024, with…
BlizzCon 2023: Diablo IV announces its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred - We've been told that Diablo IV will be getting an expansion for some time now, and now we finally have some information about it. The title, Diablo IV: Vessel of…
Here’s how to watch BlizzCon 2023 for free – plus everything to expect from WoW, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, and more - After several years away - and one goofy BlizzConline in 2021 - BlizzCon is finally back and in person as of today, though of course you can watch the bulk…
BlizzCon 2023: Warcraft Rumble deploys pocket-sized fun - Out of all of the games and announcements emerging from BlizzCon this weekend, only one had to do with a product actually going live at the same time. That was,…
BlizzCon 2023: Diablo IV compares its Vessel of Hatred expansion to a bacon BBQ burger - What's Next for Diablo IV? More than just the game's first expansion, as the OARPG's panel took a look at its next couple of months. But it obviously talked about…
BlizzCon 2023: Overwatch 2’s new hero, Mauga, has goofy guns that were at one point bigger than Tracer - During the Opening Ceremony at BlizzCon this afternoon, Blizzard's Overwatch 2 team was the first game out of the blocks to introduce the new hero Mauga. Readers might remember that…
BlizzCon 2023: Diablo is getting a tabletop RPG and a ‘co-op adventure’ board game - BlizzCon hasn't even begun and we've already got our first announcement of the day: Diablo is getting a tabletop game and a board game. "Glass Cannon Unplugged, Blizzard Entertainment, and…
BlizzCon 2023: Hearthstone expansion Showdown in the Badlands launches November 14 - During this afternoon's Opening Ceremony at BlizzCon, the Hearthstone team unveiled a new content drop, catch-up packs, and a new co-op mode - all of which were touched on in…
BlizzCon 2023: Overwatch 2 previews competitive updates, Clash game mode, and upcoming heroes - The "What's Next" panels continue to spill forth from this year's BlizzCon as Overwatch 2 talked up its next several seasons' worth of updates, most of which are focused entirely…
THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES
PvP MMO Gloria Victis has officially sunsetted as Siege Survival Gloria Victis marches on - Back in August, we relayed the unfortunate news that Polish indie studio Black Eye Games was sunsetting siege PvP MMORPG Gloria Victis after a decade of early access and several…
WoW Factor: What I’m hoping to see in the next World of Warcraft expansion - Here in WoW Factor, I haven't held back about the fact that the upcoming BlizzCon is not a good idea or the fact that World of Warcraft's designers have generally…
Blue Protocol’s western version is running a closed technical test next week - With Blue Protocol's global launch delayed into 2024, you might have forgotten all about it, but not so fast: Amazon and Bandai Namco are plotting a closed "technical" test next…
Nexon’s Embark Studios defends AI voice work in its arena shooter The Finals - The Finals, a free-to-play game show-themed arena shooter that's currently in open beta, is taking the heat for an admitted use of artificial intelligence in voicing some of its lines.…
Nitrado CEO claims ARK Survival Ascended ‘would never have existed’ without its $4M loan - The twisty, tangled, muddy mess between Nitrado, ARK: Survival Ascended publisher Snail Games, and the wider business of private server hosting continues to present itself as a Mobius strip of…
The Day Before just delayed to December with its post-trademark-dispute early access - I know you're shocked, but The Day Before has delayed its launch once again - although it's not as bad as you're thinking. Readers will recall that we've been watching…
Vague Patch Notes: So what are MMORPGs meant to be? - I don't know exactly why I've spent so much time this year fixating on the question about what MMORPGs are meant to be and where their development should lead, but…
Here are the patch notes for World of Warcraft’s Guardians of the Dream update - The time is coming soon when World of Warcraft players will have to protect the Emerald Dream from various threats, but before that point, they should probably get prepared by…
New World’s latest update nixes restrictions on PvP alts as Amazon works on mutation bug - Early this morning, Amazon pushed out a new patch for New World - and it's likely to make alters and PvPers happier than a sack full of candy. "Players will…
Ashes of Creation takes players on an Alpha Two caravan ride in latest preview video - Come along and ride on a caravan voyage with Ashes of Creation, as Intrepid Studios offers up yet more Alpha Two gameplay footage, this time showcasing the MMORPG's caravan system.…
Embers Adrift releases new hair, alchemy, and a roadmap for the rest of 2023 - Embers Adrift isn't resting on its laurels Halloween week like so many other MMOs: It's pumped out a new patch to bolster its ongoing anniversary festivities, and the patch focuses…
Neverwinter’s Spelljammer launches November 7 with a new type of zone called Wildspace - Add one more major update to an MMORPG coming next week on November 7th: Neverwinter is launching its Spelljammer module that very crowded day.[AL:NW] "In Spelljammer, reports of falling stars…
Perfect Ten: 10 MMORPGs as Saturday morning cartoons - My insane MMO and MMORPG thought experiments do indeed continue: Previously I considered what muffins MMO NPCs are, then I considered what flavor of gelatin games would be. Now I…
Hyperspace Beacon: Have Star Wars The Old Republic’s visuals aged well? - Initially I wanted to write a column about how the transition of Star Wars: The Old Republic to Broadsword and how we're seeing its new owners and old developers handle…
Indie MMORPG Monsters & Memories says its proof of concept is 70% complete - The crew at Niche Worlds Cult took to Reddit this week to make a case for Monsters & Memories, the charming throwback MMORPG that we've been watching for some time…
Wayfinder’s ‘biggest update yet,’ The Reaver King, launches today with load time fixes - As promised and foretold in the long long ago of five days back, Wayfinder's mid-season update is set to launch today. The early access title sends players to Hollow Heart…
Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.51 starts new PvP season, opens new variant dungeons, and begins Fall Guys collab - The list of things to do within Final Fantasy XIV has gotten just a little bit bigger today thanks to Patch 6.51, which introduces new PvE, PvP, and side attraction…
Bungie studio hit by layoffs, delays of Destiny 2’s Final Shape and Marathon - Sony-owned Bungie has become the latest gaming company to suffer apparently significant layoffs this year - enough to cause major delays to multiple titles. As first reported by Bloomberg, Destiny…
Sandbox MMORPG Abyss lists April 18 release date, shares gameplay footage and dev updates - This past summer saw a new PvP sandbox MMORPG arrive to our sphere in the form of Abyss, a sci-fantasy title that promised "immersive quests unique to each player based…
Fight or Kite: Love anime, mechs, and battle royale? Super Mecha Champions is probably for you - If you’re anything like me, you love a good, dumb battle against other players. You also love all kinds of action anime. Maybe even some anime that are less than…
Wisdom of Nym: What’s left on the table for Final Fantasy XIV’s Tokyo fan festival? - So what's still on the table for Final Fantasy XIV's third fan festival this cycle? (It's not really this year; the third one is in January next year.) A couple…
Throne and Liberty ditches gacha business model for subs and passes - Does even the mere mention of a gacha system in an online game make you break out in hives? Then breathe a sigh of relief at the news that NCsoft…
THIS WEEK’S CASTS & STREAMS
Massively OP Podcast Episode 443: Endless adventures in cyberdreams
The Stream Team: Seeking to be top of the flock in the musical battle royale Headbangers Rhythm Royale
The Stream Team: Menzoberranzan city sights in Neverwinter
The Stream Team: Backseat Streaming shoots a few rounds in Redfall
The Stream Team: Story questing, horse riding, and flailing in New World
The Stream Team: Enjoying pumpkin carving in The Annual Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival
The Stream Team: Visiting the Blunderville attraction for fun and fashion in Final Fantasy XIV
Every week, get caught up on the MMO genre’s latest news and Massively OP’s best content in our MMO Week in Review! Want more roundups of content? Try Friday’s Betawatch for MMO testing highlights, Saturday’s Make My MMO for MMO crowdfunding updates, and Sunday’s The MOP Up, which mops up all the bits of news we didn’t cover anywhere else.
