Elder Scrolls Online launched its Necrom expansion in June, sending players both to mainland Morrowind and to the spooky realm of Hermaeus Mora.
Meanwhile, Swords of Legends Online met its untimely western demise, Diablo IV had a messy global launch, Black Desert launched Land of the Morning Light, and BioWare finally admitted that Star Wars The Old Republic – and the large chunk of the team – was moving from BioWare to Broadsword.
Here’s the whole recap from June of this past year, from our top news stories of the month to our best editorials.
TOP NEWS STORIES OF JUNE 2023
Gameforge is sunsetting Swords of Legends Online not quite two years after launch
Former World of Warcraft dev claims he was fired over greedy goblin text lines
CIG raises prices on Star Citizen ships, confirms Squadron 42’s removal from sale for an ‘expected price change’
Diablo IV’s head start launches this evening – Blizz warns it might be ‘a little bumpy’
Tarisland sets its scene in new video with new animated art and more questionable narration
Lord of the Rings Online says hello to King’s Gondor, farewell to Shadowfax
No Man’s Sky announces a native Mac edition for Apple fans with cross-save and cross-play
Diablo IV’s early access launch has been relatively smooth, but license issues are blockading some players
Activision-Blizzard offers (some) hard numbers on its harassment and discrimination problem
Embers Adrift pivots to a buy-to-play business model with optional sub
Subreddits for FFXIV, Guild Wars 2, WoW, and more MMORPGs plan blackout protests over Reddit’s API access changes
David Brevik on Marvel Heroes’ 10th anniversary: ‘It is gone into the nothingness forever’
Elder Scrolls Online’s Necrom chapter is officially live – here’s the launch trailer!
Microsoft is reportedly considering pulling Activision out of the UK market over regulatory block
Diablo IV’s global launch was marred by server issues, but Blizzard is already working on two expansions
The Magic to Master Kickstarter fiasco has become a scandal over Idea Fabrik, Hero Engine, and The Repopulation
World of Warcraft announces price hikes on subscription plans for Turkiye and Ukraine
Star Wars: The Old Republic development is moving from BioWare to Broadsword
Fans and game devs alike react to Star Wars The Old Republic’s move to Broadsword
No Man’s Sky’s Singularity aka expedition 10 is live – here’s the new trailer
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis enters ‘ver. 2’ with new player housing feature and several bugs
Funcom’s Dune Awakening was partly inspired by Villeneuve’s Dune duology
Summer Game Fest 2023: Throne & Liberty, Path of Exile 2, Black Desert, Wayfinder, Fae Farm
World of Warcraft’s tweaked community Discord terms are better but still problematic
Riot Games and pro League of Legends esports players reach compromise to end strike
All your favorite MMORPG subreddits went dark over Reddit’s ruinous anti-app plans
Skull & Bones will finally hit closed beta in August after at least half a dozen delays
Embracer (Gearbox) announces major restructure with layoffs and canceled games
Star Wars: The Old Republic launches Old Wounds today with new story content
EVE Online launches its Viridian summer expansion today [Update: It’s live!]
Overwatch 2 discusses the Invasion update’s PvE missions – and the price you’ll have to pay to keep them
Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light expansion officially launches today
Amazon Games’ Bill Trost vacates creative director position to become lead designer for Ashes of Creation
Wurm Online’s corporate owner plans a game rebrand and a new integrated cash shop
Blue Protocol’s Japanese launch is beset by delays, login issues, and cash shop problems
The Magic to Master mess devolved into DMCA abuse as Laniatus promises launch ‘regardless of Kickstarter’
Funcom has unceremoniously axed Advisors of Rubi-Ka, Anarchy Online’s player volunteer program
Gameforge’s DMCA filing took the Magic to Master Kickstarter down, alleging stolen Metin2 assets
Star Citizen is creeping up on $600M in crowdfunding, outstripping many AAA titles’ budgets
Forgotten Realms’ Ed Greenwood helms Neverwinter’s 10th anniversary events, starting today
Electronic Arts SEC filing expresses concern over the potential impact of unionization and AI regulation
Chronicles of Elyria dev insists it will ‘return as a full-fledged MMO in no time’
Reddit CEO remains unfazed by blackout protests, calls organizing moderators ‘landed gentry’
Lord of the Rings Online announces River Hobbits, Mariner class, and stat squish
Blue Protocol reportedly unleashes a banwave against players accessing the MMO outside of Japan
SWGEmu’s Finalizer rogue server is apparently struggling to make its monthly budget
Remember that EVE Online Excel integration? It’s actually fully live today
World of Warcraft patch 10.1.5, Fractures in Time, releases on July 11
SWTOR is ‘absolutely not’ going into maintenance mode, BioWare says
Gaijin’s ‘aquatic adventure MMO’ Age of Water enters paid closed beta stage two early access
Fallout 76’s Once in a Blue Moon arrives with new events, cryptids, and season
The Realm Online is shuttering its rebooted version at the end of June
MMO dev Richard Garriott’s Explorers Club joins search for missing submersible at the site of the Titanic
Activision-Blizzard shareholders vote down anti-union busting proposal
FTC uses Zenimax’s current exclusivity as a primary argument against Microsoft’s ActiBlizz buyout in court
ESA claims it is ‘currently having conversations’ about E3 in 2024 and 2025
Second Life celebrates 20 years with in-game events, real-life prize giveaways, and a documentary
Guild Wars 2 formally announces fourth expansion, Secrets of the Obscure, launching August 22
BioWare finally confirms Star Wars The Old Republic’s move to Broadsword
MultiVersus’ beta has closed down, but still can be played offline for the time being
The Cycle Frontier will sunset in September owing to financial inviability
NetEase’s Harry Potter: Magic Awakened conjures up a global mobile launch
Independence Day’s Roland Emmerich announces Space Nation MMORPG: It’s another token-encrusted NFT game
Niantic lays off 230 workers, affecting Pokemon Go, in cost-slashing reorganization
So now The Realm Online is apparently being sold to an undisclosed new studio
Magic to Master dev threatens to sue Gameforge, cancels Kickstarter, and releases new trailer
Call of Duty: Warzone 1.0, Forza Horizon 1, and Forza Horizon 2 all receive their execution notices
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF JUNE 2023
Vague Patch Notes: Why we should evaluate MMO systems based on how they break
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go finally confirms datamined features for June
First Impressions: Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis’ player housing aka ‘creative spaces’ has huge potential – and a huge learning curve
Four Winds: Swords of Legends Online was a wasted opportunity
Storyboard: Managing the escalating stakes in MMO storytelling
LOTRO Legendarium: Is level boosting in LOTRO worth it?
Wisdom of Nym: Breaking down Final Fantasy XIV’s The Dark Throne storylines
Vitae Aeternum: What Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO should (and shouldn’t) take from New World
Choose My Adventure: Age of Conan underwhelms almost immediately
The Daily Grind: What are your top three most anticipated MMOs?
Perfect Ten: MMOs that ghosted us after talking a big game
Vague Patch Notes: Paying customers in MMOs aren’t voting shares
LOTRO Legendarium: A breezy trip through King’s Gondor
Massively Overthinking: When an MMO has everything and so much of it
WoW Factor: The WoW Token, selling gold, and institutional power
Lawful Neutral: How might the so-called AI revolution affect the MMO genre?
Battle Bards Episode 225: Embers Adrift
Perfect Ten: MMORPGs as Jell-O flavors
Wisdom of Nym: Has Final Fantasy XIV had less stuff to do each patch in Endwalker?
Choose My Adventure: Settling into Age of Conan’s uncomfortable routine
Fight or Kite: Tower of Fantasy might be your Blue Protocol stopgap
Desert Oasis: First impressions of Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light
Perfect Ten: Thoughts on Star Wars The Old Republic’s impending move to Broadsword
Massively on the Go: The pros and cons of physical minigames in themepark MMOARGs
Why I Play: Six things that thrill me about Marvel Snap
Desert Oasis: Black Desert’s Land of the Morning Light design makes perfect practical and aesthetic sense
Massively Overthinking: Does whaling ruin MMOs?
WoW Factor: Age vs. World of Warcraft vs. player retention
Into the Super-Verse: What made Marvel Heroes so special?
MMO Burnout: Dramatic Labs finds the right tone for Star Trek Resurgence
Vitae Aeternum: Touring New World’s housing system
Wisdom of Nym: Turning a critical eye toward Final Fantasy XIV’s Bozja
Choose My Adventure: Finding frustrations in Age of Conan
Perfect Ten: What good MMO logos say about their games
MMO Burnout: Lessons MMOs can learn from The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
Vague Patch Notes: Examining the MMO tiers, from the Big Five to maintenance mode
Massively Overthinking: Which MMOs are memorable but not actually fun?
WoW Factor: Speculating on compelling future World of Warcraft class specs
LOTRO Legendarium: What I want to see with LOTRO’s Umbar expansion
Working As Intended: My 20 years of Star Wars Galaxies
Wisdom of Nym: The clues to watch for at Final Fantasy XIV’s Fan Festival
Choose My Adventure: Age of Conan engages my barbarian rage
Fight or Kite: Hands-on with Waven, Ankama’s new tactical card-driven MMO
The Daily Grind: How does Dragonflight rank among World of Warcraft expansions?
Perfect Ten: The most regrettable MMO studio names
WoW Factor: Hardcore progression, speedrunning, and closed environments
Massively Overthinking: Why don’t MMOs try harder to foster great guilds?
MMO Burnout: Final Fantasy XVI is a high-water mark for the franchise in every way that matters
Lawful Neutral: Freedom of speech in MMOs
THE FULL 2023 YEAR-IN-REVIEW
MMO Year in Review: NetEase versus Blizzard (January 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Amazon’s expanding empire (February 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Press F7 for E3 (March 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Crisis maps (April 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Second breakfast (May 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Returning to Morrowind (June 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Dawn of the Entrails (July 2023)
MMO Year in Review: The mage’s tower (August 2023)
MMO Year in Review: The next EverQuest Next (September 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Angry Earth, hungry Microsoft (October 2023)
MMO Year in Review: The Worldsoul Saga (November 2023)
MMO Year in Review: Come on baby Light No Fire (December 2023)
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