Final Fantasy XIV unveiled its next expansion, Dawntrail, in July of this year, setting in motion what we expect will be a full year of hype and teasers and speculation until it’s finally upon us next summer.
Meanwhile, Path of Exile 2 was re-announced as a proper sequel, Diablo IV launched its first season, we got our first hint that ArcheAge was in for rough waters, New World got blood all over my sands, and the Microsoft-ABK merger was allowed to march onward against a backdrop of layoffs and falling MAUs.
Here’s the whole recap from July of this past year, from our top news stories of the month to our best editorials.
TOP NEWS STORIES OF JULY 2023
Black Desert FESTA unveils Maegu’s Awakening, 300v300 battleground, new region, and much more
The Realm Online’s corporate buyer surfaces with a bizarre website and studio partner
Daybreak job listing hints at ‘unannounced’ game with ‘high fantasy’ elements
Valve confirms blocking games featuring AI-generated assets on Steam is primarily about copyright law
New World kicks off Season 2, Blood of the Sands, today – here’s the new trailer!
Interview: Neverwinter announces 26th module, Demonweb Pits, with a new ‘post-leveling experience’
WildStar’s former design director calls out studio politics for his pre-launch resignation
Diablo IV’s first season, Season of the Malignant, begins July 20
World of Warcraft director says Blizzard won’t sell Trader’s Tender – by itself
SEGA backs down on blockchain push, admitting ‘the action in play-to-earn games is boring’
Tencent insists Tarisland isn’t a World of Warcraft clone
Upcoming MMO from indie Gardens studio pulls in $31.3M from Tencent, Dreamhaven, Krafton, and more
Judge denies FTC’s injunction request, clearing the way for Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard merger
World of Warcraft’s Fractures in Time, patch 10.1.5, is live today
Lost Ark’s July release launches today with new Elgacia story and the Maharaka Festival
Former Elder Scrolls Online dev takes ZeniMax to court over allegations of transphobia and forced resignation
Niantic is sunsetting Marvel World of Heroes after all – tomorrow, in fact
Genshin Impact voice actors claim that they haven’t been paid for months [Updated]
The FTC asks the Ninth Circuit for a ‘temporary pause’ of Microsoft’s Activision-Blizzard merger
The Neopets team goes independent with new funding for World of Neopets – no crypto involved
Neverwinter’s Demonweb Pits module is live today alongside a new recruitment event
Activision-Blizzard Q2 2023: Diablo IV doubled Blizzard’s revenues as MAUs continue decline
Overwatch 2 arrives on Steam on August 10
Activision Blizzard is laying off workers in its esports division amidst future uncertainty regarding Overwatch League
Blizzard attempts to mollify Diablo IV players threatening boycott over season patch
Roblox aims to be ‘one of the biggest virtual economies on Earth’ through additional creator monetization tools
Diablo IV’s first seasonal content, Season of the Malignant, is available today
Consumers hoping to block Microsoft’s buyout of Activision-Blizzard lose in court yet again
Wayfinder’s early access starts August 15 for founder’s pack purchasers
All hail Glorbo: The WoW community baited and trapped AI scrapers with a Reddit prank
The FTC suspends its administrative challenge of the Microsoft Activision-Blizzard merger
Here’s how the UK gaming industry says it’ll self-regulate lockboxes
MMO and gaming companies enjoy some fun ribbing Twitter’s needless X rebranding stunt
Kakao partially denies report that ArcheAge will sunset following XLGAMES restructure
Old School RuneScape releases its newest quest line Desert Treasure II The Fallen Empire
Glorbo lives on thanks to the mischievous scamps in the Destiny 2 community
Final Fantasy XIV’s next expansion is called Dawntrail
Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival Las Vegas: Keynote takeaways, Dawntrail, and Xbox X|S
ExileCon 2023: Path of Exile 2 is now a true sequel with a closed beta June 7, 2024
ExileCon 2023: Previewing Path of Exile 2’s Monk and Sorceress skills
World of Warships is the latest MMO to replace official forums with Discord servers
Wurm Online internal comms show staff discontent, mass departures over conflict with owners
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF JULY 2023
LOTRO Legendarium: How to avoid burning out in LOTRO (and other MMOs)
Wisdom of Nym: Pandæmonium’s flop in Final Fantasy XIV
The Daily Grind: How do *you* pronounce ‘MMORPG’?
Choose My Adventure: A Warhammer Online Return of Reckoning reunion with a dash of WAAAGH
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s Niantic does damage control as player spending weakens
Massively Uplifting: Spring and summer philanthropy and farewells in MMOs
The Soapbox: A belated The Secret World post-mortem
Perfect Ten: Why SWTOR is still a lot of fun to play today
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2’s skyscale changes are great
Vague Patch Notes: The power of the middle bit in MMOs
Massively Overthinking: The MMOs we wanted a decade ago
Hyperspace Beacon: Why SWTOR’s move to Broadsword has brought me back to the game
WoW Factor: And now we ruin the Trading Post
Massively on the Go: Orna spices things up with step tracking and guilds update
LOTRO Legendarium: Hobbits (and River Hobbits) are the heart of Lord of the Rings
Global Chat: Cheering on an online friend’s success in Wrath Classic
Wisdom of Nym: The forgotten classes of Final Fantasy XIV
Fight or Kite: MOBA Evercore Heroes makes a strong argument for competitive PvE
Choose My Adventure: PvP and RvR bring reward and rage in Warhammer Online Return of Reckoning
Hyperspace Beacon: What can SWTOR do to reassure a shaken fanbase?
Vague Patch Notes: Which players count in an MMO?
Perfect Ten: 10 things I really dislike about Star Wars The Old Republic
Massively Overthinking: Old zones vs. new zones in MMORPGs
WoW Factor: Infinite (Dragonflight) frustration and the time-travel problem in World of Warcraft
First Impressions: Craftopia’s seamless world update is a game-changing breath of fresh air
The Game Archaeologist: EverQuest Mac, the O.G. classic server
Vitae Aeternum: New World’s second season improves on the first
Wisdom of Nym: So how will Final Fantasy XIV cross with Final Fantasy XVI?
Flameseeker Chronicles: Secrets of the Obscure has me concerned for Guild Wars 2’s future
Choose My Adventure: Frustrations mount in Warhammer Return of Reckoning
The Perfect Ten: 10 MMOs and online worlds with super cozy vibes
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go’s Niantic is sleeping on summer
Vague Patch Notes: Whaling is a death spiral, especially in MMOs
The Soapbox: Why The Secret World really failed
WoW Factor: Overwatch 2’s failure offers a lesson for World of Warcraft
The Soapbox: The day my son lost his first online video game to a sunset
Warframe of Mind: Fashion ‘Framing with Digital Extremes’ Megan Everett
Massively Overthinking: The MMOs that are worth their dreadful early gameplay
Massively on the Go: Pokemon GO Routes are already problematic and unsafe
Not So Massively: Diablo IV’s disastrous 1.1.0 patch – and Blizzard’s mea culpa
Wisdom of Nym: Reviewing Final Fantasy XIV patch 6.45, from Blue Mage to Rokkon
The Soapbox: Why Cryptic’s MMOs are the epitome of comfort gaming
Choose My Adventure: What Warhammer Return of Reckoning taught me about my competitive nature
Fight or Kite: Harry Potter Magic Awakened brings the familiarity of the Wizarding World to an MMO
Perfect Ten: We’ll always have Glorbo
Massively on the Go: Niantic’s Pokemon Go Plus+ debacle illuminates a big metaverse pitfall
Vague Patch Notes: Culture doesn’t excuse poor design choices in MMOs
Massively Overthinking: What’s Blizzard’s next move?
Wow Factor: The future of Blizzard is bleak
LOTRO Legendarium: Is LOTRO on the cusp of a crafting renaissance?
ExileCon 2023: Path of Exile 2 is now a true sequel with a closed beta June 7, 2024
ExileCon 2023: Path of Exile 2 introduces dodge rolling and instant weapon/skill swapping
ExileCon 2023: Previewing Path of Exile 2’s Monk and Sorceress skills
Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival Las Vegas: All the big news from the patch 6.5 live letter
Wisdom of Nym: Analyzing the Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail fan festival
Not So Massively: Revisiting Heroes of the Storm in 2023
Lawful Neutral: Assessing the privacy policies governing World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV
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)
