We’re finally coming to our recap of the last month of 2023 and the end of this recap series with our poke into December, which ought to be fresh in everyone’s memory since it ended this week! December saw the reveal of Hello Games’ MMO Light No Fire, the rollout of Throne & Liberty in Korea, the complete and total implosion of The Day Before, the end of E3, and of course, the long-awaited departure of Bobby Kotick from the remains of Activision-Blizzard. Plus, we worked our way through our 2023 MMO awards!
Here’s the whole rundown from December of this past year, from our top news stories of the month to our best editorials.
TOP NEWS STORIES OF December 2023
It’s raining blood in Diablo IV — and pay-to-win rebuttals
Ashes of Creation offers an hour-long look at its current gathering and crafting gameplay
ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained officially merged this morning, sending Unchained into its last sunset
WoW Classic opens new servers to meet Season of Discovery demand
Star Citizen breaks a crowdfunding record for November with over $28M in sales
Indie Afrofantasy MMO Wagadu Chronicles has opened its early access doors today
Grand Theft Auto VI announced for 2025 – but PC and multiplayer mentions are missing
Aika Online’s global re-launch officially begins today
Star Wars The Old Republic’s Chains in the Dark update is live – here are the patch notes
Fallout 76’s Atlantic City Boardwalk Paradise is live with two new expeditions
Star Trek Online now has third-party ship model NFTs as new Cryptic boss DECA opens hiring
Bungie devs face the ‘soul-crushing’ pressure of financial targets, a Sony takeover, and threat of more layoffs
EVE Online begins its four day-long Vanguard FPS mode test today
Sea of Thieves releases its stripped-down Safer Seas PvE mode, and the servers are already buckling
EverQuest’s Laurion’s Song, the MMORPG’s 30th expansion, brings players to a fractured inn of heroes
The Game Awards 2023: Light No Fire, Warframe, Skull and Bones, Palia, Bellwright
Light No Fire aka No Man’s Skyrim might be the survival MMO you’ve been waiting for
Throne & Liberty launches in Korea, still has its eyes on the West for 2024
Monster Hunter Wilds shares an in-engine trailer, promises more details summer 2024 and launch in 2025
Path of Exile Affliction contends with bugs, crashes, and over 160K concurrent Steam players
Classic MMO Istaria Chronicles of the Gifted (aka Horizons) celebrates 20 years of operation with new video
The Day Before dev studio announces its closure, claims the game ‘failed financially’
‘Shit happens,’ The Day Before devs tell disgruntled players as mass-refunds continue
Epic wins its lawsuit against Google as jury finds Google Play engaged in monopolist practices
It’s game over for E3 as the ESA declares the tradeshow officially dead
Daybreak announces Year of Darkpaw to celebrate EverQuest and EverQuest II in 2024
Warframe’s Whispers in the Walls is live with new story and its 55th ‘frame, Qorvex
EVE Online adds new ice refinery heists and AIR daily goals, calls its first Vanguard test ‘a massive success’
Conan Exiles’s Age of War Chapter 3 is live with PvE sieges and player-run taverns
Elder Scrolls Online is planning a year-long series of 10th anniversary events in 12 countries
ArcheAge releases its first big patch post-Unchained as the Battle of Mistmerrow returns
Ubisoft’s 2014 racing game The Crew 1 is sunsetting in March 2024
Tarisland addresses genderlocking and pay-to-win, boosts raiding over crafting
Naughty Dog cancels The Last of Us Online owing to ‘the massive scope of [its] ambition’
Black Desert reveals new classes, new Land of the Morning Light region, and gameplay adjustments
Valve issues gift-wrapped permabans to Dota 2 cheaters and smurfs this holiday season
Activision-Blizzard settles its 2021 California Civil Rights department lawsuit for $50M
‘Aquatic adventure MMO’ Age of Water readies an early access release in the first quarter of 2024
New World outlines a partial roadmap for the first few months of 2024
Revelation Online will sunset on March 13, 2024
Fallen Earth’s Unity remake has been ‘in full development’ for six months now
QA employees accuse Activision-Blizzard of a ‘soft layoff’ after studios mandate a return to offices in January
Kritika Online is coming back for the fourth time, this time under the stewardship of Valofe
World of Warcraft 2024 roadmaps herald summer War Within beta and Cataclysm Classic
Ashes of Creation confirms Alpha Two for third quarter of 2024, shows off the updated Ranger
Bobby Kotick finally departs Activision-Blizzard next week, but Microsoft will keep some of his execs
Fallout 76 is heading to Shenandoah National Park in 2024
LOTRO’s executive producer hints at 2024 plans with more Umbar zones and new legendary servers
War Thunder fans leak yet more ‘restricted’ military info
The Day Before Steam keys go for three figures on the grey market as Fntastic announces server closures
Jagex’s RuneScape-flavored RuneFest returns in 2024 after a four-year hiatus
Guild Wars 2’s ArenaNet is working on expansions for both 2024 and 2025 already
China’s government drafts new restrictions on gaming time, spending and login rewards, and lockboxes
Star Citizen releases a new Legatus backer bundle that costs $48,000
Chinese regulators go into damage control mode after proposed gaming restrictions burn $80B in market value
Z1 Battle Royale, formerly H1Z1, kicks back to a semi-charmed kind of life
CCP Games maps out six months of EVE Vanguard patches, feature updates, and testing
BioWare’s Anthem sold 5M lifetime copies, according to leaked stats
Player-vs-developer ‘medium fantasy’ MMO Astaria pops back up as Arvita
Rumor: With Kotick gone, Blizzard and NetEase might repair year-long rift over China publishing
FAVORITE EDITORIALS OF December 2023
Why I Play(ed): Remembering WildStar’s sunset, five years later
Vague Patch Notes: MMO gameplay by enhancement
Massively on the Go: Pokemon Go goes to Hisui with poor timing
Path of Exile’s Affliction adds new Ascendancies and brings back Ultimatum
Survival shooter The Day Before shows off Times Square ad space ahead of December 7 early access
Massively on the Go: Planning your Pokemon GO December 2023 Community Day targets
Wisdom of Nym: Why Final Fantasy XIV fans look for messages in tea leaves from trailers
The Soapbox: In defence of World of Warcraft Cataclysm
Choose My Adventure: Project Gorgon once more proves both engaging and agitating
Global Chat: Why does CCP keep trying to make EVE shooters?
End-of-year Eleven: The healthiest live MMOs at the end of 2023
Vague Patch Notes: Waiting for the MMORPG endings that are never coming
Massively Overthinking: Best and worst MMO developer quotes of 2023
First Impressions: Nexon’s THE FINALS blends the best features of Overwatch, Valorant, and Titanfall
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Most Underrated MMORPG
WoW Factor: The content issues World of Warcraft must address in The War Within
Working As Intended: The hits and misses of our 2023 MMO predictions
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Best MMO Rogue Server
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Biggest MMO Blunder
Wisdom of Nym: Still talking about Final Fantasy XIV after 13 years
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Most Improved MMO
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR’s strange and fascinating journey through 2023
Warframe of Mind: The wonders of Whispers in the Walls, launching December 13
The Daily Grind: Should all MMOs offer an arachnophobia mode?
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Best MMO Trend
End-of-Year Eleven: The biggest MMO stories of 2023
Casually Classic: The seven most important things that happened in WoW Classic this year
The Survivalist: A toast to Conan Exiles’ new taverns, launching this week’s Age of War Chapter III
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Best MMO Business Model
Vague Patch Notes: What you can’t forget in MMOs
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO predictions for 2024
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Biggest MMO Disappointment
WoW Factor: The real reason World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm world revamp was awful
Massively on the Go: Palia’s Nintendo Switch version works on the go, but it’s still better at home
Battle Bards Episode 230: The music of Palia
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Worst MMO Business Model
LOTRO Legendarium: Recapping Lord of the Rings Online’s crazy-busy 2023
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Best PvP MMO
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Biggest MMO Surprise
Vitae Aeternum: Predicting New World’s 2024 roadmap
Wisdom of Nym: What I definitely do not want to see in Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Best Classic MMO
A fresh first impressions: Checking out Palia for the first time on Switch
Choose My Adventure: The joy of performing menial tasks in Project Gorgon
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: MMO Studio of the Year
End-of-Year Eleven: The best MMO expansions and updates of 2023
Winter holiday events around the MMORPG world, 2023 edition
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: MMO Story of the Year
Vague Patch Notes: It’s never cheating in MMOs when you do it
From the Depths: World of Warships teases key mechanics changes to subs and aircraft carriers
Massively Overthinking: Our favorite MOP articles of 2023
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: MMO with the Stormiest Future
Fight or Kite: Multiplayer games to play over the holidays with friends and foes, 2023 edition
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Not-So-Massively Game of the Year
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Indie MMO of the Year
Jukebox Heroes: A yuletide soundtrack for a gaming holiday
The Daily Grind: What was the most painful MMO sunset of 2023?
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: MMO Expansion of the Year
Wisdom of Nym: My Viper wishlist for Final Fantasy XIV
Choose My Adventure: All of the MMOs you made us play in 2023, from Guild Wars to Gorgon
MassivelyOP’s 2023 Awards: Most Anticipated MMO
End-of-year Eleven: The best value MMORPGs at the end of 2023
The Soapbox: The ‘problem’ with MMO hoarding
A look back at the MMO and gaming science topics of 2023
Vague Patch Notes: The ever-changing costs of playing an MMORPG
Tamriel Infinium: Rounding out Elder Scrolls Online’s ninth year of adventures
The best MassivelyOP community Daily Grinds of 2023
Massively Overthinking: Our MMO resolutions for 2024
Catch up on Battle Bards’ MMO music podcast from 2023
Massively on the Go: A slow New Year start for Pokemon GO events
Make My MMO: The biggest MMO crowdfunding stories of 2023
The 2023 One Shots Awards: The best MMO screenshots of the year
Goodbye to all the reasons we can’t have nice things in MMOs, 2023 edition
The best MassivelyOP live streams of 2023
Casually Classic: Analyzing WoW Classic’s 2024 roadmap
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)
And that’s a wrap on our recap of all the top MMORPG stories of 2023! Thanks for joining us!
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