Today we arrive at the first Fight or Kite column of the newest quarter of the century, and while I can’t speak for other PvPers out there, I find myself still floundering a bit in my search for an MMO home. I considered starting this year by looking back at 2024 and discussing my favorite moments and epic fails, but this time around I’m thinking of it more like looking through the rear-view mirror on a road trip through a desert wasteland.
As a wise old monkey once said, “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.” So instead I’m looking forward and thinking out loud about what’s coming my way in 2025. I’m not trying to create a list of the best or most anticipated games for the year; that was already covered in a much more refined manner that I could do on my own. Instead, I’m grouping up some PvP MMOs that I’m looking forward to playing this year based on where they reside in my head space.
For the typical MMO experience: Throne and Liberty and ArcheAge Chronicles
Yes, of course, I know that Throne and Liberty is already fully released here in the West, but I haven’t played much beyond the tutorial yet. As soon as I finished the tutorial and collected my first quests things, began to feel just right.
There’s a familiarity to old fetch quest systems that I think I’ve been missing a little bit. It warped me back in time a bit to when I was playing Guild Wars 2 at release. Obviously the combat and the world are much different, but gameplay just felt right. I immediately stopped playing because this is the sort of experience I love to co-op with my significant other. That’s how I played GW2, and T&L has been giving me all those same good vibes.
Granted, she isn’t really down with the PvP to the extent that I am, but that’s not how we played together. Instead, we typically log in, complete story quests, level and skill up, and just have a general good time together. Then later, when she’s busy with other things, that’s when I can dig into the deeper combat and begin to find some PvP to enjoy. T&L should tick that box just right – if only we can find the time to queue up soon.
ArcheAge Chronicles is a bit more of a risky gambit, I’d venture. We’re still really light on news surrounding it, and the handling of ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained weren’t great. I never played the original, but when ArcheAge Unchained launched, I got in there early and actually had a really great time. The skill and progression systems, initially, were fantastic. I loved the way the game set up dual classing; it was just so much fun. However, the later stages of the game began to drag hard. The normal progression fell off a cliff, and instead you were required to do group content and leveling was slower than molasses on potatoes.
However, the small bits of ArcheAge Chronicles I’ve seen certainly look fantastic. If we can port over most of the good systems that made AA unique and fun without the pitfalls that turned it down, it could be a really great game. I certainly want to play it and since it’s been in development for a while already, I’m hopeful I’ll get a chance sometime this year to try.
But I’m a bit worried about how XLGames has been trying to downplay PvP with statements like how it’s “shifting away from large-scale competitive battles.” We’ll have to see how the final game – which has been delayed for years now – actually presents whatever PvP is left.
For the survivalbox gamer: Pax Dei and Myth of Empires
I’m not personally much of a survivalbox boy. I’m just not! I’ve tried to play quite a number of them now, including Pax Dei and Myth of Empires. While neither of them stuck very well with me the first time around, both games continue to see development and improvements enough that I want to try out again.
With Pax Dei, the absolute awful grind didn’t sit well with me. Yet the developers are really working at improving the game constantly. Last time I checked in, my guild was still active and very dedicated to the game, so I’m hopeful they’re still around and willing to let me tag along again this year. Their excitement over the game was probably the most impressive testament to how well much of the game has actually been designed. These folks are true lovers of dedicated crafting.
Now, Myth of Empires might seem like a real stretch, especially since I played it before and wasn’t really impressed. Of course, I played it before Pax Dei, which is part of what turned my opinion on it around a little bit as well. These games actually felt so dang similar I was in shock. However, MOE is a lot more refined. Like, a lot. It’s not even close. But it has struggled immensely from overpowered guilds running roughshod across the game. For that reason, the devs even added region-specific servers to alleviate the issue.
But the real reason I’m excited is the Persian DLC coming soon. There’s just not enough Persian, desert-themed MMOs despite how large and influential these empires once were. Guild Wars’ Vabbian culture somewhat kisses across Persian and Arabian themes, but not to the extent I’d really like to see. Also, the devs teased this absolutely absurd wooden mech, and I mean come on.
For the IP junkies: Amazon’s Lord of the Rings and Dune Awakening
I love a good IP as much as the next nostalgic fanboy. Sonic the Hedgehog movies have been fantastic. As I’m writing this, I’ve already got my tickets to go see the latest one in theaters in a few hours. Also, this past week I went back and rewatched the extended edition of the Fellowship of the Ring. Now, I’m all hyped up on LOTR. Those moments are so epic even 25 years later.
Despite all my moaning and groaning about New World, I actually do think it’s a great game. I just wish Amazon would improve the PvP for us. Here’s to hoping Amazon can take some lessons learned from NW and improve on them in its new LOTR MMO. If the devs at Amazon Games took just a fraction of the amazing advice from Tyler’s Vitae Aeternum column and a sprinkling of my PvP suggestions, they’d suddenly have an amazing game. Now, we don’t know that we’ll see anything new about the LOTR game this year, and in fact the studio seemed vague about its renewed plans the last time it spoke publicly, but it’s still one I’m watching. I hope more info will drop this year.
Dune Awakening is a somewhat more of a shot in the dark. I’m not especially keen on the IP, personally; I kind of enjoyed the original film and even the first part of the remake, but I haven’t had a chance to watch the second part or the series on Max. But obviously, the IP is hot and popular right now both with old fans of the novels and new fans of the movies. So while it’s not my favorite IP, I’m willing to try it since it should have a good AAA budget.
For all the optimists: Stars Reach and Ashes of Creation
I am one of the most pessimistic people on the planet. It’s true. I do a fairly good job hiding it (I think), but I am basically always looking at the glass as half empty and prepared for the worst of outcomes. Don’t watch a football or sports game with me because I’m crying about losing before the first snap.
Stars Reach and Ashes of Creation are my attempt to be positive for once. I don’t have any real experience with Raph Koster’s titles unless you count his contributions to Crowfall. But other members of the MOP staff kind of fan the flames of hype within me, so I’m trying to be better than I am and hope to see some good things. I don’t expect to actually have a shot at playing Stars Reach, but maybe I’ll get lucky and maybe it’ll be great. Maybe.
Ashes of Creation is in its second alpha right now, so there’s opportunity to play if we can get in there. Would it actually be fun and worthwhile for a PvP-minded fans right now, though? I don’t know.
But I do know I really liked Ashes of Creation Apocalypse. I realize I was the only human alive outside of the studio who did, but it was really fun. That alone is what has kept me in the supportive camp for AoC. However, it’s been in development for so long I just don’t know if the world at large outside of the testing groups will see the game this year. But, again, I’m going to be better than I am and hope that it will prove to be an incredible year for the game.
Well, that’s all the MMOs-with-PvP I’m looking forward to playing. About half of them are already playable and open at present, which means that I definitely will be able to try them again. The ones that haven’t released should have some kind of testing that makes them available, right? We’ll see whether any of these hits the mark or we have another dud of a year.
Every other week, Massively OP’s Sam Kash delivers Fight or Kite, our trip through the state of PvP across the MMORPG industry. Whether he’s sitting in a queue or rolling with the zerg, Sam’s all about the adrenaline rush of a good battle. Because when you boil it down, the whole reason we PvP (other than to pwn noobs) is to have fun fighting a new and unpredictable enemy!
