So Ship of Heroes is expected to launch this year, perhaps around summertime? That should be good news — even great news — for fans of the anemic superhero MMORPG genre. Unfortunately, you can sense the apathy toward this game from a community that’s mostly moved on from prior hype.
And that’s because at the root of this game’s design philosophy and expectations is that it was going to be assuming the mantle of a long-deceased and beloved MMO… not struggling to take mindshare back from a resurrected game. Could Ship of Heroes still pull off a healthy launch? Perhaps, but we’ve got to be honest about the fact that it’s facing some pretty strong headwinds right now.
I honestly feel bad for the spiritual successors to City of Heroes. They really had their heart in the right place, and if history and development happened differently, they might have benefitted greatly from a nomadic playerbase hungry for a solid superhero MMO.
But each of them, primarily Ship of Heroes and City of Titans, dragged on in development while City of Heroes itself came back — first as unsanctioned rogue servers and then officially with the approval of NCsoft itself. Can you imagine the wind sucked out of those sails as this unfolded from 2019 onward? I’m surprised that more of them didn’t give up and quit.
Out of what was a decent-sized group of these spiritual successors, I’m willing to bet that Ship of Heroes is the only one that we see cross the finish line. And you know what? Good for it. Seriously. The devs had a plan, they built up a studio from a passion to do this, and they stuck it out to (presumably) completion. That’s far more than we can say about a lot of MMO projects.
Unfortunately, when it does get here, it’s going to be mercilessly compared to a currently operating City of Heroes, and I don’t think those comparisons will be favorable in the graphics or performance department. About the only real card that Ship of Heroes can lay on the table is that it’ll be substantially newer and occupying a genre that’s not exactly overcrowded.
It’s going to get a flock of tourists to see this new kid on the block in those initial days because of that, but unless it substantially can make the case why this is worth playing, I foresee a passing fad like so many other indie MMOs that struggled to gain a critical mass — and strong revenues.
My concern isn’t limited to the inevitable comparisons to City of Heroes, either. Based on videos, word-of-mouth, and my personal experience in testing, I am worried about the game that will actually launch. “It’s got potential” is a phrase I keep hearing and agree with. But the thing about potential is that, sooner or later, you’ve got to make good on that or risk being overlooked.
A superhero MMO coming to market in 2025 has got to look the part and absolutely nail the feel of super-charged movement and combat. Speaking of comparisons, people will be holding this up to the plethora of non-MMO superhero video games, of which there are plenty, to see if it stacks up in visuals, content, and feels. How well will that unfold?
And while the superhero genre isn’t dead, it’s undeniable that we’re in the midst of a period of strong superhero fatigue. Marvel and DC movies have been underwhelming the past few years, and oversaturation of the entertainment market have led to more yawns than oohs and ahhs. While I can point to a certain Marvel shooter doing well this season, the demand for yet more superhero MMORPG content isn’t that high right now, and if someone does express that demand, they’ve already got several well-stocked and launched titles right now from which to choose.
In this space I like to envision the best-case scenario for an upcoming game even while acknowledging potential roadblocks. So what would Ship of Heroes‘ best launch be? For starters, Heroic Games would need to ramp up marketing and get some serious buzz going for this title in the leading months. It would also need to be impressing streamers and content creators so that world of mouth is on the rise.
Primed as best as possible, Ship of Heroes would then come out with as little immediate competition as possible to rob it of its debut. Players would find the combination of superpowers, the character creator, and an engaging sci-fi world appealing, especially from a well-meaning indie team, and it would slowly but surely take off from there. It’d find a stable and loyal following and give the studio a second wind to develop even more.
Possible? Sure, but perhaps not that likely. Ship of Heroes can’t afford to be a middling MMO in this market. It needs to bowl people over as a sleeper hit that they didn’t see coming. If that happens, I’d genuinely love to write the headline celebrating its success. I guess we’ll see when Q2 2025 rolls around.
Do you love spectating and speculating about upcoming MMOs? We do too! Every week, Justin tackles another upcoming title on the MMO Hype Train with opinions, analysis, and blind fervent hope. Choo choo all aboard!
