When I think about the gut punches that came as part of crushing MMO news over the years, the announcement that Daybreak was scrapping its highly touted EverQuest Next may be one of the worst of them. I loved everything I was seeing and hearing about this project, including the passionate ambition on the part of the studio.
But ever since cancelling EverQuest Next, Daybreak has appeared to be in a funk about the future of the franchise. We know from investor calls that Daybreak pitched an MMO for 2028, and as of just a few months ago, Daybreak was apparently still working on some sort of reboot, but it seems deep in the concept phase. That doesn’t mean there isn’t hope, so while I grab onto that, I’ll let my speculation run wild as to what could make a prospective EverQuest 3 a future triumph.
The fading franchise
The more years that go by without a proper EverQuest successor, the more I worry that the franchise itself is winding to a close. And that would be an incredible shame because there was a period of time when EverQuest was blowing up — not just the original MMO, but all of its sequels and spin-offs. It was a name. It was a brand. As such, it cultivated fandom and loyalty.
While there are certainly a die-hard contingent of players in both MMOs that happily gobble up yearly expansions and will be there until the servers spin down, it’s hard to argue that “EverQuest” currently is a well-known brand name with a lot of cache. Consider that the last new EverQuest game, Landmark, came out over a decade ago in 2014.
That means that whatever Daybreak has cooking, it can’t coast on past efforts but will have to make the case for why anyone should care about an EverQuest project as if it’s a new thing. In a way, it really will be.
Aim to be daring and agile
So my first item on this EverQuest 3 wish list is that it’s got to be daring and innovative. Daybreak doesn’t have World of Warcraft or FFXIV numbers and funding, so it can’t muscle a competitor to launch. What it can do, though, is be something fresh and agile in a way that currently entrenched big boys aren’t.
That may mean marrying older concepts with newer designs — a hybrid MMO. Perhaps Daybreak could (and should!) dip into ideas from its past projects and recreate them for a modern age. A third title in the series most certainly will need to be different in some way so that it isn’t setting itself up as a direct competitor to EverQuest and EverQuest II.
I would want to see a full-fledged MMO (best case scenario) and not some cruddy mobile knock-off (worst case scenario). I think that EverQuest Next‘s design documents could be an incredible source of inspiration and guidance. Take what was working from that project and jettison the rest. Player-created structures and content, collectable classes, destructible environments, intelligent NPCs — these are all good ideas. Pursue those.
Appealing to the two crowds
EverQuest 3Â will need to accomplish two other big tasks: It’ll need to appease the faithful franchise followers and appeal to people who have never stepped inside an EverQuest game.
For the first crowd, Daybreak needs to review what makes Norrath special and draw from that. What is it about this setting in particular that is memorable? What characters, settings, memes, and lore are beloved by the fans? How could a new game honor the legacy of what came before it without completely aping the older design?
And for the second (and hopefully larger) group, Daybreak’s going to need to come out of the gate with a strong vision — an elevator pitch — that it can wing at the masses, followed by details and visuals.
What about dusting off the past?
One final thought: Is it too late for Daybreak to admit that it made a mistake canceling EverQuest Next in the first place and revive it? There’s got to be a design bible and loads of art and code lying around. Wouldn’t it be easier to assemble a new team with a visionary leader to take a prior project and fashion a better MMO out of it?
Before you scoff, know that this has happened at least twice in our industry: Once with Star Trek Online and once with Lord of the Rings Online. Both were built on the bones of prior canceled projects, and both turned out fairly well.
If nothing else, couldn’t Daybreak relaunch Landmark? That’s got to be an easy way to expand its dwindling library, make a bunch of fans super-happy, and generate some revenue without having to create something from scratch.
What are your thoughts on a potential EverQuest 3? What would need to happen for this game to have a chance?
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!
