Sci-fi MMOs dominated the first full week of the year, as Elite Dangerous announced dates for Beyond testing, Cyberpunk 2077’s implied it’s not dead yet, EVE Online players grumbled over botting, and Star Citizen promised predictability for alpha 3 patches and filed a motion to dismiss the Crytek copyright lawsuit.
Meanwhile, we reported back from Hi-Rez Expo 2018 with plenty of hands-on and interviews, which we’ve rounded up below in case you missed them! Then read on for the very best of this week’s MMO news and opinions.
THIS WEEK’S TOP STORIES
Tamriel Infinium: Three things MMORPGs could learn from Elder Scrolls Online - [AL:ESO]Looking at the title, you might think that I believe Elder Scrolls Online is the perfect MMO, and in that case, you'd be incorrect. Elder Scrolls Online might have won…
LOTRO Legendarium: My LOTRO wish list for 2018 - [AL:LOTRO]Ever since I've been writing this Lord of the Rings Online column -- which spans back to 2010, if you can believe it -- I've started out every year with…
Accused Call of Duty swatter charged with involuntary manslaughter - Just before the new year, the gaming community was mortified to learn that an innocent Kansas man had been shot by police following a fake crime report targeting the victim's…
Blade & Soul previews its anniversary update and tailor shop in new videos - [AL:BaS]Video previews of patches are like a chance to try before you buy. Except that you aren't really trying so much as you're watching someone try it. Also, since this…
EVE Online players beg CCP to address botters after gamer takes down eight botter ships - Is there a quota for how many sci-fi spaceship MMOs with playerbases angry over exploits we can cover in a week? Because if so, Elite Dangerous already met it. If…
Chronicles of Elyria is dropping virtual world platform SpatialOS - Chronicles of Elyria's latest dev blog is out, and it's more than just a recap of 2017 and look ahead to 2018, although it has that too: It makes the…
WoW Factor: Guessing at Battle for Azeroth’s release date using math - The "when will Battle for Azeroth" speculation train is rolling once again because it looks like patch 7.3.5 is just around the corner. We haven't actually been told when that's…
Star Citizen promises that Alpha 3 patches will be more predictable and regular - Now that Star Citizen's Alpha 3.0 is finally here, the team has a high outlook for the development process going forward. In this week's Around the Verse, RSI says that…
Elite Dangerous drops the first part of Beyond this quarter, with beta launching January 25 - We're guessing there are lots of new Elite Dangerous players roaming around now, what with the game having been just 7 bucks on Steam over Christmas, but that just means…
Destiny 2 outlines its 2018 roadmap, including major changes to the cash shop - [AL:D2]It's fair to say that Destiny 2 has had a bit of a rough go over the past few weeks, what with the dropping player count and Eververse riot, yes?…
Massively Overthinking: What’s the smallest MMO you’re willing to play? - A comment on Reddit about the current size and viability of Kritika Online got me thinking about MMO playerbases in general lately. We all know that there's a stigma attached…
Monster Hunter World’s PC launch is delayed for pretty mundane reasons - Monster Hunter World hits PlayStation 4 later this month. But it's not coming to PC until next fall. What's the deal, Capcom? Turns out it's not that they hate PC…
Choose My Adventure: Starting fresh in Project Gorgon - I'm really glad to be heading into Project Gorgon for the first CMA of the year. Not just because it's a title which I have absolutely no experience with, although…
Neverwinter announces Lost City of Omu for February 27; check out the new trailer! - [AL:NW]Perfect World has just announced a new update for Dungeons and Dragons MMO Neverwinter - its first big update of the year and another chapter in the ongoing storylines set…
WHO attempts to defend its proposed ‘gaming disorder’ classification - At the tail end of last year, we caught wind that the World Health Organization is planning on classifying gaming addiction as a "gaming disorder" its update of the International Classification…
Secret World Legends’ NPCs awaken on Twitter - As the Secret World Legends community continues to hold its breath in anticipation of what Funcom is planning for 2018, movement arrives in an unexpected quarter. Over on Twitter, there…
ArcheAge says new fresh start servers coming later in 2018 - [AL:Arche]Now that all of ArcheAge's fresh start realms have been converted to legacy servers, the community is burning with the question of when -- if ever -- more fresh start…
EverQuest trots out a new lizardy lockbox - Even with all of the discussion going on about lockboxes these days, it doesn't seem to be slowing down the release of such packs in some MMOs. EverQuest, for example,…
CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 shows signs of life - It was the beep heard 'round the world. Cyberpunk 2077's Twitter account, which has laid dormant since December 2013, suddenly came alive today with a single word. Considering the reputation…
Perfect Ten: 10 tips for crafting a unique MMO character name - Tell me if you've ever been here: You just finished spending way too much time pouring over options in the character creation screen and have finally settled on a race,…
Why developers believe abusive vitriol is the cost of doing business with games - When is it appropriate to send verbal abuse to someone you don't know personally? When is it appropriate to tell someone that you hope they lose their job or suffer…
Here’s how one high school teacher uses Lord of the Rings Online in her English class - [AL:LOTRO]What do you say that we all go and enroll at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics? Hear me out here: It's at this school that Dr. Helana E. Brigman,…
Check out the dubbed cinematic for Ascent: Infinite Realm - If you're looking forward to Ascent: Infinite Realm when it arrives on these shores, you're probably also looking forward to learning about the world beyond "there are airships and steampunk…
Elder Scrolls Online datamining reveals possible expansion prologue - [AL:ESO]Ready to head to new lands in Tamriel? A dataminer discovered some evidence that seems to confirm the long-running rumor about the location of the next "chapter," or expansion, of…
Creditors lay claim to nearly $700,000 in Gazillion assets in bankruptcy case - We named the sad death of Marvel Heroes the greatest MMO disappointment of 2017, and it appears it's not even over yet. Redditors noticed that on January 4th, three creditors - Secret…
Guild Wars 2 overhauls its lockbox mechanics and adds gardening plots - [AL:GW2]We don't often cover cash shop updates for MMOs, and lockboxes are not our favorite thing, but Guild Wars 2's cash shop and lockbox update today is worth noting all…
Flameseeker Chronicles: 2018 Guild Wars 2 predictions - [AL:GW2]I adore looking back on last year's predictions about what's to come in Guild Wars 2 in the next twelve months: Even when my predictions are totally wrong, they stand as…
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds adds new crate drops with a 0.01% drop rate for items - Hey, kids, you like random cosmetic rewards, right? The latest patch currently in testing for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds adds two new crates that can drop when you spend BP on a…
EA filed an ‘Engagement Optimized Matchmaking’ patent in 2016 - Remember Activision's rather skeezy matchmaking patent from last year? That one was pretty straightforward in how it worked, if unpleasant: You buy something from the cash shop, and the game…
EVE Evolved: EVE Online’s case for asymmetric and asynchronous gameplay - [AL:EVE]If there's one thing that EVE Online does better than any other MMO on the market today, it's persistent gameplay on massive scales. The now-famous Bloodbath of B-R5RB in 2014 involved 7,548…
Michele Morrow calls out BlizzCon gender pay inequality - Michele Morrow, one of the most recognizable faces in gaming thanks to her long career as a show host and actress and World of Warcraft player, has seemingly accused BlizzCon organizers…
Gamers argue Overwatch League has a representation problem - No matter what you're seeing up on the screen in this inaugural season of the Overwatch League, chances are really good that the people controlling (and almost all of the…
Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium files motion to dismiss Crytek copyright lawsuit - The bombshell of December 2017 was the news that Crytek was suing Cloud Imperium Games and Roberts Space Industries, the companies behind the sprawling and controversial crowdfunded MMO Star Citizen, alleging…
Amazon’s New World video possibly leaked, New World Amazon page has vanished - A short, anonymous video posted to the New World subreddit has the community buzzing that this might be an authentic leak from the secretive massively multiplayer game that Amazon has…
HI-REZ EXPO 2018
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: SMITE Season 5 heralds art update, gameplay overhaul, and new god Cerberus
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Paladins introduces battle royale mode, new champion Moji, and battle cat mounts
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Hi-Rez announces 1v1 mobile game Bot Smashers
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Hands-on with Paladins Battlegrounds, the game’s new battle royale mode
The best SMITE and Paladins cosplay at Hi-Rez Expo 2018
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Paladins’ story, previewing new toon Moji, and hands-on with Paladins Strike
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Our hands-on with Hi-Rez’s new game Bot Smashers
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Hi-Rez’s new game Bot Smashers isn’t an MMO, but it’s fun
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Diving deeper into SMITE’s new map, new pantheons, fog, and more
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Erez Goren, 10 more games, 400 employees, and Global Agenda’s City of Heroes roots
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: SMITE is coming to Nintendo Switch with full cross-platform play
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: King Arthur and Merlin join SMITE’s lineup
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Realm Royale is coming to both consoles, plans more fantasy features
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Get free goodies for SMITE, Paladins, and Realm Royale
Hi-Rez Expo: Esports adds college varsity national championships and high school leagues
Hi-Rez Expo: SMITE’s new arena, Avalon, and a hands-on with Switch
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: SMITE and Paladins form community leadership councils for feedback
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Introducing Paladins’ dragon mage, Imani
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Looking for lore and more in all Paladins places
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Stewart Chisam makes sense of the studio split, hints at new game
Hi-Rez Expo 2018: Assessing the new expo venue, game experimentation, and esports
Hi-Rez Expo 2017: SMITE’s Corrupted Arena, adventures, and never saying never to an MMO
Experience Hi-Rez Expo Fall 2018 through pictures
THIS WEEK’S CASTS & STREAMS
Massively OP Podcast Episode 152: Allied races and superhero sprints
The Stream Team: ARK Aberration’s glow pugs are the best
The Stream Team: A dev tour of Ship of Heroes
The Stream Team: Cheers to seven years, DC Universe Online
The Stream Team: Investigating a graverobber in Dungeons and Dragons Online
The Stream Team: Drowning sorrows in SMITE’s arena
AND FROM OUR FRIENDS AT BLIZZARD WATCH
Remembering WoW Classic: The Paladin class in Vanilla
Did WoW Legion go overboard with legendaries?
What makes you spend in-game currency?
Every week, get caught up on the MMO genre’s latest news and Massively OP’s best content in our MMO Week in Review! Want more roundups of content? Try Friday’s Betawatch for MMO testing highlights, Saturday’s Make My MMO for MMO crowdfunding updates, and Sunday’s The MOP Up, which mops up all the little bits of news we didn’t cover anywhere else.
