2023 turned out to be a weird year for business models in MMOs. It was certainly the year of cadence shifts and seasonal shifts, and we saw online games from Destiny 2 to Fortnite to World of Warcraft bump their prices. In fact, I’d say the biggest business model news we got all year was Embers Adrift going hybrid free-to-play and New World finally cranking up the battlepass machine.
For for 2024, I’m not quite sure what to expect. Long gone are the days when we had a ton of subscription MMORPGs that could go free-to-play at the drop of a hat. And I don’t think we’re going to see WoW finally drop the sub. I’d put more money on it raising the sub than dropping it myself.
I’m curious what our readers think. What will be the next MMO to undergo a big business model shift – and what will it be?
At the turn of every calendar year, the MassivelyOP team assembles a traditional feast of annual content for your table. We recap the year, issue awards, highlight our favorite (and least favorite) stories, and gather your opinions together to send off the last year and welcome the new one. Grab a plate and take a bite out of this year-end Daily Grind!
