The other night, I was sitting here at my computer and received a message from Matt. He’d linked the Black Desert Online Steam page to me and noted that the game can be picked up for free through July 10. This… is not an unusual occurrence. In fact, it’s a bit of a joke among some of my friends that Pearl Abyss should just go ahead and make the game officially a F2P offering.

This has nothing to do with the work the dev team puts into the game. I mean, it has a mostly positive rating on Steam and a Metacritic rating of 80. That’s honestly not bad for an MMORPG where players are very often looking for rather different things from a game. It looks nice, has an interesting story, and deep mechanics. (Okay, some things about the game can be too deep. It’s a bit difficult to walk away from this game and come back later, because it’s pretty likely you won’t have any memory of how systems work.)

Here’s the thing. Black Desert has a standard purchase price of $10, which isn’t bad for a full MMO. But I’m not sure people are bothering to spend that much on the game, or spend at all. Not because the game isn’t worth it, but because it’s well known that if you just wait long enough, it will be offered for free. And this isn’t a “you can play for free until…” scenario. You pick up the game for free on Steam, and you get to keep playing it even after the deal has come to an end.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m trying to get a friend into a game I’m playing and I know this to be a given, I’ll tell them to wait, particularly if neither of us is certain they’ll keep playing. Ten bucks isn’t bad for a full MMO, at all. But free is better, particularly in today’s economy. So, at the end of the day, I’m not really certain how many people are going to pick up the game for the standard price, or even half off for that matter.

Of course, some might wonder how they’re going to make money if they’re not selling the game. And my response to that would be, have you seen the cost of the DLC they currently have available on Steam? The more players that are in the game, the more of them they can sell.

I will admit to not having been in-game for a while, but I do seem to recall an in-game store and game-specific currency as well. While I’m not a fan of any game’s system of buying gems, or what have you, to be able to make purchases from the in-game shop, it is fairly standard, and accepted, and whales are more than happy to do so. I’d personally rather have them just offer me a horse for $25, but the point stands: there are plenty of ways to make money off of players who are already in and invested in your game. Even the cheapest among us are going to spend something here and there.

I’ll also admit that if the game cost, say, $15 more and Pearl Abyss didn’t have a habit of offering it at a 100% discount often enough for those familiar with the game to feel okay telling friends to wait, I likely wouldn’t be making this argument.

That said, with the way things currently are, I still believe it’s time the shift was made.

Today, the Zenless Zone Zero team shared their plans for the action RPG’s next update, Version 2.1, “The Impending Crash of Waves”. The update will continue the Proxies’ journey in Waifei Peninsula. But, as you can probably tell from the update title, the Proxies and their friends are also headed to the beach. Players will hang out with agents from the new Spook Shack faction: Ukinami Yuzuha and Alice Thymefield as they solve mysteries and help revive the oceanside Fantasy Resort. Even Overtimeboo is taking some time to relax.

Of course, a seaside trip means the Proxies and their friends will need to dress accordingly. So… New outfits! Once again, players will be given free outfits for Wise and Belle upon completing certain activities. (That's two outfits in as many updates.) If they’d like outfits for the two new agents, they’ll have to hit up the game’s shop.

Version 2.1 also includes a whole list of quality-of-life changes. This includes a more in-depth keybind system and better-organized agent and location menus. The full rundown of the update, which is arriving on July 16, is available in the Special Program below. And, of course, don’t forget to grab your codes. They’re good through July 6.

On an additional note, the teams from Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero will all be making an appearance at gamescom 2025. If you’re attending, look for them at Booth C031 in Hall 6.

Operation Bolted Barbecue is the latest Mann vs. Machine charity event in Team Fortress 2.

Potato MvM brings players of the free-to-play hero shooter back to the battlefield to face off against Gray Mann’s relentless robot army — this time invading the summer beaches. With over 50 missions spread across new and returning maps, they must band together to stop the metallic menace from ruining summer fun. 

Complete at least 10 missions to earn an exclusive in-game medal as a token of your service. The event also features a charity fundraiser benefiting Direct Relief, where players can contribute at least $5 to receive another in-game medal. 

Operation Bolted Barbecue runs through October 15.

If there’s one thing gamers love, it’s blowing things up (in-game). In a shooter game like The Finals, it’s definitely serious business, and Embark Studios knows that, which is why the game’s latest update is introducing a limited-time mode named BLAST OFF!. In this mode, low gravity is always on, everyone plays as a Medium with Evasive Dash, and they’re all armed to the teeth with explosives. The whole idea is to blow things up.

As a little extra touch, the devs decided to center the camera position in this mode and pixelate the explosions. Basically, don’t worry that your settings might be off. Just enjoy that old-school feel.

Of course, a limited-time mode comes with rewards, and players have the opportunity to earn twelve free rewards over the next two weeks.

The new mode isn’t the only thing in this update that focuses on destructibility. The 7.3 update introduces improvements intended to make explosives and destruction more realistic. This includes improving the visuals around destroyed objects and implementing adjustments that will allow players to better determine where damage is located.

Today, Netmarble kicked off a new collaboration in the action game Solo Leveling: ARISE, introducing two new SSR hunters based on members of the K-pop group “i-dle”. The idols, MIYEON and SHUHUA can be unlocked by playing the game during the collaboration event.

MIYEON uses light-elements in combat. Players can craft an exclusive sword for her, “The Battlefield’s Guiding Star”. Using her ultimate, she can channel energy into her weapon to use in an attack. SHUHUA is an assassin who uses the water-element in combat. She uses orbs in close-range combat.

In addition to the collaboration, Netmarble also introduced some new modes for players, including the Story Expert Mode. This is for those who are looking for a challenge, and a total power of 1.2 million or higher is recommended. Completing all chapters of the mode will earn players up to 35,000 Essence Stones.

After watching streams and videos of Crosswind, I’m impressed. The free-to-play open world survival MMO, set in a supernatural Age of Piracy, is still in closed alpha — but already looks surprisingly decent.

What stood out first was the game’s stability. Despite being an alpha build, it seems to run smoother than many full releases. I didn’t notice any major bugs, frame drops, or jank that usually plague early tests. And visually, Crosswind is sharp and atmospheric. I like the UI too; it’s clean.

Most importantly though, combat appears solid. Enemies have telegraphed attacks, making fights feel deliberate and skill-based. Watching early boss encounters, the pacing felt tense but fair.

Another highlight is the game’s focus on player convenience. Fast travel, universal storage, intuitive quest markers, you name it. Crosswind seems to go out of its way to cut out unnecessary tedium so you’re not punished for exploring or crafting.

Lastly, the world itself feels alive and on theme. I’m a fan of the supernatural twist on pirate lore via undead enemies, eerie environments, and ghostly storms. Survival mechanics like crafting and shipbuilding seem deep but approachable too, with just enough complexity to stay engaging.

I haven’t gone hands-on yet, but I don’t think the game is another dead-on-arrival MMO. Crosswind is like pirate New World, or a more ambitious Sea of Thieves, but in a good way. I can’t wait to try the game myself, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on how it grows.

Marvel fans have a little over half a month to wait for the release of the new Fantastic Four movie, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. As we all know, a movie tie-in is only common sense for a fighting game built on the Marvel IP, so of course, the movie’s release is being celebrated in Marvel Contest of Champions.

What that means for players is that they can look forward to in-game events and giveaways. First, players will be helping the Fantastic Four with the Future Foundation by exploring the Battlerealm. Next, everyone has a chance to snag a 7-Star Mister Fantastic by looking for “Research Grant” collectibles during the Fantastic FORCE Saga.

In addition, players can take on the “Vaults of Variant” sidequest through July 9. And finally, logging in between now and August 14 will earn players daily rewards. Log in for seven days of progression and earn the entire Fantastic Four team for your roster.

In addition to the F4 content, Contest of Champions players also have the opportunity to earn The Maker and High Evolutionary as part of a Villain Takeover. These villains are rewarded on July 17 and July 31 via The Contest.

Marvel Contest of Champions is also getting a new type of quest, the Squad Builder. The idea is to form the highest-scoring squad, with squad formation being scored based on Factions and Grades. Players build their best possible squad in three swaps, and when they’re happy, they take on the boss fight to earn their score. Players will be granted 52 2-Star Champions to play this mode with for free.

Distinct Possibility Studios has announced REAPER ACTUAL, an open-world persistent shooter that combines tactical FPS gameplay with MMO-style progression and strategic faction dynamics.

Set on the fictional island of Marova, players assume the role of Reapers — combatants engaged in ongoing conflict against rival players and AI-controlled factions. Core gameplay features include base-building, faction alliances, and resource-driven raids within a continuously evolving battlefield. Actions taken by players affect territory control and in-game events, reinforcing the game’s persistent world model.

Players can construct and upgrade bases for defense, crafting, and staging operations. The game includes interconnected PvP and PvE missions, dynamic objectives, and a player-driven economy supporting vehicle deployment and gear production. Notably, missions can trigger overlapping goals for opposing teams, leading to unpredictable encounters. 

REAPER ACTUAL is being developed by industry veterans, including John Smedley, Matt Higby, and Trammell Isaac. It is planned for release on Steam and the Epic Games Store, with an additional Web3-integrated version on Etherlink offering asset ownership and trading.

No word yet on whether or not REAPER ACTUAL will be free-to-play or not.

Summerfest has returned to RIFT.

Though the holiday’s roots are steeped in ancient elven rituals involving sacrificial wicker figures — practices now banned and largely forgotten — it has since transformed into a joyous seasonal event. The event means fun and festivities for players of the free-to-play MMORPG.

They can take part in activities like Scavenger Hunts, battling the Swarmlord Khargroth, completing seasonal quests, and smashing Artifact Pinatas. This year’s Summerfest runs until July 30, with the special store remaining open through August 6 so players have more time to get the event-exclusive rewards.

Bungie dropped a launch trailer for Destiny 2’s The Edge of Fate yesterday. No, the update hasn’t launched yet. That won’t be until July 15. Of course, with that being only two weeks away, it’s a good idea to do a little hyping. So, we have a new launch trailer.

I’ll be honest, the opening was not what I was expecting going into a Destiny 2 trailer. It didn’t have the general vibe I associate with the sci-fi shooter. But it is a sci-fi game, so that’s on me for having expectations. What we get out of the trailer is that someone has outlined your fate for you, to the point that while you’re free to make decisions as you like, there can only be one outcome. The destination has been chosen for you. You have no choice but to go.

Perhaps the real game in this update is defying fate. That’s what you’re inclined to do, right?

So, two pretty big MMO stories just landed, and they paint a clear picture of where the genre's heading. Over in the East, Bellatores — an open-world MMORPG built in Unreal Engine 5 — is getting ready to launch. Meanwhile, in the West, Microsoft just quietly canned ZeniMax Online Studios’ long-running MMO project.

Bellatores from NYOU is set in a medieval fantasy world, with real-time combat, massive PvP battles, and a classless system that lets you build your character around weapons and skills instead of levels. The game leans into player freedom, dynamic world events, and a player-driven economy for crafting gear. There’s an upcoming closed beta in Korea from July 30 to August 3. We're not sure if it'll be free-to-play, but Korean MMOs usually are.

ZeniMax’s project — which went by the codename Project Blackbird — had been cooking since 2018, with over 200 devs working on it. The new IP featured cross-platform support and a custom engine. But during Microsoft’s big round of layoffs in July (which hit 9,000 workers), it got shut down. Just like that, another Western MMO bites the dust before we ever get even a trailer.

BREAKING: The new MMORPG project from Zenimax Online Studios, maker of Elder Scrolls Online, has been canceled as part of the Xbox layoffs, sources tell Bloomberg News. The project, code-named Blackbird, had been in development since 2018. Still more news to come this morning.

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) July 2, 2025 at 8:05 AM

Korean studios seem all-in on MMORPGs — they’ve got the infrastructure, the monetization systems, and the audience to back it up. Meanwhile, Western publishers appear to see MMOs as too expensive and risky; they’re not worth the long dev cycles in this age of layoffs and live-service burnout.

This genre is fading away in the West, while flourishing in the East.

If you signed up to test Hotta Studio’s open-world action RPG, Neverness to Everness, you’re going to want to check your email. The Containment Test kicks off today. It’s now time to take on the role of an Appraiser and use your Esper powers to contain Anomalies appearing around the city.

During the test, players will be able to explore two areas in the city, the skyscraper-filled New Herland District and a tourist area known as Miquel District. To get around the city, players will be able to requisition vehicles. But they’ll want to be careful when doing so, as it could be considered a crime and trigger the game’s wanted system.

As the Containment Test has launched, Hotta Studio is no longer taking applications via the site. That said, if you missed the application period and would still like a chance to take part, there is a chance. Just link your PWG account to Twitch and watch participating streamers between now and July 7 for a chance at an invite.

Believe it or not, Nexon’s looter-shooter The First Descendant is officially a year old. To celebrate the anniversary, the developer hosted the “Descendant Fest 2025” livestream yesterday evening. During the stream, the team offered new details on the upcoming Season 3 update scheduled to launch on August 7.

The stream offered a look at the Axion Plains field that will serve as the main stage for the upcoming update. It is there that players will engage in large-scale battles and explore new dungeons. To explore this massive area, players will have access to a Hover Bike.

Another bit of content shown during the stream is the new Descendant, Nell. This Descendant uses telekinetic abilities to mark enemies in combat, dealing enhanced damage to them. Nell can also provide allies with both shields and buffs.

Players can also look forward to the game’s first-ever collaboration featuring 2B and A2 from NieR: Automata. Skins, animations, and other cosmetics based on the two characters will be available.

Speaking of collaborations. Nexon is also collaborating with Spotify, where players will be able to listen to the game’s original soundtrack. Those who listen via the music platform will receive a special Spotify Name Card and two new paints.

Mecha BREAK, the new free-to-play third-person mech shooter from Amazing Seasun Games, is officially live as of July 1 on PC (Steam, Xbox, Google Play Games) and Xbox Series X|S, with more platforms on the way.

Set on a post-disaster Earth plagued by the volatile resource “Corite” (EIC), players pilot customizable mechs — called “Strikers” — across large-scale battlefields in three game modes: 6v6 Operation VERGE, 3v3 Ace Arena, and Operation STORM — a massive PvPvE extraction mode set on a sprawling 256 km² map.

The game features 15 unique mechs across five roles and four armor classes, with extensive visual and mechanical customization. Players unlock Strikers with Mission Tokens or trial them temporarily. Pilot avatars offer 130+ sliders and dozens of cosmetic options.

A story-driven Base system acts as a social hub, where players can interact with NPCs, explore lore, and personalize hangars. Season 0 kicks off at launch, promising quarterly updates and a Twitch Drops campaign tied to in-game rewards.

Earlier in the week, Gamigo put out the July community letter for Trove. As is generally the case with these things, the letter discussed the game’s most recent activity as well as what to expect in the near future. It also included a brief Q&A in which the devs answered a question about the possibility of providing players with a roadmap.

Over the years, players of live service games have become accustomed to developers using roadmaps to outline their plans. As with the most recent Lost Ark roadmap, some only cover a few months. Others look far into the future. Some devs invite players to join them on apps like Trello, where they can follow changes as they happen and feel more involved in the process. No matter how they do go about it, the idea is to keep players informed of future plans.

On the surface, it makes sense when dealing with a live service game. We live in these games. We like to know what the plans for them are.

That’s why I found the Trove devs’ answer to that question so interesting. Essentially, it broke down to a “no”; players won’t be getting roadmaps. That’s not because the devs don’t want any transparency. As the individual asking the question pointed out, they’re being fairly transparent without the roadmap. Rather, the objection on the developer’s part is that they want to “avoid setting expectations”.

And there’s the rub with telling players developer plans too far in advance. There’s a big difference between things you want to do and the things you will actually achieve. It’s not uncommon for a developer to say “we would like to do this” and have some players take it as “we are doing this”.

Honestly, this is also why I’ve thought many times that there is such a thing as revealing a game too early. Once you reveal a game, players are going to want to know everything they can about it. If the game isn’t far enough along, whatever eventually comes out, it’s going to match what the players have built up in their heads. One needs only look to Elyon to know this is true. The game, which was announced as “A:IR,” promised aerial combat using airships. And, well, we know how that turned out.

The same problems can crop up with roadmaps. I remember a friend once telling me that he avoided games that went in too heavy on roadmaps because, to him, that meant the game was in trouble. I’m not going to say he’s absolutely correct. But I do know that every time I see one that has a long projection window, I worry.

Welcome to July. The outside may feel like you’re swimming in melted plastic, but on the upside, Amazon Games has dropped part three of Lost Ark’s 2025 roadmap. The roadmap offers a look at what to expect over the next three months, ending with the battle against the Lord of the Abyss in the Kazeros Raid in September.

Prior to that, players have a good bit to look forward to throughout July with the launch of the new Paradise progression system. This new system features experimental solo content intended to help players of the global version of the MMORPG progress more quickly. Players earn rewards via three activities: fighting waves of monsters in Elysian, 1v1 boss battles in the Crucible, and descending through 100 floors of Hell. The last sounds fairly daunting, but the deeper players can go, the better the rewards get.

In August, the Valkyrie advanced class will be introduced. In addition, the devs intend to launch the Prestige Shop at the same time, offering players a new way to buy cosmetics.

We just got some fresh details about The CUBE, thanks to a new interview with WCCF TECH.

In case you missed it, The CUBE is an upcoming MMORPG/shooter hybrid from Mundfish, the studio behind Atomic Heart. It’s a spin-off set after the original game. No word yet on whether it’s free-to-play, but fingers crossed.

CEO Robert Bagratuni says the concept started with a simple notepad sketch that evolved into a living, shifting world — literally. The game runs on a patent-pending “split-rendering” system that allows thousands of tiles to rotate and move in real time, changing gravity and traversal as you play. Built in Unreal Engine 5, this tech keeps everything synced and smooth, making the environment a core part of gameplay (not just visual).

Instead of static quest hubs or grindy leveling, you’ll tackle co-op missions, dynamic events, and maybe some PvP. There’s persistent progression, gear upgrades, and dungeon-like zones with escalating danger and rewards, like Diablo or Destiny.

The business model is still TBD, but Mundfish is aiming for a “player-first” approach. Open testing and a packed post-launch roadmap are in the works, with new quests, story content, and world updates planned. And players will shape the world as they go.

Look, I want to like mobile MMORPGs. I’m not opposed to playing games on my phone, and sometimes I don’t feel like sitting at my computer. The couch or my bed is comfier. People even rave about playing popular MMOs like RuneScape and Albion Online on their phones. But every time I try one, I bounce off hard. Here’s why mobile MMOs just haven’t won me over (yet).

1. Pay-to-Win

The overwhelming majority of mobile MMOs are free-to-play, and therefore feature relentless monetization. Because that’s how mobile gaming be. It’s never just “buy a cool outfit” or “speed up crafting” — it’s usually five different currencies, a gacha pull for a mount, stamina that locks you out after five minutes, and VIP tiers that straight-up make your character better if you pay.

2. Auto-Play

I don’t mind quality-of-life features like automatic pathing or quest tracking, but when the game literally plays itself, what’s the point? Some of these MMOs will auto-everything while I stare blankly at the screen wondering what the heck I’m doing with my life. I want to play my character so I can escape into another world, not watch them live out my fantasy.

3. Touch Controls

MMOs usually require a decent amount of buttons to press. You’ve got skills to manage, mobs to kite, menus to navigate, inventory to juggle. Trying to do all that on a touchscreen is a nightmare. Even when the MMO is on the simpler side, it’s never clicked for me on mobile. And I see more of my thumb than the actual game. Maybe my fingers are just too fat.

4. Time Gates

Most mobile MMOs love to drip-feed content. You log in, do your daily quests/chores, hit the stamina wall, and then wait. Come back tomorrow to continue progress.

5. The Feel 

Even if there’s guilds and chat, something about mobile MMOs feels hollow. The world’s on rails, the community is silent, and you wind up feeling alone — which is the exact opposite reason ofwhy I am a fan of this genre. MMOs are at their best when they seem alive. Mobile MMOs appear artificial to me.

I’m not saying mobile MMOs can’t be good — there are a few good-looking ones out there that I’d like to try. But they usually suck, and most don’t delineate from the bad reputation mobile MMOs have garnered. Until something gives, I’ll stick to playing MMOs on my PC where they belong.

If you’ve been wondering what Chris Wilson’s been up to since leaving Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games in 2023, we finally have an answer. He’s been founding another studio.

As discovered by MassivelyOP, Wilson has founded a studio named Light Pattern. There’s really much in the way of information about the studio in question or what we can expect from it. In fact, the studio website only boasts a logo and a sentence-long description that mentions an “unannounced project”. The rest of the page is dedicated to a job listing seeking an art director.

Wilson’s personal site doesn’t really offer anything either, just mentioning that he founded the studio in 2025 and would be working on the previously mentioned project “with a very small team”.

Of course, we’re all free to make guesses about what we can expect out of Light Pattern. As MassivelyOP pointed out, thanks to his time at Grinding Gear Games, a new ARPG wouldn’t be too wild a guess. Although it’s possible he wants to dabble in something new. Though it seems likely it will be something online. It’s also likely that whatever the project is will be a free-to-play offering, since he’s seen success in that arena before.

Tree of Savior is introducing a new class: Aether Blader. 

Described as the Harmonizer of Blue Waters and Golden Lightning, this magical warrior manipulates elemental forces in battle, blending lightning, water, and ice magic with radiant swordplay to deliver visually striking and powerful attacks.

Also, the Zachariel Server Merge is happening in the free-to-play MMORPG on July 15. Teams on the NA Klaipeda, EU Fedimian, and SA Silute servers that have been inactive for over a year and have not purchased or used Premium TP will be marked as "dormant" and deleted.

Players with multiple teams must meet the activity criteria on each server to avoid dormancy. Dormant teams can be restored by submitting a ticket before August 12, but any new teams created before restoration will be deleted. After the deadline, dormant teams will be permanently unrecoverable.

While summer is relative in space, one thing is certain: Northern Hemisphere Earth Summer means it’s time for all good Star Trek Online Federation starship captains to take their crew to the planet of relaxation, Risa. It just so happens that the MMORPG's annual Lohlunat Festival takes place around this time as well, so things work out nicely.

This year, players who visit Risa and take part in the festivities can earn progress to a new T6 Federation Intel Holoship. In addition, they can also pick up a very distinct outfit, a replica of Bones’ white jumpsuit. While not so fashionable, players might also want to pick up the Risian Sunscreen Makeup. Everyone should protect themselves from the evils of the sun. Finally, new Prismatic Powerboards and Floaters are also available, adding that old-school Star Trek vibe.

Project Ghost — the upcoming MMORPG from Fantastic Pixel Castle — recently had a major reveal. The studio, led by Greg Street (formerly of World of Warcraft and Riot Games’ canceled League of Legends MMO), is backed by NetEase and is developing the game in Unreal Engine 5. Thanks to a new video from JoCat showcasing pre-alpha footage from internal playtests, we’re finally getting our first real glimpse of what they’ve been building.

The footage highlights a range of core systems: third-person combat, gathering and harvesting, exploration, and small-group open-world encounters. While it’s clearly early days, there’s already enough to form some impressions. Visually, Project Ghost leans into a stylized look reminiscent of WoW. Although animations are still a work in progress, they show promising weight and responsiveness. There are familiar, satisfying feedback loops that suggest a strong mechanical foundation under the hood.

Traversal and exploration stand out thanks to fluid character movement, natural jump arcs, and a sense of momentum that makes navigating the world appear dynamic rather than routine. Combat blends tab-targeting with action elements, incorporating readable telegraphs, aggro control, and group coordination reminiscent of classic dungeon runs. Combined with visible resource nodes, ambient wildlife, and subtle environmental verticality, these design choices help create a world that feels “lived-in."

The most intriguing feature, though, is the split-world design. Content is divided into “Blue Zones” and “Red Zones.” Blue Zones are procedurally generated areas focused on small-group PvE, base-building, and evolving encounters. Red Zones are handcrafted shared-world spaces with traditional MMO staples like PvP, world bosses, and social hubs. This ambitious hybrid attempts to marry the personalization of instanced content with the chaos of open-world gameplay — a combination that could enhance replayability.

There are still many unknowns, including how Project Ghost will carve out a distinct identity in an already crowded genre. Another open question is the business model. While it could be free-to-play, it’s unclear, especially considering Street’s WoW background, where a subscription model still prevails.

For now, it’s too early to label Project Ghost as a “WoW killer” — a tired phrase anyway — but it’s clear the team has a strong vision worth watching.

It seems like Matt may not have to worry as much about getting his hands on Blue Protocol: Star Resonance. As you may know, the MMORPG is launching in China this month, and it had him a bit worried that we’d end up not seeing the game make its way west, just like before.

That said, Bokura Network Technology announced plans to launch the game globally later this year when they announced the Chinese launch. So, it’s likely he was just calling the game a bit too soon. This seems especially true today, after the developer dropped a music video teasing an upcoming beta test for the game.

The video, titled “The Resonation of the Stars,” offers a look at the game world and the character in it. It feels mostly celebratory. As for when the closed beta is set to kick off, a post on Twitter promises news “soon”. Whether that is what normal people think of as “soon” or something closer to a Blizzard Entertainment “soon” remains to be seen.

Albion Online PvPers, rejoice. Today, you take the battle into The Depths, where you will fight in small-group encounters to earn buffs, loot, and other goodies. The new PvP area introduces a new Orange PvP rule set to the MMORPG. This is a more forgiving ruleset as players will now only drop what’s in their inventory if they die. Players should also expect a smoother experience, changes have been made to walk them through important systems, and a new Character Progression category has been introduced to the Albion Journal that will provide them with achievable goals.

Another change that will help players out is the introduction of UI changes. Included are things like better filters and categories.

Of course, new content typically means new weapons. In this case, two new Crystal Weapons have been introduced. The Truebolt hammer channels raw energy to shield allies and stun foes, while the Stillgaze Staff can petrify enemies.

The cancellation of Hytale, the Minecraft-style MMORPG, and the closure of Hypixel Studios seem to boil down to a mix of executive mismanagement, misguided leadership, and an overly ambitious development path.

Many pointed fingers at Riot Games, but several former developers took to X/Twitter to set the record straight. According to ex-IT lead DevSlashNull, the real problem was internal. He accused the new leadership of ignoring the original team’s strengths and pushing the project off course. In his view, Riot wasn’t to blame — Hypixel’s own decisions were.

Other ex-devs backed that up, calling out constant reinvention as a major issue. Former principal engineer Silkey explained that some systems, which had already outpaced Minecraft’s, were rebuilt from scratch for no good reason. Former animation lead NinjaCharlieT added that many of the tools used to create Hytale’s trailers were later scrapped when the team switched engines, setting development back significantly and dismantling a lot of their early progress.

Hypixel co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme offered more behind-the-scenes context. He said the project was burning through $350,000 to $400,000 a month and that they passed up a better deal in favor of what looked like a safer option with Riot. While he defended CEO Noxy, he placed the blame on ambitious producers who, he says, treated Hytale like a stepping stone to impress Riot. Those same producers, according to Simon, made him feel like a stranger in his own studio.

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This past month, Update 0.8 launched for RuneScape: Dragonwilds — the buy-to-play survival game spin-off of the free-to-play MMORPG.

Players can now enjoy a cozier world, a hard difficulty mode, defensive palisades, a rebalanced building health system, and improvements to lighting and visual effects. Magic Skill Spells were introduced too.

Behind the scenes, development continues on the new region Fellhollow that’s set to arrive in December. The developers offered a first glimpse at what players might find there, including Death’s new “office” — a haunting reclaimed temple that will serve as the region’s hub. 

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The setting draws inspiration from Gielinor’s eeriest locations, blending lore and spooky design with practical function. Before that happens though, Update 0.8.1 will include a long-requested pause feature for solo players, improved status effect tooltips, and a more informative compass and day/night cycle display.

Also, many fans expressed concern about the cadence of content updates, but the team reaffirmed that Fellhollow is on track, and quarterly content updates are the goal, with more frequent community check-ins planned. Quality-of-life features like pickup radius improvements and crafting from nearby chests are being tested for release in 0.8.2 or 0.9. Plus, new Ranged Skill Spells, customizable world settings, and more features aimed at giving players greater control. 

Update 0.9 is officially set for release on September 9.

So, as we all know by now, Crystal of Atlan just kicked off its first crossover event featuring characters from One-Punch Man. For some people, this will be very exciting. And I’m excited for them. But, for me, it’s less so.

Here’s the thing: it’s weird to enter one of the hubs and see a dozen Saitamas running around. Yes, I know everyone starts out with their characters effectively looking the same – another annoying trait for MMOs where I see other people all the time – but as you can customize as you go along, I was willing to live with it and play for the story. And, admittedly, I was enjoying the story for the most part.

But with this, I just can’t. It’s too much. The truth is, I tend to ignore a lot of crossovers in story-based games. That’s easy enough to do in games that are more or less single-player. I have never used Aloy in Genshin Impact, despite her being given out for free. I will check out the Fate/stay Night event in Honkai: Star Rail because it sounds like they’ve done a story that will integrate them into the world. But in either case, I’ll only see one single instance of the characters in question in the game, because it’s a solo game.

That said, the idea of crossovers in games like MOBAs doesn’t bother me nearly as much, probably because you’re not really worrying about the story, and it’s possible to see the same character twice in a match. You’re not really embodying a character on their adventure. So, it is what it is.

Still, for this event, I’m out. Maybe I’ll pop back in later when people get bored with it. But chances are pretty good I’ll be sucked into something else by that point. There are a lot of games coming out, after all.

Hotta Studio is preparing to kick off the Neverness to Everness “Containment Test” (or Closed Beta) on July 3. The test, scheduled to run for about two weeks, will offer lots of players their first hands-on look at the urban-themed post-apocalyptic action RPG.

However, they won’t necessarily be going in blind. Earlier this week, Hotta shared the game’s opening animation, providing a peek at the game’s setting of New Helios and several characters. Things go dark fast as a Hypervortex appears in the sky, kicking off a disaster event, destroying the area, and changing people. Eventually, members of the Bureau of Anomaly Control appear, and we’re able to get a look at a few of the game’s playable characters.

Of course, a post-apocalyptic setting isn’t all that original for a gacha game (or lots of games for that matter). That said, the urban open-world setting and the approach are enough to have me interested.

If you’re one of the myriad RuneScape players who have been turned off by the F2P MMORPG’s microtransactions, you might be happy to know that the devs are looking to change things up. That’s not to say that they’ll be doing away with them completely. After all, a F2P game has to make money somehow. But they have been listening to player opinions and noted their concerns.

In a post published earlier this week, the dev team discussed the results of a survey in which a large number of players expressed dissatisfaction with the current microtransaction system in the game. The stats also included input from those who have quit playing the game. From these numbers, one thing is very clear: something needs to change.

So, the developers have come up with a plan to do some experiments. They’re calling what they have in mind this because there’s no guarantee that what they try will be implemented. The process will allow players to offer feedback on what the devs try. Even those that aren’t actually testing the experimental systems can still offer input by just letting the devs know how they feel about them as an idea.

Each experiment, of which there are currently three planned, will be implemented in the game for no more than 14 days. During that time, they’ll take player feedback, and at the end, the experiment will be removed. The three currently planned experiments are to disable Treasure Hunter (which people really seem to dislike), offering a DXP Event with only an XP bonus available, and a cosmetic mega drop that offers a big selection of past cosmetic overrides for direct purchase.

Based on the feedback the devs shared in the post, these all sound like ideas worth trying. As a consumer, I’m honestly a big fan of just making lots of fun cosmetics – mounts, pets, clothes, and the like – and offering them for sale. But it seems that those alone don’t generate the kind of money most developers want or need.

In case you missed it, Hytale got canceled. Hypixel Studios’ sandbox MMORPG — seven years in the making — has officially been scrapped. No beta, no early access, nothing.

If you’re not familiar, Hytale was pitched as part Minecraft, part MMORPG, part modding platform. We’re not sure if the game would’ve been free-to-play or not, as the business model was never finalized. 

It promised procedurally generated worlds, cinematic tools, deep combat, and creator-friendly features. The studio behind it built Hypixel, one of Minecraft’s biggest servers. Then Riot Games stepped in, eventually buying the studio outright and reportedly investing over $100 million.

It’s baffling, and a huge red flag for the genre.

This wasn’t some indie dream that fell apart. It was a Riot-backed project with massive potential. If that kind of funding can’t get a game like Hytale out the door, what hope do smaller MMO developers have? The genre is already weighed down by long development cycles and sky-high expectations. Now it feels like even deep pockets aren’t enough.

MMOs deserve better than this.

In the recent This Week In Destiny post, Bungie unveiled an update for Destiny 2 — setting the stage for the upcoming Edge of Fate expansion. 

Beginning July 15, all newly acquired Exotic armor in the free-to-play shooter will drop with the full benefits of Armor 3.0, including improved stat archetypes, full mod energy, and Masterwork capabilities. Players will also receive 20 free Exotic focuses from Ada-1, allowing them to target specific armor archetypes and streamline buildcrafting. Previously acquired gear will be automatically converted into the new system with no loss in stats.

Unfortunately for Warlocks though, the Exotic chest piece Sanguine Alchemy was nerfed. Bungie is introducing a 10-second cooldown when equipping it mid-combat to discourage frequent exotic gear-swapping during fights. Also, Exotic class items will no longer be upgradable to Artifice status, though they will retain max stats post-conversion.

Looking ahead to Edge of Fate, significant subclass tuning is being implemented across all three classes. Warlocks will see changes to abilities like Pocket Singularity and various Void and Strand effects; Titans will benefit from improved Shield Throw tracking; and Hunters will get consistency improvements to Gambler’s Dodge. 

Finally, a new Featured Exotics system will also rotate 28 weapons and 15 armor pieces into the spotlight, giving players guidance on top-tier builds without removing access to the full Exotic pool.

Team Jade revealed that Delta Force’s next update, “Season Break,” drops on July 9. 

The update for the free-to-play shooter introduces multiple new features and improvements, including two maps — Tide Prison for Operations and Cyclone for Warfare — along with the addition of swimming and diving mechanics, an array of new weapons and vehicles, and a new Operator named Tempest. Also, Delta Force is releasing on consoles on August 19, with the Black Hawk Down single-player campaign launching as free DLC for those who wishlist the game starting June 28.

These aforementioned new maps are designed to expand gameplay variety. Tide Prison is a high-tech island facility that players must infiltrate while disguised, offering a mix of puzzle-solving and stealth in a solo or squad format. Cyclone is a large-scale tropical map featuring a hidden ICBM site and a dynamic weather system that impacts both infantry and vehicle-based combat. 

As for Tempest — the new Operator, she brings an aggressive, fast-paced playstyle to the battlefield with her exoskeletal enhancements and short-range weaponry ideal for disrupting enemy formations.

The game is also collaborating with the tactical RPG Arknights, which will introduce new themed Operator Appearances inspired by characters like Executor and Schwarz. Operators Stinger and Luna will receive Arknights-style skins, and Toxik and Hackclaw will follow. 

Last but not least, the cooperative mode Victory Unite is getting real-time command tools and respawn support to streamline gameplay.

Today, Crystal of Atlan’s first-ever crossover kicked off. The crossover brings characters from One Punch Man into the F2P magicpunk MMO action RPG, with their own combat abilities that make use of CoA’s air combo system.

During the crossover event, players will be able to face Boros, the Dominator of the Universe, in a boss battle. Defeating him will earn players the Mark of the Dominator, which can be exchanged for crossover rewards. Players will also be able to unlock a Master’s License and earn exclusive rewards, including the Saitama transformation item.

Terrible Tornado joins the game as an S-grade support pet that uses psychic abilities in combat.

On an additional note, a new class will be introduced on July 10. The Mystrix, a subclass of the Musketeer, is a master of magitech weapons. The Mystrix’s weapon case transforms into a variety of weapons, meaning they’re never short of firepower.

A new update is now available for Game of Thrones: Kingsroad on PC and mobile devices. The update introduces a new region south of the Stormlands to the F2P action RPG, as well as a new Raid. Players are now able to explore the Crow’s Nest and the surrounding areas as Stannis Baratheon prepares to sail north. Of course, as the story expands, players will find new quests, ruins, and bounties. Players will also encounter the “Shadowcat,” a new beast they’ll need to take down in order to continue their journey.

The raid is new content for Game of Thrones: Kingsroad. In this raid, players will fight the “Kraken” in the north of the Suneset Sea. Those familiar with the Song of Ice and Fire novels will be happy to know that the Kraken’s design fits what was described in the novels. That means fighting the creature from a ship.

In addition to the new content, the update also introduces several new seasonal updates and events for players to enjoy.

It was recently announced that Star Resonance will officially launch in China on July 17, with a global release expected sometime later this year. If you’re not familiar, this upcoming free-to-play MMORPG from Shanghai Bokura Network Technology is basically Blue Protocol 2.0. And yeah, I’m kind of bummed about the news.

I played Blue Protocol (developed by Bandai Namco) during its final closed beta before the game shut down. Despite all the backlash and its eventual downfall, I actually had a great time with it. I’d been hyped since day one, so when Blue Protocol got canceled before even releasing in the West, it hit hard.

Now Star Resonance is almost here — essentially a spiritual successor, but this time backed by Tencent instead of Amazon Games. Naturally, I’m excited all over again. Unfortunately, us outside of China are stuck waiting with vague promises of a global release in 2025.

This kind of release strategy just sucks. What if the game dies again before we ever get to play it? Staggered, drip-fed updates and region-locked content kill hype — it fractures the community before it even has a chance to form. I understand the logistical and regulatory hurdles, sure. Yet after waiting years for Blue Protocol, only to see Star Resonance teased and then locked away behind another wall? It’s hard not to feel burned.

I’m still hyped, don’t get me wrong. I’ve been waiting for this dang game since Blue Protocol was first revealed in 2019. So I’ll be watching Star Resonance closely. Maybe it’ll be worth the wait. Hopefully. I hate waiting though, man.

Epic Games has jumped on the garden-sim trend with a new Fortnite mode called Go Garden — obviously inspired by the viral success of Grow a Garden in Roblox. 

Created in partnership with streamer SypherPK, the seven-player clicker-style game (accessible within the free-to-play battle royale's platform) lets players collect seeds, plant them, and grow crops even while offline, aiming to earn in-game cash. It features seasonal events, rare seed drops, and competitive elements that encourage players to cultivate the best garden.

While Go Garden doesn’t break much new ground, it does include a few twists — like one-time-use crops and unique modifiers.

Overwatch 2 Season 17: Powered Up! is now live.

The update for the free-to-play hero shooter adds Sigma, Zenyatta, and Junkrat to the Stadium roster, alongside two new maps: Esperança and Samoa. Also introduced is the Stadium Forge tool, which lets players build and share custom setups.

There’s a new gameplay feature as well: Map Voting for Quick Play and Competitive modes. And, the Flashpoint map Aatlis is now in–game. Players can check out the fast-paced 8-bit game mode while the event is still live, too. Mid-season updates will include reworks of New Junk City and Suravasa. 

Season 17 runs until August 26.

The Isleweaver update has arrived in Warframe, taking players of the F2P sci-fi MMO shooter back to the floating kingdom of Duviri in order to save it from the Indifference. The update also introduces a new Warframe to the roster, the arachnid huntress: Oraxia. If you like spider-like creatures, this is a great time for you. If not… well… I suppose it just depends on how much you dislike them.

Oraxia can be obtained via a $30 bundle purchase, which includes her signature weapon and customizations. If you’d rather not spend the money, then you’ll have to go the long way to obtain her.

In addition to the new story content and Warframe, the new update also includes several quality-of-life improvements. These include a refined path through the early stages of the Warframe’s Star Chart, a rework of the Valkyr Warframe, and more.

On a different note, if you own a Steam Deck, the Warframe Steam Deck startup movie is available. It can be purchased via the Steam Points Shop and will play every time you boot your Steam Deck.

A new card game is hitting Steam next month. Today, developer Dfiance announced the upcoming launch of Dfiance, the free-to-play PvP card game on Steam. The game will launch in July. But before that, players can try out a demo version now.

Dfiance (And yes, it is spelled that way.) is set in a fantasy world and “emphasizes tactical depth and player agency, offering a dynamic battlefield where each move and card placement matters”. Each unit has its own animations, and the game is designed so that each match is unique. In order to succeed, players will need to stay observant. The devs also promise no pay-to-win mechanics and note that progression is earned via skill.

World of Tanks Tankfest 2025 takes place from June 27 to 29 at The Tank Museum in Bovington, U.K., featuring a variety of historical tank exhibitions and livestreamed programming for fans of the F2P shooter around the world. 

One of the highlights is the return of the world’s only running King Tiger, a command tank from Normandy. It’ll make a special appearance at the Musée des Blindés in France. On Sunday, June 29, a livestream on Twitch will offer viewers an inside look at the King Tiger, commentary from tank experts, and coverage of other historic vehicles in action. The event is hosted in partnership with The Tank Museum.

This livestream includes guest appearances from military historians and tank enthusiasts, as well as commentary by Richard Cutland, Nik Wyness, and David Baggley. Also, in-game missions and community events run throughout the week leading up to and during the weekend, giving players the chance to participate in themed activities. 

Viewers who link their Twitch and World of Tanks accounts can earn digital rewards during the event as well.

Today, Bohemia Interactive launches the next Outland chapter with Vigor Turmoil. The update introduces the shooter’s 23rd season, along with a crafting rework, a new battle pass, and events.

In this new update, players will be able to take advantage of a crafting rework intended to help them prepare for combat. Rather than crafting a single thing at a time, players can now make use of batch crafting and take advantage of a crafting boost that reduces the time needed to craft items. The update also improves the crafting UI, making things even easier for players.

The update also brings some new events. First, the Unexploded Missile Loot Event is a new encounter in which players will need to deal with missiles crashing into the map in the middle of a match. The idea, however, isn’t to just avoid them. Instead, there’s a new mini-game in which players disarm the missiles. Successfully doing so will earn players useful goodies. That said, there’s still the risk of radiation. So, use your best judgment and all that.

In addition, Season 23 adds regular Shootout Carnage Events. There are currently four: Blade Carnage, Hunter’s Carnage, Pioneer Carnage, and Weapon Carnage. The first two are knives and crossbows only, respectively. Pioneer Carnage will make use of the new weapons and consumables, while Weapon Carnage will have fixed weapon categories.

Also of note in this update are “Enhanced Radiation Visual Effects”. These come with “omnimous ambient winds”. The devs were really going for making everything as creepy as possible.

I was invited to try out Mongil: Star Drive, an upcoming free-to-play action RPG, during its recent closed beta. This was actually my first time playing a gacha game — and unfortunately, I walked away feeling mostly underwhelmed.

The biggest issue for me was the combat. It looks great on the surface — flashy animations, smooth character-swapping, and dodge indicators that light up enemies before they strike — but when I really break it down, all I was doing was left-clicking, occasionally dodging with the right mouse button, and spamming Q and E for skills and ultimates.

It felt like I was brute-forcing my way through every fight. After an hour or two, my right index finger straight-up started to hurt. There just wasn’t enough complexity or strategy to keep me engaged. I’m sure things pick up later with mechanics like elemental weaknesses and boss patterns, but the road to get there felt painfully basic.

Mongil: Star Drive also markets itself as a “creature collector,” which I found a bit misleading. Instead of taming monsters in any meaningful way, you’re just acquiring buffs — tiny companions that act more like stat-boosting charms than actual creatures. It doesn’t scratch that Pokémon itch at all.

On the bright side, the game is definitely visually appealing; I dig the anime aesthetic. I also liked the light-hearted tone of the dialogue. But that surface-level charm quickly gave way to repetitive gameplay and a lack of real depth.

Maybe gacha games just aren’t for me — or maybe it’s just Mongil: Star Drive. I’ve heard great things about other titles like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves, but if this is the kind of combat and gameplay loop most gacha games offer, I’m not sure I’ll find what I’m looking for.

Season 28 of Albion Online begins on July 5, promising a two-month contest of guild dominance with a new twist. 

Players of the F2P sandbox MMORPG in Asia, Europe, and the Americas can participate in the Conqueror’s Challenge to earn unique Avatar Sets, loot, and buffs. They can also take on the newly introduced Depths — a PvP dungeon launched as part of the Abyssal Depths update.

In celebration, Albion is offering boosted Season Points for players who complete the dungeon. There are also events like Invasion Days and double scoring mid-season. This latest season will run through September 2, with the final showdown taking place on August 30.

Additionally, Awakened Weapons are being introduced, offering players the chance to personalize their gear. By awakening a Pristine (.4) weapon at the Artifact Foundry, players can enhance stats such as power and attack speed and add unique Traits. These weapons are character-bound through an Attunement system and grow stronger through PvE Fame earned in full-loot PvP zones. The more Attunement Points earned, the more powerful and customizable the weapon becomes.

Traits on Awakened Weapons can be added, upgraded, or replaced, with increasing costs tied to a system called Strain. The process is expensive, though, so be careful before deciding. These weapons carry a Legendary Rating, too, determining the number of traits and their survival in the game world after death.

Tomorrow, June 26, NCSoft will release the first-ever 12-player raid in Throne and Liberty. The Altar of Calanthia will have players of the F2P MMORPG working together to face Calanthia, provided they can make their way past other bosses.

To get players excited about the new raid, the team shared a deep dive on YouTube. The video offers a look at Calanthia and explains her role in the game’s universe, noting that players will be able to learn more about her and other characters like DaVinci and Janice Cartair via the Adventure Codex and Bonus Codex updates.

The video also discusses how different raid difficulties will work and what the devs are doing to expand on this. 

Tomorrow, June 25, marks the arrival of the next update for Smilegate’s F2P MMORPG Lost Ark. This new update is expected to be available after about 7 hours of downtime. The update takes players into the next chapter – or “After Story” of Kazeros Raid: Act 3, titled “Beyond the Dark Fog”. The new story content focuses on the results of Kadan and Guardian Luen’s choices, and inches players closer to the final fight with Kazeros.

In addition to the Kazeros story content, the new update will introduce a mysterious island, Yornujan. Set off the coast of Rimeria, the island is where young Yoz practice their illusion skills. It seems they need help with their practice in the related quest.

Other new or updated content in tomorrow's update includes the Stylebook system, a new Screenshot Storage system, and several raid adjustments. One of those adjustments is actually a nerf to the Epic Raid and acts 0-2 of the Kazeros Raid.

Last week, I mentioned I’d just started playing Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond. I’m hooked on this new F2P card game, man. But after checking the Steam page and seeing its “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating — still holding strong today with over 12,000 reviews — I started to wonder if I was missing something.

Maybe I’m still in the honeymoon phase, but I’m still very much enjoying it. The visuals are sharp, the interface feels smooth, and the animations are top-notch. It also seems pretty generous with free resources — I’ve already built a few solid decks without spending a dime. Between the daily missions, park chests, and early login rewards, there’s a decent stream of stuff to earn.

So why all the hate? Most of the backlash seems to be coming from longtime fans of the original Shadowverse CCG. From what I gather, the monetization in Worlds Beyond feels tighter compared to the previous title. And, cosmetics from the old game didn’t transfer over, apparently (which is definitely not cool). This new one seems like a step back in some areas.

That said, from a new player’s perspective, Worlds Beyond is dope. There are more pros than cons for me at the moment. Perhaps the shine will wear off eventually, but for now, I’m having a blast.

A new NGS Headline WAVE dropped today, offering players of the F2P action RPG Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis details on what’s to come in the next few months. The steam includes a roadmap that runs through September, when a new Combat Sector featuring unique Trials will be added to the Alter Realm.

Before that, however, players have the July update to look forward to. This update will introduce the new Interception Sectors quest type in the Alter Realm. These quests allow up to 32 players to team up and fight the new High Enemies, such as the High Renus and High Elimineda. To successfully beat these bosses, players will want to defeat other enemies in the field or complete trials to weaken them first.

The July update also includes a collaboration with the plastic model series Arcanadea. This will feature a “sci-fi crossed with fantasy” theme.

There are a lot of beta tests happening lately, and anime-style games seem to be at the front of the pack. The good news is that there seems to be a pretty solid variety available for players to check out. Case in point: Perfect World Entertainment and Hotta Studio have announced the closed beta period for their F2P open-world action RPG urban gacha game Neverness to Everness.

The test will run for two weeks, from July 3 to 16. During that time, players will be able to explore the city of Hethereau. For those who may have been in previous tests, Hotta also announced updates to the game’s systems, including the addition of vehicle registration and a wanted system. (Like we said, GTA-like.) These systems will allow players to take vehicles, but they’ll need to be careful if they don’t want to trigger the wanted system. And, just like you’d expect, the wanted system gets more serious as players commit more illegal activities.

The game also offers players street racing, dynamic weather, and more.

I have to say that, as far as this genre of games goes, this one sounds pretty unique. If nothing else, it should scratch the urban game itch that I was talking about before.

Daybreak Game Company has filed a lawsuit against The Heroes Journey (THJ), an unlicensed EverQuest emulator server, and its developers Kristopher Takahashi and Alexander Taylor. 

According to Massively Overpowered, the studio is accusing them of violating copyrights and trademarks by distributing an unauthorized version of the MMORPG. This move is unusual, given Daybreak’s long tolerance of legacy content and fan-run servers in the EverQuest community. That being said, THJ is the largest of its kind —  reportedly reaching up to 4,500 concurrent players. 

The server’s popularity, custom content, and alleged exchange of in-game currency for “donations” may have crossed a line with Daybreak. Also, another emulator server — Quarm — has announced a temporary shutdown in light of the news too.

This legal filing became public after a forum post by user Reason revealed court documents showing Daybreak’s attempt to seal the case and identify anonymous parties. The court denied these requests. Daybreak claims the emulator is causing “immediate and irreparable harm” and is seeking relief under the DMCA. 

Open-source projects like EQEmulator remain untouched for now though — probably because they don’t monetize or use Daybreak’s actual code.

Drakantos, an upcoming 2D pixel art MMORPG developed by indie studio Wingeon Game Studios, is holding a closed beta test from July 25 to 27.

The game features a range of heroes, missions, boss fights, and PvP content. Interested players can request access through Steam, and selected testers will be able to invite a friend, as long as that friend has been on their Steam friends list for at least 30 days.

This past February, Drakantos introduced a new tank character named Yuki and announced the addition of 195 collectible pets. Major systems such as experience points, loot tables, item upgrades, and story quests have also been completed. Next up is the open world and quest content.