Passionate gamers around the world have devoted billions of hours to different massively multiplayer online worlds.MMOsgenerally offer tons of content that players can experience on their own or with friends. Community interaction is often a huge component in manyMMOsthat keeps player invested in their online worlds. There are numerous MMOs that have come and gone, plenty that are still around today, and several more on the way.
However, with so many MMO games in development, some information can get lost in the mix whenever a developer makes any new announcements or updates. Sometimes, an MMO might get hit with a delay, like earlier this year whenAmazon Games’New Worlddelayed into Summer 2021. Other times, an MMO might have announced an upcoming beta period, or a lift on an NDA. Here are several in-development and live MMOs that have received some updates during the month of May, ranging fromAshes of CreationtoNew WorldtoFinal Fantasy 14.
In-Development MMO Updates for May 2021
Ashes of Creation(Intrepid Studios)
Often among many gamers' list of highly anticipated games,Ashes of Creationfrom Intrepid Studios is an upcoming fantasy MMO that hopes to build a truly player-driven world. Intrepid has been hosting pre-Alpha tests recently, but pushed back some of its full Alpha One schedule further into the summer. The Alpha One test and full NDA pull-back was planned for this June, but will now take place in July. On the bright side, Intrepid has decided to remove the verbal NDA forAshes of Creation, so some players can now openly talk about their experiences, without sharing any images or videos.
More recently, the Lead Game Designer forAshes of Creation, Jeff Bard, has left the team. After helping drive much of the MMO’s development, he will go on to work on someprojects in the VR space. The Content Creator Program forAshes of Creationhas also been reintroduced, and is accepting new applicants. In the monthly developer update from Intrepid Studios, players can take a look at some Alpha footage of a giant boss battle with the Elder Dragon of Tundra, in addition to some early Siege gameplay.
Blue Protocol (Bandai Namco)
For those that are looking for an anime-stylized MMO,Blue Protocolis one to watch. A lengthy developer update from Bandai Namco was livestreamed this month, though it was in Japanese. Bandai Namco updated fans about development, and revealed some new footage. There are also new character creation options being added, as well as whole new regions, and a new Heavy Smasher class. A short new animation was released as well, with some moments of gameplay footage.
The Day Before (Fntastic)
Developed by Fntastic and published by MYTONA,The Day Beforeis an open-world survival MMO set in apost-pandemic America overrun by zombies. There are already a fewtrailers forThe Day Before, but development has mostly been quiet this month. This morning, Fntastic teased some upcoming news about the game, but fans will have to wait to see how much the developers actually plan to reveal.
Elyon (Kakao Games)
The MMOElyon, previously calledAscent: Infinite Realm, from Kakao Games has entered into its beta period for western audiences. Players that have had a chance to try out the new MMO have been able to give their opinions on everything from the game’s character customization to its initial combat. ReadGame Rant’s preview ofElyonhere.
League of Legends MMO (Riot Games)
At the end of 2020, Riot Games confirmedaLeague of LegendsMMO was in development, though in its most early stages. Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street, who has previous MMO credits onWorld of Warcraft,is Executive Producer on the planned MMO set in Runeterra, and penned a general disclaimer to fans on Twitter. Fans can expect the upcoming MMO to have its own identity, even if certain gameplay decisions won’t appeal to all fans.
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New World (Amazon Games)
Amazon Games' foray into MMO development comes in the form ofNew World, and director Scot Lane gave a developer update about the planned schedule for the next few months. Anyone that pre-orders the game can participate in the closed beta on July 20 ahead of its official launch on Jun 21, 2025. More information was revealed aboutExpeditions and combat inNew Worldas well.
Information also came out thatNew Worldwill feature paid cosmeticsand other micro transactions such as XP Boosters. While the developers see this as a way for newer players to catch up, some players weren’t happy about the concept. The developers clarified that only cosmetic items, not XP Boosters, would be available to purchase anytime before 2022, which would only be a few months after launch.
Phantasy Star Online 2 : New Genesis (Sega)
SinceNew Genesisis a larger overhaulfor the base game, there are several changes that will be coming to players. Sega detailed some of these anticipated changes to some games systems as players were able to participate in a closed beta test. Plus, a character creator tool is now live in anticipation of theNew Genesisrelease next month.
The developers also revealed an upcoming road map for the next half-year:
Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium Games)
Development continues on the massive sci-fi MMOStar Citizenas the game keeps hitting crowdfunding milestones, even when it is already one ofthe most expensive games ever made. The development team continues to detail progress made on the game, including videos about different spaceships and game systems. A free week for players to try out the game began on May 22 and will continue to June 1. Players will have access to the Avenger Titan ship to try out and see what the game has to offer.
Sword of Legends Online (Gameforge)
Sword of Legends Onlineis an upcoming MMO with a unique storylinebased in Chinese mythology.Ahead of its anticipated release in summer 2021,Sword of Legends Onlinereleased its first beta phase from May 21-25. A special livestream today went over some feedback gathered from the first beta, and some anticipated changes coming to the second beta phase happening from June 1-8. In addition to improving server stability for the next beta, the developers will be adding a new zone for each of the game’s two factions to explore. Both Mysticism and Heaven’s Children players will have access to the new area, Valley of Echoing Blades.
