a-message-from-mmogames

Read our editor’s letter about changes to MMOGames and read our best content from recent years.

Changes are afoot at MMOGames, and for a while you won't be seeing the gaming content that you're used to. MMOGames has been publishing gaming news since 2008, and we have to adapt with the times. So, we have to make changes that hopefully will mean that when we're back in action, we'll be alive and kicking and better than ever. The other authors and I would like to take this opportunity to say a fond "Goodbye for now!"

We've decided to leave you with a selection of our more timeless content so you're not short of MMO reading to get lost in while we're away.

OUR WORK PROMOTING GAME ARTISTS

In the age of Midjourney, digital artists are having an even harder time than usual having their work appreciated. We put together $1000 of gaming loot and launched a game artist competition to promote the work of aspiring digital artists. From League of Legends masterpieces to Halo showstoppers to intriguing fantasy worlds, it's safe to say these artists took our breath away.

For a full year, we published monthly Game Artist Showcases highlighting their work while interviewing them on their creative processes and inspirations. In this blogpost, you can find an image from each artist as well as links to their individual showcases.

OUR REVIEWS

We've been fortunate enough to be amongst those lucky few whose job it is to play games. Sometimes kind, sometimes absolutely brutal -- we've got plenty of reviews choose from. There's Marc Pavey's World of Warcraft reviews of Dragonflight and Shadowlands. There's Ollie Bradley's review of FFXIV: Endwalker. There's Dr. Charlie's review of Guild Wars 2's End of Dragons. And there are my own reviews of BDO: Eternal Winter, New World: Brimstone Sands, and Lost Ark.

And that's not to mention the times we stepped away from our genre-of-choice to review games with mechanics we believe MMORPGs can learn from, such as Sea of Thieves, V Rising or Deep Rock Galactic.

OUR CHAMPIONING OF GAMING DO-GOODERS

Every Friday for years, we've been promoting the causes, charities, organisations and individuals that either seek to change gaming for the better or wield the power of gaming for global good. It's been an honour to give a platform to those seeking to change the world for the better through increased accessibility, sustainability, and representation. You can read about some of our best positive gaming stories from last year or scroll through our whole Feelgood Fridays catalogue.

Alternatively, if you're after something a bit special, we recommend checking out our three-part series on Massively Multiplayer Online Science. We interviewed their researchers, partners, and founder about gaming's ability to significantly contribute to scientific progress and lifesaving research.

OUR HISTORY LESSONS ON MMO GAMING's PAST

The evolution of MMORPGs makes for a fascinating study. From our Warcraft timeline to our comprehensive MMORPG history lesson, we've loved exploring the iconic games that made the genre what it is today.

OUR BREAKDOWNS OF THE GENRE TODAY

From our State of the MMO interviews with content streamers like Bazgrim and RedbeardFlynn to our comparisons of the best Dungeons and Dragons MMOs, we've got plenty of articles dedicated to helping readers decipher hype from real promise. As well as those sharing our thoughts on how the genre can hasten its long-anticipated renaissance.

OUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF MMO GAMING

We've enjoyed keeping you informed about upcoming MMORPGs, but what we've loved even more is diving into the trends and technologies that will shape the games of the future. Take for example our technical analysis of how Unreal Engine 5 will affect MMO gaming or this look at the survival mechanics set to dominate this year.

OUR TAKE-NO-PRISONERS OP-ED PIECES

We love a hot take as much as the next person. We haven't been shy with our thoughts on predatory monetization models or the redundancy of the beta model. If you're a Dungeons and Dragons fan, read our prescient piece on how greed threatened the game's future during 2023's OGL controversy.

OUR INDIE GAMING SPECIALS

As well as celebrating indie games through our annual MMO Games Awards, every month we've shone our Indie Spotlight on a deserving indie game studio attempting to innovate the genre from the inside.

OUR INTERVIEWS WITH INDUSTRY LEGENDS

Whether it's grilling freshly crowned esports champions while 40,000 foot above the earth or tearjerking talks with an intergalactic pontiff, we've been to every corner of the MMO gaming space and left no stone unturned.

That means talking to the CEOs and directors of the biggest studios like Pearl Abyss and Amazon Games as well as to the minds leading the indie scene, like Mist Legacy's François Desrosiers, Mortal Online 2's Henrik Nystrom, or the legendary Chris "Joppa" Perkins of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen.

AND OUR MONTHLY EVE ONLINE INTERVIEWS

For two years, we've been sitting down for monthly calls with the legends at CCP Games. Our interviews with EVE Online's directors have been revealing, philosophical and occasionally outrageous. We always dive deep, but in our final interview with Bergur and Peter, we didn't come up for air. You can check out some of our other EVE Interviews here.

OUR WEEKLY WORLD OF WARCRAFT COVERAGE

Through MMOGames' longest running segment, WoW Wednesdays, we've kept our readers up to date on news, secrets, leaks, and scandals, including regular updates on the shady practices at Activision Blizzard and its employees' fightback against them.

OUR SHOWCASES OF PLAYER INGENUITY

Every month, we've been publishing Crafty Creations showcasing the innovation, creativity, and dedication of gamers. They've ranged from painstakingly recreated World of Warcraft dungeons in Minecraft and the making of sweet music in Stardew Valley to adults-only Skyrim mods and Mandalorian-Valheim crossovers.

OUR AMAZING GUEST AUTHORS

We've welcomed some industry legends to MMOGames to tell their stories and share insights into what makes the genre so special. It's hard to choose between them all, but we suggest starting with Artix's hilarious article on the storied development of Adventure Quest 3D. Alternatively, dig into our huge content archives where you can find stories like that of Betadwarf -- a game dev team who squatted their way through the development of an MMO designed to combat loneliness.

OUR GAME GUIDES

We've got game guides galore covering indie MMORPGs like Mist Legacy, industry stalwarts like FFXIV, up-and-comers like V Rising, and surprise phenomena like Among Us.

GETTING THEORETICAL

Sometimes, you just have to step back from your keyboard, look up at the starry sky and ask "Which TV shows would make the best MMOs?", "Is Wikipedia a secret MMORPG hiding right before our eyes?", and "Which real-world locations would make the coolest new Fallout settings?"

GETTING QUIRKY

The world of MMO gaming is a strange and whimsical place. Showcasing its eccentricity by publishing content on China's unofficial World of Warcraft theme-park,  the ludicrous genius of Lost Ark, or our glorious Audience with EVE Online's Space Pope has been a joy.

TELLING THE GENRE'S MOST LEGENDARY STORIES

MMO gaming culture has more lore than any individual game. Some of the most standout examples are when players achieved feats that the developers themselves thought were unachievable. Read about the best of them in Epic Tales of the Impossible.

Who better to tell the tales of mythic MMO Gaming exploits than those who lived them? Our Stories of EVE series had famous Capsuleers tell their funniest and most heart-warming stories. We also recently reached out to some of top gamers to collect their favourite MMO gaming memories.

We hope we've given you enough to read until we see you again. If you want to get in touch with our main authors, you can reach out to Alex (Twitter / LinkedIn) and Ollie (Twitter / LinkedIn). Thank you to all of our loyal readers; we hope to see you again soon!