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The last few years have been immensely kind to MMO players. There have been huge releases for anyone who enjoys the genre, whether they’re a legacy fan or brand new. More established games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, and Guild Wars 2 have received new expansions as well as quality of life and graphical updates. At the same time, newer games like Diablo 4, Fallout 76, and Palia have been solidifying themselves in the market and receiving steady new content releases and improvements.
MMO players, however, are rarely satisfied for long. This genre is known for having fans who consume new content at a rapid pace, with some even holding tournaments to see who can complete it first. With this in mind, we’ve decided to get ready early and map out the upcoming releases before they hit the internet.
Here’s our list of the top MMOs you should be looking out for in 2025 and beyond.
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Note: Some parts of this article are subjective.
1) Path of Exile 2
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox One
Developer: Grinding Gear Games
Subgenre: ARPG
Release Window: Late 2024 (Early Access)
Since its release in 2013, talk about Path of Exile has been nearly impossible to miss, so there’s probably no need to explain how big of a deal this game is. Path of Exile has consistently exceeded player expectations and managed to shake up the mmo-lite genre entirely.
Grinding Gear Games has begun showing off new mechanics, bosses, and skill trees as well as having early playtests for influencers. Although some die-hard fans have their concerns, there’s no denying that everyone wants to get their hands on it. This game is shaping up to be even more complicated and deeper than its predecessor so when it does finally release, fans will surely have enough to keep themselves busy.
During Sony's State of Play, Grinding Gear Games announced that Path of Exile 2 will be released in early access in late 2024. It is thus likely that the game will get a full release sometime in 2025.
2) Light No Fire
Platforms: PC
Developer: Hello Games
Subgenre: Survival
Release Date: TBA
The developer of No Man’s Sky, a game that gradually redeemed itself through consistent updates, has recently announced its new project, Light No Fire. The project is described as “a game about adventure, building, and exploration” by Hello Games and is set to take place on a fantasy planet nearly the size of Earth.
Given how recently we’ve learned about this title, there’s a lot we don’t know about it. But Hello Games has released some information for us to assess. The game will feature a massive world, heavy elements of procedural generation, and base building, and will be massively multiplayer.
If you’d like a closer look, then check out the announcement trailer uploaded to the official Hello Games YouTube channel, which has garnered 17 million views in just six months.
3) Amazon’s Lord of the Rings MMO
Platform: PC
Developer: Amazon Games
Subgenre: TBA
Release Date: TBA
After having to cancel its previously announced Lord of the Rings MMO, Amazon has announced that it will be partnering with Embracer Group to try again. It’s hard not to have a lot of eyes on a project that centers around one of the world's most popular franchises, so it’s no surprise that so many are staying tuned into this new announcement.
Little is known about the game given how recently it was made public, but Amazon has stated that it will certainly be an MMO and that it has “the clear ambition to create the highest-quality entertainment products for this IP”. After the experiences with Lost Ark and New World, it seems Amazon is confident in its ability to manage successful MMOs.
LOTR fans will surely be excited to get their hands on a new game based in this universe, especially one with the size and scale that an MMO can provide.
4) Past Fate
Platforms: PC
Developer: Icy North Games
Subgenre: Strategy
Release Date: Available (Early Access)
Past Fate is an MMO being developed by the Finnish development company Icy North Games. According to the developer, Past Fate is going to be a medieval fantasy MMO where “the players' freedom is the key element”. The game was funded through Kickstarter and received over USD 25,000 from 106 different backers.
Much of what is known about the game comes from alpha footage uploaded to the official Past Fate YouTube channel, as well as from its Steam page. Some of the listed highlights are naval combat, creating and training your own army, and exploring a purportedly “huge” in-game world. There are also currently five confirmed classes, Warrior, Necromancer, Mage, Pirate, and Priest, each having three specializations for the player to choose from.
Also read: 5 biggest open worlds in MMO games
This game is certainly one we know the least about, but if nothing else, it’s exciting to see an MMO coming from a brand-new development team. No official release date has been announced yet, but Icy North Games seems to be hinting at giving a rough idea later this year or next.
5) Pax Dei
Platform: PC
Developer: Mainframe Industries
Subgenres: Sandbox, Simulation
Release Date: TBA
Pax Dei is described by its developer, Mainframe Industries, as a “social sandbox MMO”. The game features crafting, gathering, building, and combat as its core gameplay elements and an expansive guild system as one of its core social elements.
On June 18, 2024, Pax Dei entered early access on Steam and was met with mixed reviews. However many of the complaints seemed to center around design flaws or content issues that were agreed upon as being fixable with proper design direction.
It’s not certain how Mainframe will handle these player concerns, but hopefully, going forward, the early access status will yield the time and feedback needed to improve the game. The developers have stated that they do not have an official release date in mind, but that they’ll be quick to let everyone know when that changes.
6) The Quinfall
Platform: PC
Developer: Vawraek Technology
Subgenre: PvP
Release Date: Jan 30, 2025 (Closed Beta)
Currently being developed by Turkish Indie studio Vawraek Technology, The Quinfall is described as “the largest mmo ever”. Much of the conversation around this game has covered its map size and graphics, both positively and negatively. Vawraek Technology has boldly claimed that The Quinfall will have the largest map in MMO history and that its graphics will be “equipped with the highest level technologies."
Many have expressed excitement at the prospect of such a game hitting the market, while others seem to think the claims are unrealistic. Gamers have become cautious of developers over promising after rough starts in games like New World and No Man's Sky. With this in mind, Vawraek Technology may have a difficult time convincing players to try the game out on launch.
The Quinfall was slated to have a release date of January 30, 2025, but it’s unclear whether this would be an early access date or a full release date. The game’s Steam page currently has no listed release date, so we’re unsure if the previously suggested one is still planned.
7) Mortal Exodus
Platform: PC
Developer: Star Vault
Subgenre: TBA
Release Date: TBA
Planned as a sequel to Mortal Online 2, Mortal Exodus is a sci-fi MMO currently being developed in Unreal Engine 5 by Swedish developer Star Vault.
According to the official website, the core features of the game are going to be full loot mechanics, complex crafting systems, and ship customization. The game is also canonically going to take place in the same universe as Mortal Online 2, an interesting note for fans of the series’ lore.
Very little information has been shared by Star Vault, barring a single video, a reveal trailer, listed on the Mortal Exodus YouTube channel.
