In-Development Indie MMORPGs

[francisbaud]

I've been interested in MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) since 2004 (Knight Online), and for the last 10 years I've focused my attention on independently developed MMORPGs. Maybe because it was amazing to see what they can do with less resources than AAA developers, and how innovative they can be. Here's a list of 14 of the most popular MMORPGs being created by indie studios.


Dual Universe [Beta]
Setting: Science-Fiction || Focus: PvP || Budget: ~$25M* || Engine: Unigine 2

• Single shard persistent universe shared by all the players
• Voxel-based universe: player-made cities, stations and warships
• Space warfare: pirate ships, coordinated attacks, skirmishes
• Player-controlled global economy: mine, craft, build, optimize, barter and trade

Crowfall [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: $38M || Engine: Unity 5

• Spiritual successor to Shadowbane
• Player-created worlds with parcels of terrain and pre-fab building pieces
• GvG/RvR campaigns that guilds or factions can win
• Deep crafting system inspired by Star Wars: Galaxies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBtQ...TheBloodyPoint


Camelot Unchained [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: RvR || Budget: ~$27M* || Engine: Unchained

• Spiritual successor to Dark Age of Camelot
• Large-scale RvR battles and sieges with more than a thousand players
• Open world with islands that players can move to strategically reshape the world
• Block-by-block construction with server-side stability and destruction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdK_...CityStateGames


Gloria Victis [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Low-Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: ~$4M* || Engine: Unity 5

• Skill-based combat mechanics à la Mount and Blade
• Class-less system with diversified equipment
• Open world with housing, territory control and sieges
• Complex crafting system: leatherworking, armorsmithing, weapon forging

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5vi...loriaVictisMMO


Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen [Pre-Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvE || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Spiritual successor to EverQuest
• Deeply social: dungeons require teamwork and group strategy
• Fun climbing system
• Perception system: the world reveals its secrets through the environment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIqZ...iseoftheFallen


Ashes of Creation [Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP/PvE || Budget: ~$30M* || Engine: Unreal 4

• Nodes system: player participation influences the type of content in the surrounding areas
• Open world housing: players have the ability to survey and develop land anywhere in the world
• Castle sieges with hundreds of players with many moving parts
• Harsh, unforgiving and stunning environment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_hs...shesofCreation


Wild Terra 2 [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvE/PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Immersion and adventure: a world full of interconnected little things
• Every season a new continent will be available, with a variety of biomes and inhabitants, conditions, rules and rewards
• Various roles: blacksmith, fisherman, doctor, alchemist, sailor, weaver, merchant, farmer, carpenter, cartographer or hunter
• Raids and sieges: players join groups and clans to siege medieval castles, raid large bosses and adventure in dungeons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lq7...nnel=XuluGames


Profane [Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Territory conquest: guilds can leave their mark on the game's history by conquering mines and castles
• Players can build small towns and great cities in the open world
• No class or level: combat style is determined by what players exercise the most
• Open PvP and full loot: karma system with restrictions to access cities if the player is a criminal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uxq...l=TheGamePiece


AdventureQuest 3D [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvE/PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Cross platform: can be played on PC and mobile
• Ever expanding world: exploration of the lively land with new exciting environments
• Randomly generated dungeons that are unique and offer a new experience every time
• Random events: dragons could swoop down, the undead may rise, or there could be an Easter egg hunt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Boay...nnel=GOLDRAVEN


Star Citizen [Alpha]
Setting: Science-Fiction || Focus: PvP || Budget: $348M || Engine: Lumberyard

• Spiritual successor to Freelancer
• Procedurally generated and handcrafted stunning worlds
• Open world PvP with high speed dog fights with multi-crew ships or intense FPS warfare
• Exploration: hidden outpost, abandoned ships and beautiful sunsets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3at...nel=RamenStyle


Foxhole [Beta]
Setting: WW1/WW2 || Focus: RvR || Budget: $? || Engine: Unreal 4

• Single shard with hundreds of players: wars that last several weeks and reset after each war
• Players are what they carry or drive: player progression is purely horizontal as characters have no stats
• Three main roles: soldier, logistics, builder, and many sub-roles: medics, drivers, gunners, artillery, partisan, etc.
• Deep logistics and building mechanics: transportation, factories, scrapping, trenches, bridges, defenses (AI), bunker bases

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjZa...nnel=ISawABear


Corepunk [Alpha]
Setting: Cyberpunk || Focus: PvE/PvP || Budget: $? || Unity 5

• Seamless open world with top-down view and fog of war
• Explore the world, participate in trading, complete dungeons, or engage in PvP battles
• Day / night cycles as well as weather conditions
• Flexible character customization with a wide variety of builds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_RP...ab_channel=IGN


Mortal Online 2 [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unreal 4

• Open and realistic sandbox world
• True, real-time combat where outcomes are decided by skill rather than levels or gear
• Legendary crafters trading across the globe, famous warriors studying the art of combat
• Individual reputation: people will recognize you by the impact you've made on the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBuZ...l=TheInnkeeper


Rise Online [Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus PvP/PvE || Budget: $? || Engine: Unreal 4

• Spiritual successor to Knight Online
• Full PvP-based maps and events
• PvE content like missions, creatures and bosses that take several groups to defeat
• An endless war between two kingdoms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WAB...=R%C4%B0SEGAME

Cross post. *Personal estimate, may be inaccurate
Feel free to suggest improvements to this post!

[Tadaen_Sylvermane]

I intend to look some of these up. I started with Everquest, then moved to WoW. Tried most of the big ones, always something lacking. Loved WoW for years but lately it's turned into a mostly solo game. When I first started you were pretty much required to meet people, make friends, and try to be a decent person lest you get blacklisted on the server. Those days are gone Pvp still can be fun though admittedly.

[francisbaud]

I intend to look some of these up. I started with Everquest, then moved to WoW. Tried most of the big ones, always something lacking. Loved WoW for years but lately it's turned into a mostly solo game. When I first started you were pretty much required to meet people, make friends, and try to be a decent person lest you get blacklisted on the server. Those days are gone Pvp still can be fun though admittedly.

There's Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen that features group gameplay with PvE experience (dungeons), but it's unfortunately nowhere near released. PvP MMOs are a very different type of MMORPGs and may not be suited for those who prefer PvE. Ashes of Creation may be another game that please the PvE crowds with its bosses and PvE content.