34 articles
Blade & Soul (블레이드 앤 소울)
Blade & Soul (블레이드 앤 소울) is NCSOFT's wuxia martial-arts PC MMORPG, released in Korea June 2012, China 2013, the West 2016; known for fighting-game-style action combat, arena PvP, and spin-offs Blade & Soul 2, Revolution, NEO, and Heroes.
Corrupted Blood incident
Corrupted Blood incident: 2005 virtual pandemic in World of Warcraft, also called the Hakkar plague, when a contagious debuff from Zul'Gurub's boss escaped via pets, later studied by epidemiologists including for COVID-19 modeling.
Diablo Immortal
Diablo Immortal: free-to-play action MMORPG by Blizzard and NetEase, set between Diablo II and Diablo III; launched June 2022 on mobile and PC; known for pay-to-win gem monetization and $100M early revenue.
Dungeon Fighter Online
Dungeon Fighter Online (Dungeon & Fighter, 던전앤파이터, DNF) is a free-to-play 2D side-scrolling action RPG MMORPG by Neople and Nexon, launched 2005, with 850M+ registered users and over $22B life-to-date revenue.
Entropia Universe
Entropia Universe, formerly Project Entropia, is a Swedish sci-fi MMORPG by MindArk launched 30 January 2003 with a real-cash economy: PED pegged at 10 per USD, two-way deposits and withdrawals, player professions, and virtual property sales.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 (GW2), ArenaNet's subscription-free MMORPG released August 28, 2012, set in Tyria; buy-to-play with free base game since 2016, level cap 80, three modes (PvE, sPvP, WvW), six expansions through Visions of Eternity, and continued development alongside announced Guild Wars 3.
Lineage II (리니지 II)
Lineage II (리니지 II), also called Lineage 2, is NCSoft's fantasy MMORPG set in Aden, launched in Korea October 2003 and North America April 2004, known for open-world PvP, karma penalties, clans, and castle sieges.
Lost Ark (로스트아크) (video game)
Lost Ark (로스트아크) is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online action role-playing game by Smilegate RPG, launched in South Korea in 2018 and worldwide by Amazon Games in 2022.
MapleStory 2 (메이플스토리2)
MapleStory 2 (메이플스토리2) was Nexon's free-to-play 3D voxel MMORPG sequel to MapleStory, launched in Korea in 2015 and globally in October 2018 with a cosmetic-only cash shop; global service closed May 27, 2020, Korea in 2025.
Massively multiplayer online game
Massively multiplayer online game (MMO, MMORPG): persistent online worlds for hundreds or thousands of simultaneous players, from MUD1 (1978) and EverQuest to World of Warcraft (12 million subscribers, ~$9.2 billion revenue); covers sharding, instancing, virtual economies, gold farming, and subscription versus free-to-play models.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game): persistent online role-playing worlds descended from MUD1 (1978), Ultima Online, EverQuest, and World of Warcraft; known for guilds, subscription and free-to-play monetization, and client-server architectures.
Multi-user dungeon
Multi-user dungeon (MUD, also Dimension/Domain): persistent real-time multiplayer text virtual world, created 1978 by Roy Trubshaw and Richard Bartle at Essex University; ancestor of MMORPGs, with codebase families LPMud, DikuMUD, TinyMUD, MOO.
Neverwinter (video game)
Neverwinter (2013) is Cryptic Studios' free-to-play action MMORPG set in the Forgotten Realms city of Neverwinter, based on Dungeons & Dragons; announced 2010 as a co-op RPG, launched on PC June 20, 2013, later on PS4 and Xbox One, known for its Foundry user-content tool and 30+ modules.
New World (video game)
New World (New World: Aeternum) is Amazon Games' MMORPG launched on PC September 28, 2021, set on the supernatural island of Aeternum; over 900,000 peak Steam concurrent players, later released on PS5 and Xbox.
Online game
Online game: a video game played over a network, also called networked or multiplayer gaming. Spans postal and telegraph chess, BBS and MUD games, CompuServe's MegaWars (1982), MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Xbox Live (2002), and mobile titles, built on client-server or peer-to-peer architectures.
Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online (PSO) is Sonic Team's December 2000 Dreamcast action RPG, the first online console RPG, set on planet Ragol with Pioneer 2 hub, hunter classes, Diablo-style loot, later ports, and surviving private servers.
Phantasy Star Online 2
Phantasy Star Online 2 (PSO2) is Sega's free-to-play online action RPG, launched Japan July 2012, with class-switching, Photon Arts, episodic content, an 8-year-delayed 2020 Western release, and the 2021 New Genesis overhaul; 12 million registered users and ¥100 billion revenue.
PlanetSide 2
PlanetSide 2: free-to-play MMOFPS launched November 20, 2012 by Sony Online Entertainment, now under Toadman Interactive. Three factions (Terran Republic, New Conglomerate, Vanu Sovereignty) fight for Auraxis across four 8x8 km continents on the ForgeLight engine.
Ragnarok Online (라그나로크 온라인)
Ragnarok Online (라그나로크 온라인) is Gravity's Korean Norse-mythology MMORPG, launched commercially in Korea in 2002, expanded to dozens of countries, listed Gravity on NASDAQ, and spawned sequels and mobile spin-offs.
RuneScape
RuneScape is Jagex's fantasy MMORPG set in Gielinor, launched free-to-play in January 2001, with over 300 million accounts. Two versions exist: RuneScape 3 (29 skills) and Old School RuneScape (2013, 2007-based, 23 skills).
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set thousands of years before the Star Wars films, launched by BioWare in 2011.
TERA (테라) (video game)
TERA (테라, The Exiled Realm of Arborea): Korean action MMORPG by Bluehole Studio, launched 2011, known for non-targeting True Action Combat; PC servers closed June 30, 2022, console version continued under Krafton.
The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is ZeniMax Online Studios' MMORPG set in Tamriel, launched April 4, 2014. Buy-to-play with ESO Plus and Crown Store; shifted to free seasonal content in 2026; set nearly 1,000 years before Skyrim.
The Lord of the Rings Online
The Lord of the Rings Online, commonly abbreviated LOTRO, is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, launched in 2007.
The Matrix Online
The Matrix Online (MxO) was a 2005-2009 PC MMORPG set in the Matrix films, developed by Monolith, later run by Sony Online Entertainment, known for live events and flexible classes.
The Secret World
The Secret World (Secret World Legends) is Funcom's 2012 contemporary-horror MMORPG where every conspiracy is true; classless 500-skill progression, real-world investigation missions, Illuminati/Templars/Dragons factions, 200k launch sales, free-to-play 2017 relaunch.
Ultima Online
Ultima Online (UO), launched September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems, is the pioneering graphical sandbox MMORPG set in Britannia: skill-based progression, simulated ecology, player housing, the 2000 Trammel/Felucca PvP split, ~250,000 peak subscribers, and ongoing Broadsword operation.
Wizard101
Wizard101 is a free-to-play turn-based deckbuilding MMORPG by KingsIsle Entertainment, launched September 2, 2008. Players enroll at Ravenwood Academy in one of seven magic schools and save the Spiral's worlds using collectible spell-card combat.
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft (WoW) is a monthly-subscription MMORPG by Blizzard Entertainment, released in November 2004, set in Azeroth, and still running as retail, Classic, and World of Warcraft: Forever.
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (BfA) is Blizzard's seventh WoW expansion, released August 2018: faction war across Kul Tiras and Zandalar, level cap 120, Allied Races, Azerite Heart, Island Expeditions, Warfronts, Uldir raid, Visions of N'Zoth finale.