Best MMORPGs to Play in 2025

Mass multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are video games that typically place many players in an open world, where they can choose to team up, trade, fight one another, or take on a litany of quests. These games are best known for their in-game culture, where players tend to be far more talkative than in other genres. Much like the famous tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons, which many titles in this genre try to emulate, it is common for players to “get in character” every time they boot up a game. The emphasis on role-playing what the character, and not the player, would do in a given situation means you’ll run into all sorts of heroes, villains, madmen, and other unique characters while exploring the world.

MMORPGs have made a lot of contributions to the gaming world at large. It was the first genre to popularize subscription-based games and microtransactions, but it also produced proofs-of-concept for large, free-to-play games. Additionally, a lot of the lingo used in competitive gaming came from the early days of DLCs in this genre. The terms “buff” and “nerf”, used to describe devs improving or weakening an item or strategy, came from early MMO chat rooms, as did the term “grind” to describe repetitive tasks that players must perpetually perform in order to level up quickly. Finding a way to balance matchmaking for old and new players is a fine line to walk, if you need consulting about how to best keep your own MMORPG fun and fair, or help with other tasks such as drawing or animating characters, you can reach out to Argentics at any time! In the meantime, check out this list of some of our favorite MMORPGs to play and what makes them so great.

There are plenty of fresh new MMORPGs out there, and we will get to those next, but no game is more synonymous with the genre than Blizzard’s 2004 title, World of Warcraft. There are a handful of older games from the genre, such as EverQuest (1999) and Runescape (2001), but it was this masterpiece that brought together the core tenants of what we now consider an MMORPG. The game gained tons of notoriety for its pay-to-play subscription style, with major news outlets launching investigations into just how much money gamers were willing to shill out to help either the Alliance or the Horde reign supreme on their server. The game peaked in popularity in 2010, with around 12 million people subscribing. Popularity has trailed off since, but the game maintains over 7 million active players, so it’s never too late to check it out for yourself.

Warcraft proved that a video game could finally stand toe to toe with the complexity of contemporary tabletop games. Players can choose between various races, classes, and appearances when creating their character, and further customize their character with the items they find during their playthrough. As characters level up, they become more and more unique. This all comes to a head when reaching some of the largest quests in the game, as players need to assemble the right team to take on certain groups of enemies. There are countless articles on strategic build combinations, but if a new player jumps on nowadays, there will be plenty of savvy veterans who will give you some pointers as well. The takeaway here is that MMORPGs have a HUGE amount of lore and customizability, and a very engaged playerbase. World of Warcraft was a cultural phenomenon that any studio developing a similar game should study and try to learn from.

Unlike many player bases that long for more innovation, fans of classic MMORPGs tend to be a bit more stubborn. The formula of having highly customizable characters that you commit to for a long period of time is what people want. The attachment between the player and character is deep. You understand yours and your friends’ strengths and weaknesses and are constantly aware of this. Developers with NC Studios X understood this when making Throne and Liberty (2023). Instead of reinventing the wheel, they added some spices to a classic recipe. Even these small tweaks were highly controversial…

The game is set in Solisium, a beautifully built world which contains places like the safe city of Kastleton, desert wastelands, a tropical island, and countless other settlements and biomes to explore. Players work together in guilds to gather fragments of the Star of Sylaveth. They can then harness the power of these fragments to help them defeat the Kazar, who have invaded Solsium. In addition to the Kazar, you must contend with rivaling player guilds as well as a handful of other factions.

One of the greatest things about Throne and Liberty is the attention to detail put into NPCs. Many games in this genre use predictable, stock characters to hand out quests and share lore, but the major NPCs in Solisium have big personalities and give the game’s plot a more pointed direction than is standard in the genre. The game also introduced two new features which affect gameplay: weather and a day/night cycle. Rainfall is a dynamic event with two major impacts: it boosts the spread of electricity attacks, and it blocks underground entrances to certain locations such as the sewer access point to Stonegard Castle, forcing attackers to take a more head-on approach.

Dynamic time and weather can turn a sunny meadow into a dark, muddy hellscape in mere minutes. This unpredictability has fans up in arms.

The major controversy surrounding Throne and Liberty upon release was its more simplified character building system. Yes, there are still 90 combinations of race, class, and gender to choose from, as well as an ocean of skills. The difference is that unlike other MMORPGs, players are limited to just 10 skills, many of which are predetermined by your class. This means character builds are more balanced and players are more free to tweak their character to fit the team’s needs. This is much to the ire of hardcore players, who tend to engage in “min/maxing” with teammates, a strategy wherein players put all their effort into one skill, and rely on teammates to cover their weaknesses. Think of it as labor specialization of the guild. For better or worse, you won’t be doing much of this and Throne and Liberty, and this has created some buzz online.

The bottom line: this is a fun take on a classic formula. The game runs well, and has smooth combat and a solid plot. You won’t be disappointed by the quality, but if you want a traditional MMORPG, you may be disappointed by the flavor.

Renowned for creating some of the most beloved RPGs of all time, Bethesda stuck their neck out in 2014 with the release of TES Online. Riding a massive wave of success following Skyrim, the studio decided to try something different. On paper, the idea of wandering Tamriel with all of your friends sounded amazing, but the initial execution left much to be desired. The game was riddled with bugs upon launch, but most of the early disappointment was due to players being confused. The game was not “Skyrim with friends” as many were expecting, but instead held true to many of the core tenets of a true MMORPG. A big difference from previous Elder Scrolls titles was the addition of classes and a massive expansion of the skill trees. Even to veterans of the series this can make things a bit daunting. The game soon settled into a groove: switching from subscriptions to a one-time purchase retained casual players, and hardcore MMORPG players stayed onboard too. The game is still highly active and a blast to boot up a decade later!

Cast spells and work through a massive skill tree as you fight along allies in your quest to rid Tamriel of Molag Bal.

The game benefits handsomely from the immense amount of lore already existing in the Elder Scrolls universe. Though the game is set 800 years before Morrowind and Oblivion, you will still encounter familiar places and faces such as your main antagonist, the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. Likewise, all of your favorite factions are in the game such as the shadowy Dark Brotherhood and conniving Thieves Guild. Completing these faction quest lines is a great way to have some fun (the writing for them is a lot less predictable and full of more unique NPCs than the major quests) and rack up some serious skill points while preparing your alliance to take on the underworld. If you’re feeling nostalgic or still longing for TES VI, pick up a copy today and dip your toes into the MMORPG world.

The internet was abuzz after the release of Fallout 76. A game in this iconic series having no NPCs? Even industry experts were flabbergasted. Like its Elder Scrolls counterpart, the game fell flat on its face at launch and players were vocal about their disappointment. Bethesda worked quickly to patch bugs and eventually caved-in and added NPCs to the Appalachian wasteland.

Smooth graphics and iconic settings help players look past some of the limitations of 76.

The jury is out on whether this qualifies as a true MMORPG or just an online roleplaying game. This is because server space is relatively small at just 24 per server, and because there is no traditional skill tree, but rather the perk card system we saw in Fallout 4. Nitpicking aside, this game is worth a try. The writing is clever as always, and place names and legendary enemies bear names that nod to the folklore of the region. Seeing the Mothman in a Fallout game is hilarious for those who grew up hearing the legend of this cryptid. The game shines in its combat and base-building mechanics, but as with a traditional Fallout, you’ll probably have more fun just exploring the wasteland and seeing what’s left of an iconic region after the Great War. This game is fun because it is Fallout, not because it is a well-made MMORPG. If you’re a fan of the series, give it a shot. If you’re looking for a Runescape-like experience, look elsewhere.

Making an MMORPG can be a daunting task. Hardcore fans of the genre often appreciate traditional gameplay and stylistics. Building another game like this and sticking out from the crowd can be difficult. One of the best ways to get attention is through creative worldbuilding – much like a game of DnD, the right dungeon master can make you remember one match forever. Another essential is making sure your game works flawlessly from day one – first impressions are everything! Furthermore, devs’ preference for making these games subscription-based is a bit unusual, but often deemed necessary in order to continually update their product. These projects are marathons, not sprints. That said, if you want help from our amazing artists to make your world pop, or consulting from one of our veteran team leaders on how to gameplan for a long-term release, get in contact today.