Hey guys, welcome to our Top 10 Upcoming PC MMORPG Games in 2020 and 2021. You missed these, right? Well, without further ado, let’s get right into it and check some of the best MMORPGs coming in the next couple of years.
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Top 10 Best Upcoming MMORPG Games for 2020 and 2021
Corepunk
We’ll begin with one of the latest announcements and a truly mouth-watering game. Coming from new Dutch studio Artificial Core, the Corepunk MMORPG tries to blend the gameplay of Diablo and Torchlight with the visual flair of League of Legends, and yet it delivers a crazy unique setting where four opposing cultures clash: cyberpunk, steampunk, dark fantasy, and science fiction. Sounds like an ambitious and potentially volatile melting pot.
Some interesting Corepunk features are a seamless open world, fog-of-war for tactical battles, an unlikely assortment of classes, and everything you’d expect from an MMO such as life skills, mounts, and PvP. Don’t worry about the languishing pace at which the characters move initially, you can upgrade this via talents and artifacts. The gameplay trailer shows a confident and beautiful game, but the business model is yet to be decided – we’ll surely know more before the Corepunk open beta, with a release date set for late 2020.
Project BBQ
Project BBQ is the delicious codename for Dungeon Fighter Online 3D or Dungeon Fighter Online 2, whatever you want to call it at this point. Neople announced the game a few months ago and then went all reclusive about it, leaving many players excited by the prospect of a cool 3D open world action MMORPG based on one of the most popular free games in the world.
The Project BBQ gameplay looked amazing, but the reveal may have been premature, as it often happens with potentially great games. The lack of additional info is disheartening, but at least we know that Project BBQ is being developed with the PC as its main platform, although consoles aren’t out of the picture yet. However, there was no mention of a mobile version, so that’s a good thing already.
Blue Protocol
Blue Protocol is Bandai Namco’s upcoming anime MMORPG, or online RPG, depending on your take on the subject. The Blue Protocol gameplay reveal was very exciting, and it was swiftly followed by a closed alpha in Japan. This PC exclusive looks the part and its high production values captured the hearts and minds of players worldwide, although this seems to be one of those cases where many years will pass before we get a western release.
Featuring four classes, a day and night cycle, and a semi-open world where you enter instances with a few other players, Blue Protocol is a promising anime MMO that shouldn’t disappoint. Your grandkids will surely love it.
Crimson Desert
The next game from the makers of Black Desert is already making some waves. Crimson Desert started as a prequel to Pearl Abyss’ hit, but evolved into its own thing. The similarities can’t be denied and there’s an obvious Game of Thrones feel to it, but there are a few things that turn Crimson Desert into an exciting MMO.
For starters, this is an MMORPG with a solo-friendly attitude. There’s a story for you to live alongside your team of mercenaries, but it also includes everything that an MMO should have. Many of the online features from Black Desert will make a comeback in some form, the next generation engine looks amazing, and if the combat system from the previous game was improved, then we are guaranteed to have a winner in our hands.
Magic Legends
After a couple of years under secretive development, Cryptic Studios has finally revealed the first info on its Magic: The Gathering MMORPG. Called Magic Legends, this game should represent a step up for the studio, hopefully improving on Neverwinter’s interesting but flawed foundations. Despite the similarities, both franchises couldn’t be more different, so let’s hope Magic Legends lives up to the expectations.
One of the interesting aspects about it is that you can switch on the fly between the five available classes. It’s something that has been seen in games such as Skyforge, but it sounds like a system that could provide a nice twist to combat. Apparently, you and a few other Planeswalkers will be able to cast spells that are drawn at random. Here’s hoping Cryptic’s MMO experience will result in one of the finest games of the genre.
DokeV
I have this hunch that DokeV is going to be a huge success. All the expertise of the Black Desert Online developer applied into a Pokemon style gotta catch’em all MMO? Sounds like a winner in my book. The next-gen engine that is being used in Crimson Desert is powering up this game as well, showcasing its versatility both with gritty realistic graphics and cute cartoon worlds.
DokeV is a game about finding, catching, and training these fantasy creatures called Pokémon… I mean, Dokebi, using them in combat in an open world that promises to offer amazing sights. In development for PC and consoles, this game was initially planned for mobile devices. That version, however, wasn’t entirely scrapped and may still happen, in case you prefer your creature collecting MMOs on the go, but expect a logical visual downgrade.
Lost Ark
2020 is the year of the Lost Ark western release date. Or so we hope, based on Smilegate’s latest statements and its plan to expand the game’s reach during this year. With most territories already taken care of or at least officially signed, all that is left is a deal for North America and Europe. Who do you think is going to be the western publisher?
Each year that goes by, the hype dies a little. Will Lost Ark remain as enticing as it was a few years ago when it was revealed? In theory, it hasn’t lost any of its top-down charm, with exciting action combat and pretty cool cinematic dungeons, but we’ll have to wait and see how it holds out when everyone and their mom reaches endgame and is looking for long-term content.
Ascent: Infinite Realm
We’ve been waiting for the next MMO from the developer of TERA for ages. From fantasy to steampunk, Ascent: Infinite Realm will take the battle to the skies, featuring massive airship battles. Don’t worry though, you’ll have all the usual MMORPG trappings while on the ground, with dungeons, housing, and all that stuff.
The initial impressions weren’t exactly positive, but a couple of years have passed, and the game has allegedly improved and became… fun! That’s according to a player from the latest focus group test, at least. Let’s hope that the Ascent: Infinite Realm release date is set for 2020.
Phantasy Star Online 2
Speaking of games that are taking their time, Phantasy Star Online 2 is finally releasing in the west during 2020. The Xbox One launch arrives first, with the Phantasy Star Online 2 PC release date scheduled for late 2020. Sure, why don’t we wait a while longer, it’s only been… what, six years or something?
Still, Phantasy Star Online 2 is the kind of anime MMO that we’ll welcome with open arms. Sega did a fantastic job with its action combat and while all these years in-between will rob it of some of the impact, it remains a game with a strong reputation and quality, and that is why it made it into our Top 10 Upcoming PC MMORPG Games in 2020 and 2021, despite its original release date.
Torchlight Frontiers
Torchlight Frontiers is a great game that was probably announced too soon. The devs are taking an approach to development that is worthy of praise, iterating and implementing player feedback, but this may end up dragging the game down. It’s no surprise that the original release date of 2019 slipped, but let’s hope that it is worth the wait.
While there are claims that Torchlight Frontiers is still lacking that fun factor, it is an ambitious MMO that tries to break the pattern of hack and slash games. There’s this unusual horizontal progression system where you level up individually for every biome that you enter, with specific gear for each area. This and other out-of-the-box ideas such as the Railmaster class could give the game a nice cult following.
We’ll end this Top 10 Upcoming PC MMORPG Games in 2020 and 2021 with a few other mentions. Let’s begin with Moonlight Blade, the cool fantasy martial arts MMO that is all but officially confirmed for a western release date, and yet there’s no sign of it. The anime RPG Genshin Impact and the not-quite-a-sequel Path of Exile 2 are two other games to keep an eye out for. Finally, the still secretive Middle-earth MMORPG, which is being developed by Amazon Game Studios, and has the potential to be a big player in the genre. Any other promising MMORPGs you can think of? Let us know in the comments, and until next time.
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