Top Upcoming Free to Play Anime MMORPG Games 2020 and 2021

Hey guys, how are you doing today? So, how do you like your anime MMO games? Alright, I’ll go first: I want my anime MMOs to be bright and colorful, flashy but not to the point of obscuring your view, and with a substantial amount of waifus for… you know, the plot. Ahem. You do like thick plots, don’t you? Come on, admit it. After an exhaustive investigation on what is coming during these couple of years, I’ve compiled the big names that you just can’t miss. Yes, the Top Upcoming Free to Play Anime MMORPG Games 2020 and 2021 that are going to fill the gap left by Peria Chronicles, bless its soul.

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I’m going to start with… no, not that one, I know what you’re thinking, I can read your mind. Instead, I’ll begin with an anime MMORPG that is still somewhat low profile and deserves a whole lot more attention. Gran Saga is the upcoming game from NPixel, a new South Korean studio that is using the power of Unreal Engine 4 to craft a game that looks stunning both on PC and mobile devices. The goal is to make it cross-platform, although this may not happen right at launch.

What immediately caught my eye was the wonderful art style. I know, that isn’t enough to carry a game, but hey, I’m not one to complain if I can get some great graphics in the bargain. It looks like the devs are really aiming for high-production values, both visually and in terms of storytelling, so let’s hope it goes beyond the tired clichés of the genre. Furthermore, I’ve spotted a pair of playable waifus at least, and there’s a loli as well if you prefer your anime MMORPG with FBI bait. Hey, to each its own.

And now, let’s have a round of applause for Blue Protocol. You know, the game that you were hoping to see at the start of this video. It’s refreshing to see someone with the lineage of Bandai Namco tackling the challenge of an anime MMORPG – I think they spotted a lack of quality MMOs and made the clever decision of filling that gap with a triple-A game. Besides, Blue Protocol is free to play and is going to be released globally, noteworthy announcements for a game that is still in closed beta stage. Now that’s how you get that rush going, right? Let’s just hope they don’t pull a Lost Ark on us and release it five years after its Japanese launch.

One of the games that I’m the most excited for isn’t quite an anime MMORPG. Nope, sorry, we had to sneak that one in. Genshin Impact is in fact an anime online RPG supporting cooperative play up to four players. And it’s free, so that’s another point in its favor. Besides, you would have to be crazy to miss on such a game, a gorgeous anime action RPG that was subjected to tons of unfair Zelda Breath of the Wild comparisons. It is, by and large, its very own game, featuring a unique open world with seven sprawling cities and dozens of unique playable characters, some of them likely to become your new waifus. But don’t worry guys, there are… hm, guys as well to control, so this isn’t going to be a topic for debate. Genshin Impact is so beautiful and smooth, it’s the kind of game that you boot up just to run across the fields singing “The Hills Are Alive…” Well, maybe that reference is a bit obscure to most of you. Sorry about that, guys. Feel free to replace that for any Travis Scott rap or something.

Now let’s talk about Project BBQ. Beyond the delicious name lies a game that is meant to be the true follow-up to the classic Dungeon Fighter Online. I say follow-up because there have been a few Dungeon Fighter mobile games already, and Project BBQ is meant to be equal parts sequel and spin-off. Apparently, it will take familiar characters but showing us a different take on the Dungeon Fighter world. Running on Unreal Engine 4 and featuring a seamless open world, this is one of the biggest hopes for players in search of a great online brawler. Let’s hope that Project BBQ is a worthy sequel… hm… spin-off… er… follow-up to one of the most profitable games in history. Yes, this is a fact, the original Dungeon Fighter Online still stands as one of the games that brings the most dough to its developers, mostly thanks to Chinese players.

They say that hope dies last, and that’s why we’re finally getting Phantasy Star Online 2, nearly eight years after its release in Japan. Let’s celebrate… unless you live in Europe, that is, because this release is only happening in North America. Besides, with Microsoft making the deal, it was an Xbox One timed exclusive, with the PC version coming a bit later. For Windows 10 PCs only. Eh, I guess it could be worse – it could be buy-to-play, heaven forbid.

Defying all logic, Phantasy Star Online 2 proudly stands as a really good anime MMORPG, possibly bolstered by a clear lack of decent competition. Look past the slightly outdated graphics and you’re going to find an in-depth, fun, and challenging game with one of the best action combat systems up to this day. It took its sweet time, but we’re finally getting some closure and enjoyment out of it.

Are any of you guys waiting for the Blade and Soul Unreal Engine 4 revamp? I know I am. Still a pretty cool game, it is getting a graphical upgrade, but it is also seeing some changes to combat as well. Call it Blade and Soul Complete, Blade and Soul Frontier World, or both, this upgrade is coming to North America and Europe this year and is going to give this MMO another boost. While the new art style looks a bit more generic and some faces seem awkwardly stiff, and that is my personal opinion, there’s no doubt that the overall quality of the environments and characters has improved a lot, with superior lighting and visual effects. Is this enough for you to give Blade and Soul another go?

Before wrapping this up, let’s take a look at some promising anime MMORPGs coming to mobile. Hey, don’t make that face, with an Android emulator you can play some pretty good mobile games on PC, you just have to know which ones.

I’ll start with Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, a collaboration between Level-5 and Netmarble aiming to take the famous RPG franchise into MMORPG territory. If you don’t know the two previous games, you’re missing out on a couple of the best anime RPGs ever created. They are beyond beautiful, and the mobile spin-off is looking great as well. With a real-time action combat system, PvE and PvP, five classes at launch, and over 100 familiars to collect and use in battle, there’s a lot to do. Since you can develop your own guild kingdom and build structures, this adds another layer to the game. Crafted with Unreal Engine 4 and with a 2020 release date planned for Japan, let’s hope a western release is happening – Netmarble launches most of its games in the west, so this is very likely.

What do you know about Summoners War? I haven’t played it much, but I’m aware that it’s a colossal success for mobile devices. This resulted in the development of a few spin-offs, one of them an MMORPG. Summoners War Chronicle is the name of that game, a prequel to the events seen in Summoners War: Sky Arena, and you can summon up to three creatures to help you in battle. We’re yet to see just how in-depth it is going to be – it will probably be very family-friendly –, but I’m willing to bet it’s going to be a hit.

ReEvolve is Perfect World’s take on the sandbox MMORPG, with plenty of crafting and surviving going on. It looks like Phantasy Star Online 2 and Dauntless had a baby, in case you’re not fed up with baby analogies by now.

Naruto Slugfest is an interesting offer, the first open world Naruto MMORPG. Same as ReEvolve, this is another mobile MMO, which sort of limits its ambition. However, it looks much better than previous free Naruto MMOs and could be a lot of fun, especially for fans.

One final mention goes to Mabinogi Mobile, but more than a recommendation, this is a where the heck are you? This remake of the classic MMORPG is not to be confused with the mobile version of Fantasy Life – it looks way cooler, like a cartoon that you could play. Apparently, it remains under development, but knowing Nexon, who knows if it didn’t get the axe. Let’s hope not, as the early footage seemed promising.

So, what do you think? Any big anime MMORPG that we left out? Let us know in the comments and have fun!