With 2023 behind us, we start thinking about new MMORPG releases for 2024. The genre is making a comeback with the imminent release of several great games. LOLTANK has been keeping a close eye on the most promising titles, some of which are expected to see a release in 2024 and others in subsequent years. 

• Throne and Liberty: The Future of MMORPGs? 
• Blue Protocol – Japan's Anime-Style Action-PvE MMORPG
• Ashes of Creation – The Western Hope
• ArcheAge 2 – A New Sandbox Adventure with a PvP Twist
• Project Ghost - A MMORPG by Ghostcrawler

 

 

↖ Throne and Liberty: The Future of MMORPGs? 

As we head into 2024, expectations are through the roof for many upcoming MMORPGs. Throne and Liberty in particular looks like it could shake up the MMO scene. Originally referred to as Lineage 3 or Lineage Eternal, the game was reworked countless times to properly position it as a next-gen MMORPG. 

 

Throne and Liberty's Development Journey:

• Initial Concept: Before becoming what it is today, T&L was initially announced back in 2017 as an isometric game akin to Lost Ark. It has come a long way since then.
• Target Audience: With its new changes, the game plans on catering to all players rather than just those who played Lineage before. This includes an improved third-person combat system that is anything but tedious like autoplay.
• Western Publishing: Amazon will be publishing the game in Western countries, adding yet another title to their lineup, which already includes Lost Ark, New World and Blue Protocol (Blue Protocol NA & EU).

 

What Makes Throne and Liberty Different? 

• Character Customization: Although there are no second races apart from humans, players will have access to a large character editor. They will also get to choose how they want to play by selecting weapons and armor pieces.
• Combat System: According to testers, the combat system looks good so far.
• Weather System: It has been confirmed that weather will affect both terrain and combat (for example rain causing floods and lighting attacks to become more effective). 

 

What Else is Included? 

• World Design: Offering a 19 region open world, players will be able to travel from one end of the map to another without encountering any load screens. There will be 8 cities at launch and many instanced dungeons.
• Variety: In addition to the usual activities like quests, exploration and world bosses, you can also expect guild raids, outpost battles, open-world PvP events and large-scale castle sieges. 
• Korean Release Plans + Updates: The game launched in Korea in December 2023 and as of now has plans for several big updates in 2024 including a new region and a PvP mode similar to World-vs-World (GW2) or Cyrodiil (ESO).

 

Development Journey:

• Initial Announcement: First revealed as Lineage Eternal back in 2011. Unfortunately the game had a bad start due to its reception during a beta test in 2015.
• Project Overhaul: It was later rebranded as Project TL which included the Unreal Engine 4. The project also brought on a new leadership team.
• Development Challenges: Despite facing some minor delays with betas and releases, Throne and Liberty is now live in Korea since December 2023.

 

Release Prospects for 2024:

High Likelihood: With it already being playable in Korea (and an English version available) everything seems to be on track for an Amazon Games release next year. Further supporting this claim are early tests and plans of synchronizing both regions.

 

In summary, Throne and Liberty is looking like it could become the biggest MMORPG of 2024. Boasting tons of unique features that haven't been done before, we're excited about checking it out! You should keep an eye out for this title along with other highly anticipated ones set to release next year.

 

↖ Blue Protocol – Japan's Anime-Style Action-PvE MMORPG

Blue Protocol, developed by Bandai Namco and Amazon Games, is the latest MMORPG out of Japan. This anime-styled game has turned heads with its graphics and combat. Announced before Genshin Impact took over the world, Blue Protocol has been a long time coming.

 

What is Blue Protocol?

Blue Protocol is more than just another MMORPG. It's a time-travel story. Players are sent back 1,000 years to stop an event from happening that will destroy the world. The game allows players to make multiple characters or customize their chosen class.

 

Key Features:

• Action Combat: Blue Protocol touts an action combat system that requires you to actively aim at enemies, dodge abilities, and use your own few but powerful abilities.
• PvE Focus: The game's bread and butter lies in its PvE content. From the fully voiced storyline to cinematic cutscenes, quests and many side tasks will tell you a story.
• Dungeons & Raids: When they aren't questing their way through the world, players can group up for dungeons and raids, some of which have leaderboards.

 

Unique Aspects

• Equipment & Crafting: Unlike most MMORPGs where they drop as loot from enemies or dungeons, equipment in Blue Protocol drops as resources for crafting. Players upgrade their gear this way instead of relying on RNG.
• No PvP Elements: Wanting to stay away from player toxicity that usually comes with PvP arenas or battlefields in MMOs — if there are any — there won't be any in this game either. The world is heavily instanced and only holds around 40 players per area (similar to Guild Wars 2 or ESO).

 

Development Journey

• Early Stages: First mentioned in 2018, Blue Protocol saw a significant beta test in Japan in 2019 which drew attention from Western creators like TheLazyPeon.
• Silent Phase: The game went silent from 2020 through late 2022, which had many questioning its future.
• Recent Developments: A trailer was released in Japan in October 2022 and with it came a test announcement for spring 2023. Amazon announced that it would be the publisher in the West during The Game Awards 2022.

 

Release Expectations for 2024

High Probability: With a successful Japanese release and three major updates that added new classes and dungeons — as well as other content — Blue Protocol is looking very likely to launch in the West in 2024, as teased by recent tests.

 

 

↖ Ashes of Creation – The Western Hope

Ashes of Creation, developed by Intrepid Studios, is another game that has been on MMORPG fans' radars. Founded by Steven Sharif, an avid gamer who wanted to create more than ArcheAge offered back then.

 

What is Ashes of Creation?

Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG where players will form alliances with guilds or individuals to build cities and wage war on other cities. It also features PvE content such as caravans (à la ArcheAge).

 

Game Highlights

• Class System: Eight primary classes are available and can be further specialized into 64 subclasses. Active aiming or tab targeting combat.
• Nodes System: The world is broken down into Nodes which players can build up to metropolises. This development unlocks new dungeons, bosses, resources etc., in surrounding areas.
• Social Elements: Visual adaptation based on controlling race; elections based on quests/housing/life skills/taxation decisions; housing development via node progression.
• PvP Focus: Attacking and taking over Nodes is the main focus of the PvP system. Players must take out leaders before assaulting player-controlled castles.

 

Development Journey

• Funding & Expectations: After launching on Kickstarter in 2017, Ashes of Creation raised $3.3 million from fans. It continued to launch founder packs on its website to fund the game's development.
• Delays and Testing: Despite announcing a 2019 release, the game saw delays and the release of a standalone game, Ashes of Creation Apocalypse, for combat and server testing, which was eventually discontinued.
• Progress and Setbacks: The transition to Unreal Engine 5 in 2021 delayed the project further, with Alpha 2 pushed to 2024.

 

Release Probability for 2024

Low Chances: With only 10% probability, Ashes of Creation's 2024 release seems unlikely. Alpha 2 is set to begin this year, followed by two more beta phases before the final release.

 

↖ ArcheAge 2 – A New Sandbox Adventure with a PvP Twist

Developed by XL Games for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, ArcheAge 2 is shaping up to be a worthy successor to the original ArcheAge. This sandbox MMORPG aims to deliver fewer but more in-depth features compared to its predecessor.

 

What is ArcheAge 2?

ArcheAge 2 is designed with a Western audience in mind, focusing on smaller GvG battles and caravan fights while reducing open-world PvP content. For PvE enthusiasts, the game promises more story campaigns and dungeons.

 

Key Highlights:

• Advanced Graphics: Developed in Unreal Engine 5, the game promises stunning visuals.
• Expanded World: The game world is about twice the size of its predecessor, offering a dense and engaging environment.
• Diverse Gameplay: Players can expect various class specializations, six playable races, quests (both daily and unique), large guild battles, dungeons, raids, naval combat, and trading as key gameplay elements.
• Enhanced Housing: The open-world housing system is revamped, allowing players to work together on houses, forming large cities, with a greater emphasis on guild cooperation and integration into trade and crafting.

 

Development Progress

• Announcement and Delays: Officially announced in 2021, ArcheAge 2's release was initially set for 2023 but later pushed to 2024.
• Recent Updates: The latest quarterly report in November indicated a major reveal at gamescom 2024, followed by beta tests.

 

Release Probability for 2024

Moderate Chance: While beta tests are planned for this year, a 2024 release seems less likely, with a more probable launch in 2025 or 2026.

 

↖ Project Ghost - A MMORPG by Ghostcrawler

Project Ghost is mainly a personal computer game that blends sandbox and themepark elements which is being led by gaming industry veteran Greg Ghostcrawler Street known for his work on the LoL MMORPG and WoW.

 

What is Project Ghost?

The intention of the MMORPG is to merge WOW-like dungeons and raids with revolutionary exploration and world-building. This will provide players with different classes, playable races, and a story that unfolds in episodic chapters.

 

Unique Features:

• Original Worlds: The game has two types of regions – Red Shards (normal MMORPG zones with quests, bosses, dungeons, raids) and Blue Shards (personal survival-game-like areas for building and customization).
• Dynamic Gameplay: Players can select between soloing or grouping up to tackle either the shared Red Shards or their own private Blue Shards based on what they feel like at the moment.
• Character Customization: The stress here is on how the characters look, with rare skins available for peacocking about town.

 

Development Journey:

• Origins and Progression: In March 2023 after parting ways with Riot Games, Ghostcrawler revealed his plans for Project Ghost; while October saw more about the company's formation released before an initial game information was given away in November Q&A session.
• Testing Phases: Early trial groups will be small numbers of participants as access will be limited in 2023.

 

Release Probability for 2024:

Very Low: It will take several years before Project Ghost finally releases but it is expected that some items would be tested early enough.

 

Conclusion

Do you agree with this list? Have we left out any major titles? Which MMORPG are you most excited for? Let us hear your thoughts and always stay tuned here for the hottest information on these exciting upcoming games.