Whereas we’re nonetheless ready for the following nice new MMORPG to take the world by storm like World of Warcraft did years in the past, there are nonetheless loads of nice energetic ones to select from. These are the ten most performed MMORPGs on PC in 2024, ranked by their peak concurrent gamers.
Editor’s Notice: Knowledge sources used for this checklist embody MMO Inhabitants, activeplayer.io, PlayerAuctions, and MMOStats. Knowledge for each title aside from RuneScape is just not offered by the devs, however by Steam or another service. That knowledge excludes any gamers that play on official purchasers. Nonetheless, we included as correct predictions as we may to make the rating as truthful as potential.
10. MIR4 – 35,000
In the event you’re an enormous fan of Ok-fantasy (Korean fantasy), MMOs, and RPGs, you then’ll be pleased to listen to that MIR4 suits into all three after which some. It incorporates a a lot heavier emphasis on participant vs participant—even the loot is free-for-all, which may and can begin fights between gamers.
MIR4 has 5 lessons to play: Taoist, Sorcerer, Arbalist, Lancer, and Warrior. Each has its personal distinctive playstyle. Warriors and Sorcerers present glorious DPS, Taoist assist and therapeutic, Lancers stability between offense and protection, and Arbalists make nice PVPers.
No matter which class you play, everybody can take part on territorial disputes, raids, and chateau sieges and apply life abilities of their spare time.
9. MapleStory – 70,000
MapleStory is the second-largest recreation Nexon ever produced and one of many OGs of the MMORPG style. First launched in 2005, it managed to rack up over 260 million gamers over the just about 20 years of its existence.
The gameplay in MapleStory is a slick mixture of side-scrolling and MMO, bringing a retro vibe to the entire expertise. You’ll be able to decide from 40+ lessons within the recreation, with whom you’ll set out on an journey to rescue the 2D worlds of Arcane River, Grandis, Maple World, and lots of extra.
However essentially the most superb factor about MapleStory is how amazingly complicated its world has grow to be through the years. These days, there are literally thousands of hours of content material so that you can take pleasure in, and that actually proves why it’s nonetheless some of the performed MMORPG video games.
8. The Elder Scrolls On-line – 75,000
The Elder Scrolls On-line launched to mediocre critiques again in 2014, however the recreation has modified loads since then. Rebranded as Tamriel Limitless, The Elder Scrolls On-line (ESO) is now a paid, premium product with a wealth of content material and a number of gameplay modifications that make this a must-play recreation for followers of the Elder Scrolls universe.
Now feeling way more linked to the single-player smash-hits developed by Bethesda (ESO is a Zenimax Studios recreation), the Morrowind enlargement and Summerset DLC add contemporary new adventures with the kind of glorious storytelling the franchise is understood for.
ESO is one in every of MMORPG’s most profitable franchises, with an estimated energetic participant depend that exceeds 2 million gamers throughout all platforms. It’s no shock, then, that day by day concurrent peaks on Steam repeatedly surpass 25,000, and there are much more gamers that play utilizing the official ESO launcher.
7. Misplaced Ark – 90,000
When Misplaced Ark first launched, I managed to get 200 hours of playtime within the first two weeks. It felt like I used to be doing double shifts in a online game. And the craziest half is that I cherished each minute of it.
Misplaced Ark is an isometric Korean MMORPG that obtained a Western model in February 2022. It blew up, racking up over 1.3 million gamers on launch. Nonetheless, as a result of its grind-heavy nature, it shortly dropped in numbers.
An enormous quantity of bot accounts and a kind of P2W economic system additional culled its numbers. Presently, it’s estimated to have round 95,000 peak concurrent gamers (together with the bot accounts), inserting it within the sixth spot on this checklist of most-played MMORPGs in 2024.
6. Black Desert On-line – 120,000
Black Desert On-line has made an enormous splash within the MMORPG group because of its superbly realized world, boasting lush environments and detailed character animations. The fight additionally occurs to be excellent, echoing the kind of adrenaline-pumping action-RPG expertise of TERA however married to a way more trendy recreation design.
Presently, there are greater than 20 distinctive lessons to select from, every providing a singular fight expertise. Nonetheless, BDO gives a lot greater than fight, which is proved by the truth that an enormous chunk of gamers log into the sport daily to not grind new gear however life abilities! Yeah, they’re that enjoyable.
The BDO group continues to broaden every month and hasn’t actually seen any drop in concurrent participant averages since data started. It repeatedly peaks round 25,000 gamers on Steam, and when you embody the gamers that use the official launcher, it’s the second most-played Korean MMORPG relating to concurrent participant numbers.
5. RuneScape – 155,000
RuneScape is intimidatingly hands-off, with only a five-minute tutorial that introduces you to the fundamentals earlier than sending you off into its huge and extremely populated sandbox to only go and do no matter you please. However therein lies the magic that has attracted folks to the idea of a persistent fantasy world because the inception of the style.
RunScape is the oldest recreation on our checklist, and but it nonetheless stays some of the fashionable MMORPGs, even in 2024. Maybe quite a lot of the explanation it stays so insanely fashionable is how simple it’s to study, although arduous to grasp.
Due to RuneScape’s personal web sites and to the very useful misplaceditems web site, which provides you historic RuneScape participant knowledge, you possibly can see that the official numbers put RuneScape and Previous Faculty Runescape at a mixed peak of 165,000 concurrent gamers in 2024. Not too shabby for a recreation that’s virtually 25 years outdated.
4. Guild Wars 2 – 220,000
Guild Wars 2 was initially a paid recreation, nevertheless it went F2P again in 2015. Since then, it has solidified itself as essentially the most achieved Korean MMORPG and by far essentially the most performed one thus far in 2024.
Even when you don’t purchase any of the expansions, Guild Wars 2 gives an enormous world to discover. Essentially the most enjoyable half, although, is the endgame. Raids, World vs World, PvP, and a plethora of different modes, every particular in its personal approach.
What’s extra, it’s one of many solely MMOs on this checklist you could play and grind with just one character. I keep in mind having to grind six completely different characters for Misplaced Ark, and after I switched to GW2, boy, it felt liberating.
3. Closing Fantasy XIV – 230,000
One of many large comeback tales in video gaming historical past, the unique model of Closing Fantasy XIV was so utterly unserviceable that Sq. Enix utterly deserted it, reworked all the undertaking, and got here out golden on the opposite aspect.
Closing Fantasy XIV has a subscription mannequin, although new gamers are in a position to entry some content material freed from cost. Nonetheless, it’s completely price paying for a premium product, and that’s precisely what A Realm Reborn is.
Constant new content material within the type of small tweaks and added options to large enlargement packs, corresponding to Endwalker, make for a world brimming with epic tales and thrilling gameplay to immerse your self in.
2. Night time Crows – 350,000
The most recent addition on this checklist, Night time Crows, has taken the MMO group by storm throughout its launch in March. It’s a wild mixture of two of the most effective Korean third particular person MMOs, Black Desert On-line and Blade & Soul, with nearly every little thing completed a bit higher.
Its economic system is tied to its cryptocurrency, CROW, which is minted in extra of $100K a day. That has attracted individuals who aren’t even that fascinated about enjoying the sport however in earning money off it—as if that’s not true for nearly each different recreation on this checklist.
1. World of Warcraft – 400,000
World of Warcraft is without doubt one of the hottest video games of all time and by far essentially the most performed MMORPG in 2024 by concurrent gamers. It redefined the MMORPG style 20 years in the past and nonetheless serves as an inspiration for all of the online game devs on the market.
Nonetheless, essentially the most attention-grabbing factor about WoW isn’t that it evokes others however that its participant depend by no means goes down. Its diehard fanbase is at all times there, spending as much as $150 a 12 months simply to play the sport, even when there have been no new expansions in years.
Additionally, the retail model is likely to be intimidating for brand new gamers, however now, we have now Basic and WoTLK, that are simple to select up and get into. Nonetheless, they’re performed primarily by veterans who need to have enjoyable within the situations that entertained their youthful selves a lot.
