It was Ultima creator Richard Garriott who first coined the term MMORPG--massively multiplayer online role-playing game--to describe 1997's Ultima Online. Flash-forward to 2024, and many of the best MMORPGs to play today are ones that embody the same elements that made early classics like EverQuest, Asheron's Call, and Ultima Online so popular: namely, long-term character progression and persistent online worlds filled with hundreds or even thousands of other players to meet, compete against, or interact with.

World of Warcraft helped break MMORPGs into the mainstream when it first released in 2004, making many of the genre's signature ideas more appealing to a wider audience. For a few years after its release, it seemed like every major video game publisher wanted to copy Blizzard's formula (and monthly subscription-based revenue), and MMORPGs became a hot new genre.

Unfortunately, few of the games that chased WoW's success found much of their own. Publishers soured on the genre before too long, resulting in a draught of new MMORPGs over the last decade when compared to other popular game genres (even if many of them, like some of the best survival games or multiplayer shooters, now borrow heavily from MMORPGs). As a result, many of the most popular games MMORPGs today are the same titles that were popular in the early-mid 2000s. Some have existed for decades and require subscriptions to play, even as others have more recently shifted to a free-to-play model.

In 2025, MMORPG fans have a few more options than in recent years, in part thanks to Amazon's continued interest in the genre. Amazon recently published Throne and Liberty and retooled its internally developed MMO, New World, to be playable on consoles in the form of New World: Aeternum. There's also plenty to look forward to as the year progresses as well, with Dune: Awakening set to make a sandworm-worthy splash in May and even a Star Wars Galaxies spiritual successor, Stars Reach, slated to launch in early access this summer. Ashes of Creation, another MMORPG fans of the genre have had their eyes on for quite some time, just might receive a wider release this year as well, with a 24/7 alpha test set to go live in May. And in the wildest development of all, there's even the possibility of a Nintendo MMO, with a secret Nintendo Switch Online playtest in October 2024 having been revealed as a test for "mass multiplayer" functionality.

There's never been a better time to get lost in a living, breathing online world, something only the best MMORPGs can provide. Below you'll find a list, in no particular order, of some of the top MMORPGs to play in 2025, ranging from tried-and-true classics of the genre to hybrids that combine the best of traditional fantasy-themed MMOs with elements of shooters, space exploration, and more. Some of the games below also happen to be some of the best free-to-play games available.

World of Warcraft

• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release Date: November 23, 2004
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Subscription required, optional latest expansion

Blizzard might not have invented the MMORPG, but it certainly popularized it, as it took a genre known for having a steep learning curve and made it more approachable than ever before with streamlined mechanics, punchy combat, instanced dungeons and raids, and its signature level of polish. As a result, WoW is still going strong today and remains one of the best PC MMORPGs to play, having received nine expansions to date (with a 10th on the way). In WoW, players choose a faction--the Alliance or the Horde--as well as a race and class, and from there embark on an adventure to defend the fantasy world of Azeroth from all manner of threats. Each of the game's 13 classes feels distinct, with multiple sub-classes to choose from, and there's an ever-expanding list of fantasy races to play as and customize.

WoW celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, as Blizzard kicked-off a three-expansion storyline called The Worldsoul Saga with the release of the game's excellent and approachable The War Within expansion. Blizzard celebrated WoW's big anniversary by dropping some big news as well--after two decades, WoW will finally receive player housing as part of its next expansion, and in a recent preview made clear that unlike in some MMOs, housing in WoW will be available for everyone.

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World of Warcraft Classic

• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release Date: August 26, 2019
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Subscription required

While the main version of WoW has continued to evolve over the last 20 years, a large and vocal contingent of fans yearned for the early days of the MMO, before more-recent expansions forever transformed the game's world and Blizzard updated much of its visuals, gameplay, and classes. Blizzard finally listened in 2019 with the release of WoW Classic, a return to the game's earliest, pre-expansion days.

WoW Classic's release proved to be a huge success, and Blizzard now offers multiple different flavors of old-school WoW all under one subscription price, one that also grants access to the modern version of WoW. Players can still check out the 2004-era version of Azeroth (which received new servers to start fresh on in November 2024 for the game's 20th anniversary), or move forward in time and play one of the game's older expansions, like 2010's Cataclysm (soon to be 2012's Mists of Pandaria). There are even seasonal servers, like the still ongoing Season of Discovery, which adds new items, raid content, and class changes to the original version of Blizzard's genre-defining title.

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The Lord of the Rings Online

• Developer: Turbine (original version), Standing Stone Games (current version)
• Release Date: April 24, 2007
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional paid expansions and subscription

Since the genre's inception, many MMORPGs have featured familiar sword-and-sorcery trappings. It only makes sense then that the granddaddy of the modern fantasy genre, The Lord of the Rings, was a prime candidate to get the MMO treatment following the massive success of WoW. Enter The Lord of the Rings Online, a game that couldn't have come from a more veteran MMORPG team, with developer Turbine having been responsible for MMO classics like 1999's Asheron's Call and its sequel. The Lord of the Rings Online has since changed developers, but its current developer, Standing Stone Games, is composed of many former Turbine developers. Better yet, it still receives new content updates and expansions, with its most recent, Legacy of Morgoth, having arrived in November 2024.

Though very much following in the footsteps of WoW, it fittingly places a much larger emphasis on story than Blizzard's MMO and delivers a painstakingly detailed version of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth for players to explore and immerse themselves in.

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Final Fantasy XIV Online

• Developer: Square Enix
• Release Date: September 30, 2010 (original version), August 27, 2013 (A Realm Reborn)
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
• Payment Model: Base game, optional paid expansions, and subscription required

Final Fantasy is one of the biggest RPG franchises of all time, and as such has not one, but two MMORPGs to its name. Though 2002's Final Fantasy XI is still playable, it's Square Enix's more-recent MMO, Final Fantasy XIV, that has blossomed into one of the best MMORPGs of all time. When it was first released, it was a critical and commercial failure. But several years and many updates later, the game was re-released as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, completely reworking many of the original game's systems, story, and structure. Now, Final Fantasy XIV is one of the top MMORPG games today and one of the best PS5 and Xbox MMORPGs available, having long been playable on PlayStation and more recently launching on Xbox Series X|S.

Its flexible job system means players don't need to create a new character every time they want to try a new role, and despite being a MMORPG with a massive shared world to explore, its main story, over-the-top boss battles, and excellent music all deliver on what RPG fans expect from a game sharing the Final Fantasy name. Its latest expansion, Dawntrail, released in July 2024.

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New World

• Developer: Amazon Games
• Release Date: September 28, 2021
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Base game

One of the first big new MMORPGs in years, Amazon's New World made quite a splash when it released in 2021, breaking concurrent player records on Steam. The hype has since died down quite a bit, but New World is still an extremely solid MMORPG that received a major overhaul on PC and launched on consoles in the form of New World: Aeternum in October 2024. In New World: Aeternum, players wash up the mysterious island from which the game takes its name, one that has trapped various civilizations and explorers from throughout human history. From there they join one of three different factions, each with their own idea of what to do with the mystical land they now call home. Instead of classes, players instead can equip two different weapon types, which define what skills can be used and what stats a player may want to strive for when gearing their character.

The New World: Aeternum update bundled in the game's sole expansion, and in the process significantly reworked much of the game's story and its early-game questing, two of its biggest weaknesses prior to the update. Amazon also recently debuted seasonal servers that change up New World: Aeternum's normal gameplay in major ways, with its first seasonal server putting a heavy focus on open-world PvP, one of the original game's strongest selling points.

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Destiny 2

• Developer: Bungie
• Release Date: September 6, 2017
• Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional paid expansions

The developer behind the Halo series took many of the ideas popularized in MMORPGs like WoW--dungeons, raids, classes, special abilities, color-coated loot--and applied it to a smaller-scale, sci-fi FPS. The result was Destiny and its sequel, Destiny 2. Bungie has proven it's still king when it comes to making a great-feeling shooter, and it never gets old blasting ancient aliens or genocidal robots with all manner of Destiny's 2 powerful Exotic weapons. When combined with the social elements of MMOs like shared worlds to explore, larger-scale public events, and multiplayer dungeons and raids filled with complex puzzles and mechanics, Destiny 2 forms an impressive genre cocktail that can be hard to put down.

Everything Bungie has been building towards for over a decade may have culminated in 2024's The Final Shape expansion, but Destiny 2 is still receiving episodic updates and new content on a regular basis. Destiny 2 is also widely available and supports cross-platform play, making it both one of the best shooters and best PS5 and Xbox MMORPG games out there.

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Guild Wars 2

• Developer: ArenaNet
• Release Date: August 28, 2012
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional paid expansions

Guild Wars 2 was a breath of fresh air when it released in 2012, and for good reason. It put a new spin on many of the tried-and-true tropes and systems seen in popular MMORPGs like WoW, with an emphasis on open-world content. Combined with its flashy movement, impressive visuals compared to many other MMOs, and engaging combat that combines class skills with unique weapon abilities, Guild Wars 2 still stands out from the competition as one of the top MMORPG games available on PC.

In 2025, Guild Wars 2 is still regularly receiving new updates and expansions, in part thanks to a recent restructuring of how developer ArenaNet develops new content. Its latest expansion, Janthir Wilds, introduced several new big features, including player housing and the spear weapon-type. Unlike many of the biggest MMORPGs, Guild Wars 2 doesn't require a subscription to play, making it an appealing choice for aspiring MMO players on a budget.

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Lost Ark

• Developer: Smilegate RPG
• Release Date: February 11, 2022
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

One of the more popular Korean MMORPGs, Lost Ark came to the West with the help of Amazon Games and quickly set itself apart thanks to its isometric perspective and lack of a box price or mandatory subscription fee. In Lost Ark, players choose a class and then embark on a quest to discover the titular lost Arks scattered throughout the fantasy world of Arkesia. It's a journey that takes players to both huge, story-heavy new continents and to small, one-off islands that are home to some truly fun minigame events, all which players sail to on their own personal boat.

Sprinkle in some truly fantastic endgame raids and impressive Monster Hunter-like boss battles, and Lost Ark is well worth playing for those looking for a MMORPG that plays closer to some of the best Diablo-like games than it does WoW, albeit minus the fountains of loot. Three years later, the game is still receiving frequent updates, with a new class, the shapeshifting Wildsoul, debuting in February 2025.

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Fallout 76

• Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
• Release Date: November 14, 2018
• Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• Payment Model: Base game with optional subscription

Fallout 76 didn't exactly have a smooth start in 2018, with players criticizing it for a laundry list of bugs, performance issues, lack of NPC characters, and more. But Bethesda never gave up on its multiplayer Fallout experiment, and in 2025, Fallout 76 is a great way to experience one of gaming's best RPG universes alongside dozens of other players.

Like traditional Fallout games, players scrounge their way through an apocalyptic wasteland on the hunt for supplies and gear. Unlike single-player entries in the franchise, however, dozens of players in Fallout 76 can team up to fend off waves of Super Mutants, battle massive monsters as part of the game's numerous public events, or even drop nukes on one another. Bethesda added Expeditions to the list of things to do in Fallout 76 back in 2022. These allow players to team up and venture outside the game's Appalachian Wasteland to other scenic locales, like Fallout 3's The Pitt, for dungeon-like missions, further giving the FPS RPG a distinct MMO flavor.

Fallout 76 has seen a resurgence in interest thanks to the launch of the TV show adaptation, making this a great time to jump in. For more on the franchise, check out our look at the best Fallout games.

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Star Wars: The Old Republic

• Developer: BioWare (original version), Broadsword Online Games (current version)
• Release Date: December 20, 2011
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

Star Wars: The Old Republic will feel familiar to anyone who has played WoW but is no less worthy a time investment for those looking to dive deeper into the Star Wars universe. Originally developed by BioWare, a studio known for its RPG storytelling, Star Wars: The Old Republic unsurprisingly puts its story front and center, with dialogue wheels, fully voiced characters, and impactful narrative choices that feel right at home in a single-player RPG. It also features unique storylines for each of the game's eight classes, meaning there is plenty of replay value for players who can't make up their mind on which class to play. As much as it emulates WoW in its gameplay, Star Wars: The Old Republic does include features that have yet to come to Blizzard's MMO, including player housing and NPC companions.

Though the game recently changed developers (with some former members of BioWare joining Broadsword, which also oversees classic MMORPGs owned by EA like Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot), it still receives new story content and events, making it the top MMORPG game for Star Wars fans and one of the best Star Wars games of all time.

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The Elder Scrolls Online

• Developer: ZeniMax Online Studios
• Release Date: April 14, 2014
• Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One
• Payment Model: Base game, optional paid expansions and subscription

While it may still be quite some time until The Elder Scrolls 6, those longing for a return to Tamriel will find plenty to enjoy in The Elder Scrolls Online, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. The MMORPG spin on Bethesda's popular RPG series will feel familiar to those who have played single-player entries in the franchise, with the ability to play in first or third-person, NPC companions, various guilds to join, options to steal from NPCs, and more. Players choose an assortment of skills both from their chosen weapon and armor type but also their class in order to make unique builds that can be used to conquer dungeons and raids with other players. Compared to other, more-traditional MMORPGs playable on consoles, its smaller number of skills and easy-to-read user interface make ESO one of the top Xbox and PS5 MMORPG games, even if it sadly doesn't support cross-play or cross-progression across platforms.

In 2025, developer ZeniMax Online is making some big changes to ESO's content schedule. It's forgoing the yearly expansion model used for almost a decade and instead focusing on smaller, more frequent seasonal updates that will help to deliver on efforts to improve the game across the board. Those efforts will include major changes to its open-world PvP zone and a renewed focus on the new and returning player experience. The game's excellent Morrowind expansion is now included as part of the base game, and its latest expansion, Gold Road, released in June 2024.

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Runescape

• Developer: Jagex
• Release Date: January 4, 2001 (original version), July 22, 2013 (Runescape 3)
• Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

It may not look like much, but Runescape, which is now in its 23rd year and comes in both its slightly-more-modern Runescape 3 form as well as Old School Runescape, is still one of the best MMORPG games of all time. It may be simple by modern standards, but there is a certain joy to be found in its point-and-click gameplay and its monotonous, yet satisfying, crafting skill grind.

Like all great sandbox MMORPGs, Runescape largely leaves players to decide for themselves what interests to pursue, whether it's completing quests, mastering their crafting skills, or player-killing out in the Wilderness. It's one of the few great mobile MMORPG games available, complete with cross-play and cross-progression across platforms. Those who want to get the full Runescape experience will likely want to subscribe to the game's membership, which unlocks new skills, quests, and much more of the game world, but there is still plenty of game to explore completely for free.

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Tower of Fantasy

• Developer: Hotta Studio
• Release Date: August 11, 2022
• Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

For those who want a little more Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (with a large dose of anime) in their MMORPG, Tower of Fantasy is exactly what the doctor ordered. It shares plenty of DNA with the more-popular (but also largely single-player) Genshin Impact, but distinguishes itself with its shared open world, public events, co-op dungeons and a more sci-fi aesthetic. There's always something to explore, and it's easy to climb any mountain or glide to any distant spot that sparks interest. Similar to Genshin, its character-swapping action combat combined with each character's various elemental affinities keeps Tower of Fantasy's moment-to-moment gameplay interesting, especially as players earn new characters, form teams, and create new combos.

Though players are more than capable of playing through its main story and many of its challenges with the game's various free characters, be warned that this is a gacha game, and many of its best characters will be inaccessible without spending large sums of money on the premium currency used to make luck-of-the-draw pulls.

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Warframe

• Developer: Digital Extremes
• Release Date: March 25, 2013
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS5, Nintendo Switch, iOS
• Payment Model: Free-to-play

Like Destiny 2, Warframe isn't what many players would think of when it comes to a traditional MMORPG, but it has so many elements of the genre--shared spaces with large numbers of players, instanced dungeons and raids, high levels of customizability, crafting, guilds, etc.--that it's an MMO in all but name. Warframe has been around for over a decade, and in that time has continued to deliver best-in-class third-person-shooter gameplay alongside game-changing updates that have introduced spaceship combat, large-scale open worlds, and new story content to its sci-fi, cyber-ninja-filled universe.

With a "Very Positive" average user review score after over half a million reviews and counting on Steam, Warframe continues to impress, and features cross-play and cross-progression across PC, iOS, and consoles. It's also available on Nintendo Switch, making it one of the best Switch MMORPG games. A fantasy-themed successor, Soulframe, is slated to receive an open pre-alpha playtest this year.

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Albion Online

• Developer: Sandbox Interactive
• Release Date: July 17, 2017
• Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

A top-down fantasy MMORPG that will look and feel familiar to Runescape fans, Albion Online takes its sandbox gameplay even further, with an almost entirely player-run economy, classless combat, and a focus on full-loot PvP with large-scale guild battles over territory. With PvP being such a large part of the endgame, and the high stakes of losing one's items when dying in PvP, Albion Online won't be for everyone.

There is PvE as well, with dungeons to explore and bosses to slay. For more farming or crafting-minded players, there is also the ability to build a home or even buy a private island and transform it into a farm, too. Few MMORPGs in the modern age truly commit to a sandbox approach like Albion Online, making it more than worth checking out, but those who have no interest in PvP or are easily frustrated by setbacks may want to look elsewhere.

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DC Universe Online

• Developer: Dimensional Ink Games
• Release Date: January 11, 2011
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

For those who want to live out a superhero (or villain) fantasy instead of the sword-and-sorcery kind, there's DC Universe Online. Players can create their character, choose from a number of different powers, customize their costume, and then fight alongside iconic DC characters while exploring locations like Gotham City, Metropolis, and Arkham Asylum. DC Universe Online has been going steady for 14 years now and still receives multiple new episodic story updates for free each year. The latest episode, the Constantine-focused Day of Reckoning, released in January.

All of DCUO's new story content is free, though those with an optional subscription will be able to enjoy more rewards, character slots, and powers to choose from. DCUO isn't the only superhero MMORPG on the block, but its wide availability on both consoles and PC (and cross-play between PlayStation and PC players) does make it an easy choice for this list.

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Throne and Liberty

• Developer: NCSoft
• Release Date: October 1, 2024
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5
• Payment Model: Free-to-play

Throne and Liberty's gameplay will instantly feel familiar to anyone who has played an MMORPG in the last two decades, with tab-targeting combat that heavily evokes WoW's gameplay. Where Throne and Liberty differs is in its impressive graphical fidelity, focus on open-world PvP, skills defined by weapon type instead of classes, and the use of players' animal-shapeshifting forms in order to sprint, glide, and swim around its world of Solisium instead of traditional mounts. Though much of its endgame focus is on large guild vs. guild castle sieges, there is still plenty of PvE content as well, including world events and dungeons.

Given its free-to-play nature, its endgame can become a bit grindy, but those looking for a satisfying MMORPG without a subscription could do much worse than Throne and Liberty. It's also one of the few MMORPGs on consoles, and, unlike other console MMOs like ESO, supports cross-play between platforms. Its first free expansion, Wilds of Talandre, releases in March 2025 and will introduce a new zone to explore, solo dungeons for players to conquer, and a revamp of its weapon mastery system.

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EVE Online

• Developer: CCP
• Release Date: May 6, 2003
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Free-to-play with optional subscription

Known for its massive spaceship battles with thousands of players, EVE Online is still one of the best MMORPGs available after two decades on the market. A true sandbox MMO where players are largely left to pursue their own interests--whether that's engaging in PvP battles or starting a trade empire--the entirety of its player base plays on a single server, and the actions its players take leave a lasting impact both on its in-game universe and its bustling player-driven economy.

Even if its actual gameplay isn't quite as exciting as it might sound on paper (get used to looking at lots of menus and going AFK while your ship completes assigned actions), it's the stakes behind each action that give everything in EVE Online's world meaning. EVE Online can certainly be confusing for new players, but for those who stick with it and get involved with its various player-run communities, it's easy to see why the game is still being played 20 years later.

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City of Heroes: Homecoming

• Developer: Cryptic Studios (original version), Paragon Studios (after NCSoft acquisition), Homecoming volunteer team (current version)
• Release Date: April 28, 2004
• Platforms: PC
• Payment Model: Free (with optional donations)

The original superhero MMO, 2004's City of Heroes, has found new life after having been taken offline by NCSoft in 2012. A fan server called City of Heroes: Homecoming received an official license to operate the game in 2024, and now City of Heroes is once again playable completely for free, with a volunteer team keeping the game running and updated thanks to player donations.

City of Heroes stands out thanks to its detailed character creator, where players get to choose not only their powers, but their origin story, costume, and even backstory. From there it's up to players to protect Paragon City as a hero or join the forces of villainy on The Rogues Isle, battling foes and joining Supergroups of other players along the way. Though City of Heroes is somewhat dated by today's standards, there is a reason many players have fond memories of their time with the MMO, as it offers a unique experience that can't be found in other games within the genre, even as games like DC Universe Online and Cryptic's spiritual successor, Champions Online, have since looked to follow in City of Heroes' footsteps.

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