For more than a decade now World of Warcraft has dominated the MMORPG genre and helped shape the development of the entire genre. But nothing gold can stay. The bad news is that there are very few AAA MMORPGs being developed anymore. The good news is that there are still quite a few amazing ones out there you can play right now. Below is a list of games like World of Warcraft that you can download and jump into right now. It isn't in any particular order, we wanted to mix in a variety of options to try to cover what everyone might be looking for. We did a similar list back in 2015 but felt it was time to give the topic another look.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) may very well be the best MMORPG that is currently available on the market. It has had three amazing expansions, the most recent being Shadowbringers in July 2019. Shadowbringers was praised by many fans of the game to be the best MMORPG expansion there has ever been. On Metacritic the expansion has a critic score of 91 (out of 100) and a user score of 8.9 (Out of 10). This puts it in the number one spot for best PC game of 2019 on Metacritic.
Something that makes FFXIV stand out from other MMORPGs is that you are able to level all classes and jobs on one character. So, if you’re the type of person who enjoys trying out everything you won’t have to roll up a new character to do it. On the other hand, if you like having a lot of alts FFXIV may not be for you. This is a dungeon-based game and getting through the storyline will require you to complete dungeons.
Tera
Tera is a fantasy MMORPG that came out in North America and Europe in 2012, then released on consoles worldwide in April 2018. It uses action combat and a non-target battle system. This basically means that you have to make sure you’ve got your enemy in front of you in the cross-hair cursor in order to execute an attack. For anyone who is used to the old fashioned tab targeting that is usually found in MMOs this can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. Those that do get past it enjoy Tera for its many unique and interesting classes and the constant updates that are coming to the game despite its age. It’s clear that Tera still has many more years of life left in it so don’t let its age scare you away.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is without a doubt the most beautiful MMORPG there has ever been. It is absolutely gorgeous and the developers at ArenaNet know it. Fashion is a big part of the Guild Wars 2 experience, so much so that the game has the nickname Fashion Wars. It is broadly considered a more casual friendly MMO than most but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges to be found. It’s a great game if you prefer to play your MMOs solo. The story is designed with a solo player in mind but there are still tons of opportunities for groups to play together too.
So far, Guild Wars 2 has had 2 expansions but it also gets content updates every 3 months. These include a brand new zone, another part in the ongoing story, and lots of beautiful weapon skins It also has a lively PvP scene with two different types of PvP to pick from.
Runescape
For many MMO players today Runescape was their first love. The game has been around since 2001, making it even older than World of Warcraft. But, just because it’s nearly 20 years old doesn’t mean it is slowing down or that it looks 20 year old. It has had a number of updates over the years as technology has advanced.
Runescape isn’t for everyone though. The game puts a big emphasis on grinding which can be really unattractive to a lot of people. A lot of people also say that the community isn’t very newbie friendly. Which can be quite difficult to overcome if you’re looking for a communal experience from your MMORPG.
Blade & Soul
Blade & Soul is sometimes called the World of Warcraft of Asia and despite its massive popularity in the East it rarely grabs headlines in the West. Which is unfortunate because it is a very good game that is a blast to play. It has been so popular in Asia that it had a 13 episode anime series adaptation. There is also an incredibly popular mobile version of the game. It stands out on this list for being more martial arts focused with classes like Kung Fu Master, Zen Archer, and Blade Master. If you’re looking for a completely unfamiliar MMORPG experience then give Blade & Soul a try.
Elder Scrolls Online
Despite its rough launch Elder Scrolls Online has gone on to become one of the most successful and most popular MMORPGs on the market right now. It is without a doubt one of the top 3 MMORPGs you can play right now. It is full of content that is accessible to both groups and solo players alike. It is still getting regular content updates with new expansions and DLC. For those familiar with Tamriel and the Elder Scrolls universe, the game takes place a millennium before Skyrim, 800 years before the events of Morrowind and Oblivion. If you’re looking for an MMORPG that is guaranteed to still have a long life ahead of itself then ESO may be the game for you. In a recent panel at PAX Australia ESO’s Creative Director said that Zenimax is planning to continue to support the game for a long time and that they have development plans through 2020 and beyond.
Rift
When it launched Rift was aiming to be a WoW killer and they weren’t shy about it with their advertising either. It is perhaps the most World of Warcraft like MMORPG that’s on the market without being a Chinese clone. Unfortunately it has had its share of struggles through the years and it has been relatively quiet since Gamigo bought it and developer Trion Worlds in October 2018. However, the core game and its expansions do still exist and it is all extremely playable. The playerbase may not be what it once was, but for a game that is 8 years old and has moved on to an entirely new developer it is still going strong.
