MMORPG News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

Founded in 2020, Mavix introduced the world to its line of ergonomic gaming chairs. These chairs blend the best of gaming and ergonomic worlds, delivering a chair that is quite unique in the current market. I've spent the last few weeks with the Mavix M9, its flagship model, and have been impressed. It's not perfect, but it is a chair that's more comfortable than your average ergonomic chair and more supportive than your average gaming chair, Which makes it a compelling choice when you don't want to sacrifice good looks for good support.

Team Ninja, the developers behind Nioh and Ninja Gaiden, have released the first episode in a behind-the-scenes video series focused on the game development of its forthcoming open-world action RPG, Rise of the Ronin.

Daybreak Game Company has confirmed earlier reports that there had been layoffs across its teams, but said the number is under 15.

WithSkull and Bones wrapping preorder head start and officially launching for all tomorrow, the Ubisoft Singapore team is detailing some fixes following beta feedback and testing data and what’s still on the way.

The Nightingale team is prepping for the game’s big launch into Early Access next week. Not only did Inflexion Games move the start up by two days to February 20th, they’re highlighting the recent stress test, what they’ve learned from community feedback, and more.

Hawked, a treasure hunting and extraction shooter from My.Games, has now fully launched on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. This comes after PC Early Access since November, and a cross-playbeta.

Dune: Awakening is holding a new closed beta test soon. Funcom has already begun sendiing the first invites to the next test phase of its multiplayer survival game.

EA is celebrating Apex Legends’ fifth anniversary with the launch of Season 20: Breakout, which went live earlier this week.

Development studio Flying Wild Hog has unionized, marking the latest unionization effort in a very rough time for gaming industry workers. The Polish studio, owned by Embracer Group, has seen its parent company shed nearly 1,400 jobs and more planned in a reorganization process.

After weeks of speculation, and in some cases panic, by Xbox faithful, Microsoft officially addressed the myriad leaks that Xbox would be bringing some first-party titles to rival platforms. And, it looks like those leaks were indeed true.

There was a moment in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League where I set down my controller, wiped the tears from my eyes, looked at my TV and said aloud, “How. Dare. You.”  I got up, took the dog outside, grabbed something to drink, and whatever else I could think to waste a little time.  I just needed a moment.  I couldn’t believe that a game about otherwise expendable prisoners being coerced into para-military service to save the world could make me both laugh and tear up during the same 15-hour campaign.  

Diablo IV is coming to Xbox Game Pass on March 28th, marking the first of the Activision Blizzard titles to make the migration to Xbox's subscription service since the acquisition last year.

No Man's Sky is free till Monday as it celebrates the launch of its Omega Expedition update, bringing quality-of-life tweaks, new content, and a completely revamped Atlas questline.

The latest Black Desert Online update features adjustments to War of the Roses and the Guild League, tweaks to progression, help for PKed players, and some Valentine’s events that continue through the month.

Fractured Online’s Endgame Changer update is fast approaching, and the team is previewing some more of the features on the way. This time, get a look at Primal Energy and Potions in a new video.

Campfire Audio is one of the leading audio brands in the United States, best known for its mega-hits like the Andromeda. Today, we’re looking at one of the newest members of the company’s Chromatic series, the Cascara. Driven by a single dynamic driver (DD), it delivers a rich, fun, bass-forward sound that makes for the perfect entry-point into the world of high-end, high-res audio. At $499, it’s one of the most affordable in-ear monitors (IEMs) in the company’s line-up and blew us away at every turn — even for gaming. If you like bass, this is a set you don’t want to miss.

Layoffs are being reported at Daybreak Game Company, with some at Dimensional Ink, responsible for DC Universe Online, said to be hit. Others across the company are affected in an unknown number of cuts, with more senior staff said to be mostly affected.

Today’s the day when Destiny 2 and EA’s Mass Effect collaboration begins, bringing cosmetics and in-game goodies inspired by the Normandy crew.

Capcom recently teased Ed, the penultimate character release of Street Fighter 6’s Year 1 Character Pass, with a trailer featuring cutscenes from Ed’s World Tour section. The trailer gave us hints at how Ed would translate over from Street Fighter 5 to 6, but this latest trailer released by Capcom gives players the full rundown.

Almost nine years since Arrowhead Game Studios released a new title, Helldivers 2 has become a resounding success for the studio just days after its release. With around a million copies sold and 360K concurrent users between PC and PlayStation platforms, gamers have been flocking to the sci-fi co-op shooter in droves, dethroning God of War as Sony’s biggest launch on Steam.

HIFIMAN is best known for its line of high-end headphones, but today we’re looking at its premiere desktop sound system: the HIFIMAN Serenade. Featuring its acclaimed Himalaya PRO R2R DAC and enough power for the most demanding headphones or even full-size speakers. It’s a sound system in a desktop-sized box and has a lot to offer, but you’ll already need a great pair of headphones to make the most of it.

Arbiter Studios is a new company but aims to land with a splash with its new magnetic keyboard the Polar 65. This keyboard uses a compact layout designed to maximize mouse space  while offering magnetic switches for enhanced responsiveness and rapid trigger capability.  At $150, it is relatively expensive compared to other 65% keyboards, but is well built, well tuned, and performs quite well.

With the next chapter of Zenith: The Last City and upcoming free to play co-op Zenith: Infinite Realms, approaching, the Ramen VR team is taking us behind the scenes and talking about their goals in approaching this next step in the Zenith universe.

The mechanical keyboard market is more competitive by the day, but we’ve found what may just be the best value pick under $100. The WOBKEY Rainy 75 offers a fully aluminum case, gasket mounting, Foams, and other features usually reserved for much more expensive keyboards. It sounds and feels far better than a $99 has a right to and is one of the best values in keyboards right now. Read on to find out just what makes it so special. 

The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED has just been refreshed for 2024 and includes Intel’s new AI-enhanced Core Ultra processors for enhanced performance. Weighing in at only 2.65 pounds with a bright, color-rich 2K OLED display, and Intel’s latest Core Ultra 7 155H processor (16C/22T), it’s a fantastic little machine that’s competitively priced at $1,299. 

The Elder Scrolls Online ispreparing for next month’s Scions of Ithelia launch with a new preview of one of the DLC’s dungeons: Oathsworn Pit. The dungeon takes place in a place known as a training ground for Malacath loyalists, and has been taken over by a group of Wood Elves.

Tower of Fantasy is set to get its next simulacrum, Yanuo, on February 20th. In a new trailer, we get to meet her and see just why she makes such a good double agent.

The Lord of the Rings Online's Bullroarer test server is open once again, with Update 39 up for testing. Meanwhile, for those hoarding LotRO points to grab a shiny River Hobbit, you can now do so.

Did you ever just have the urge to drown a bunch of knock-off anime characters with foam in a giant bathtub? Yeah, me neither, but that’s what we get with Foamstars. For whatever reason, Square Enix decided that it needed a non-lethal, casual, online-only shooter to compete with the plethora of other online hero shooters and battle-royale games on the market. How does it compare to the competition? Well, it definitely stands out, but not necessarily in a good way.

Studio Wildcard has released a major update to the ARK Development Kit, introducing more options for modders to shape their experiences. Additions include a custom cosmetics system, the ability to transfer items, and a Simple Game Framework.

After reports speculated that a deal might be close for the sale of RuneScape developer Jagex from UK’s Carlyle private equity group to CVC Capital, the deal is now official.

Ravendawn has added a series of fishing price buffs, made group hunting more rewarding, added new Carnival-themed cosmetics, and updated the community on land expansion.

RuneScape is set to expand on Necromancy, and the City of Um, next week, with the new Housing of Parliament update. Expect a new quest, the arrival of Moonstone Jewelry for crafting, adjustments to glyphs and more.

Lysfanga is Sand Door Studio’s first game in which you play Imë, the Lysfanga. In this top-down action, hack and slasher, Imë must fight back an old evil that has escaped and endangers the New Kingdom. Lysfanga caught my eye when I first saw the trailer during Summer Game Fest 2023. The assortment of magic spells, runes and weapons makes for many different ways to tackle and complete each arena. I love the use of remnants and how it adds a different layer of strategy to the game play.

Wargaming and MMORPG.com have teamed up to give away 25 bonus item codes with in-game loot worth up to $50 to celebrate the MMO's 10-year anniversary.

Diablo 4 will make some improvements to Uber Uniques, with the aim to increase chances of getting ones you want and making dupes useful. Next week’s update also fixes a number of issues, from accessibility bugs, to Season of the Construct glitches affecting gameplay.

Capcom released a new trailer for Dragon’s Dogma 2 this week, giving players a closer look at one of the series staple vocations: the Fighter.

Wargaming and MMORPG.com have teamed up to give away 25 bonus item codes with in-game loot worth up to $50 to celebrate the MMO's 10-year anniversary.

The Pax Dei team is reminding everyone that not only will players create most things in the world, there will also be flora and fauna there to discover. This time, the team is previewing some of the fauna, showing off new screenshots of animals in the world, taken from its current Friends and Family playtest build.

Blackbird Interactive has delayed the release of Homeworld 3 by about eight weeks from its March 8 release date.

The Black Order arrived in Marvel Snap earlier this week, but that’s not all Second Dinner has had in store for fans of the game. Second Dinner also kicked off a new ‘Galactic Carnival’ event this week and dropped a small, but impactful balance patch along with it.

Nine months after its first closed beta test, Kuro Game's Wuthering Waves is now gearing up for its second test, with registrations now live. The developer also revealed that the game will be coming to both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles.

Paradox Interactive and The Chinese Room have released the long awaited extended gameplay reveal for Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.

Arrowhead Studios’ co-op sci-fi shooter, Helldivers 2, kicked off Sony’s first State of Play of 2024 with a brand new trailer and that trailer had one big surprise at the end of it: the return of pilotable mechs.

Paradox Interactive has tons in store for Crusader Kings III in 2024. A roadmap revealed earlier this week promises two expansions (one core, one major) for the game and more.

Let’s get right into it. In an industry where remakes and remasters are far from rare, Persona 3 Reload is an absolute masterclass on the idea. As the progenitor of the modern Persona game, Persona 3 was a diamond in the rough at a time when JRPGs struggled with their identity. It seems only fitting that 17 years after the initial US release, and during another similar identity struggle, Persona 3 Reload shows up with a brand new bag.

2K Games has laid off yet another round of staff, but this time, we have no idea on how many were actually affected this time around. 

As I sat in a press preview with Anshar Publishing for its upcoming CRPG, Zoria: Age of Shattering, one piece of feedback the team received caused my ears to perk up: Too much loot.

After beginning development in 2013 and numerous delays later, Ubisoft Singapore’s seafaring pirate action RPG, Skull & Bones, will finally set sail next week. In the meantime, you can watch the launch trailer and even jump in early with the game’s open beta, which kicks off today.

The Epomaker x Leobog Hi75 is a color compact keyboard aimed at improving your gaming experience. It comes in at less than $100 ($99 with an instant $10 off coupon as of this writing) and features a full aluminum case, doubleshot keycaps, name brand switches, and masses of pre-applied mods. It tries hard but does it pull everything together to deliver a top-tier gaming experience? Find out in this review!

Book of Travels got another new update today, with Might and Delight expanding their tiny MMOwith new quests, improved items, new events, a series of fixes, and more to discover.

The portable PC market has exploded in recent years, with the Steam Deck and itsOLED counterpart leading the charge. We've seen entries from Asus ROG and Ayaneo along with Valve's breakthrough device, and now Lenovo has joined the battle with the Lenovo Legion Go. 

The Tribes revival is upon us. Tribes III: Rivals is officially “coming soon” to early access as revealed via a new trailer dropped this week by developer Prophecy Games.

Arrowhead Game Studios is recapping the Helldivers series story so far with a new video in the form of an amusing recruitment ad.

Despite Nexon being in the process of shutting down Warhaven in April, the game has just gotten a brand new character, and Valentine’s Day event. There’s also a brief update on that shutdown process too. 

The Nori Spring Rider is the definition of a team effort. It’s the culmination of influential custom keyboard designers, keycap artisans, and a major manufacturer coming together to deliver a pre-built mechanical keyboard that challenges value for the dollar. 

Season of Discovery Phase 2 is now open in World of Warcraft Classic, opening up levels 25-40, more talent points, a new raid dungeon, and more to discover.

iFi has been one of the major players in the enthusiast audio world for years, and its Diablo series quickly became one of its most exciting products after its launch in 2021. Its successor is upon us, and the iFi iDSD Diablo 2 promises mega power in a portable form factor, allowing it to become a mobile audiophile setup — or to replace your current DAC/amp stack. In this edition of Golden Ears, we’ll be taking a close look to see what exactly it offers and how it justifies its premium $1,299 tag. 

Embark Studios dropped a mid-season update for The Finals this week, adding a new limited time event alongside the usual bug fixes and balance tweaks.

Last summer, I had the pleasure of testing out the Sihoo Doro C300 ergonomic chair. Once I was able to look past the sticker price, I found the C300 to be a dream to sit in, and I have been using it ever since. Sihoo has come a-knocking once again, this time with the Doro-S300, and they’re packing in even more ergonomic features than before. With space-age looks and a floaty feel that is out of this world, the Doro S300 is worth its sky-high price.

Following quickly after the release of the AFUL MagicOne, AFUL is back with a portable and affordable DAC/amp that promises to “revolutionize” your listening experience anywhere you may be listening (including PC and console). It’s exceptionally pocketable, comes packed with high-performance components, and a stylish design, and has a surprising amount of power for its tiny size. At $110, it’s definitely worth considering, no matter where you may be listening. 

The third of Nvidia’s Super GPUs to launch this month, the RTX 4080 Super is effectively a replacement for the existing RTX 4080 the company launched in 2022. The RTX 4080 Super brings 4K gaming to the market, with a drop in price to boot.

I’ve spent the last ten days fully immersed in Palworld. If you are blissfully unaware, Palworld is a survival game that borrows elements from popular survival games like Rust, a little “Souls-like” inspiration, some Breath of the Wild, and, of course, Pokemon. Is the whole more significant than the sum of its parts? Is Palworld worthy of the hype? Well, fortunately, we are here to let you know!

To kick off the season of Love, Lies of P and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be collaborating and bringing new gear to the intense souls-like on February 14, 2024. 

Cygames have released the launch trailer for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, showcasing the action RPG’s combat and narrative ahead of its release later this week.

Sky: Children of the Light is bringing back the “Days of Love” event next week. Having an event to celebrate connection and love in all of its forms, from friendship to romantic to familial, and more, fits the game’s connected spirit well.

Imagine a world where your worst nightmares have come true.  The apocalypse has come, and people all around are dying or disappearing.  Now imagine that the peacekeepers and freedom fighters are the source of all the chaos. In a world gone mad, almost all the people you are accustomed to relying on for help have gone rogue.  Such is the premise of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. 

Change is in the air for capsuleers, as the old EVE Online launcher has been replaced by a brand new one in order to deepen the immersion. 

Overwatch 2 Season 9 is titled Champions, and with it comes some really cool-looking things. 

Thieaudio has come out swinging with its latest line of in-ear monitors. Aptly titled “hype” (hybrid-performance), it began the new series with the Hype 2, followed by the Hype 4, and each were met with wide acclaim. Today, we complete the trifecta with the Hype 10, an absolutely premium pair of in-ear monitors packing a whopping 12 drivers in each side. These earphones are the most expensive Hype yet, coming in at $899, placing them deep in Golden Ears territory. Let’s take a closer look and see exactly what they have to offer over their predecessors. 

The Black Order, also known as the Children of Thanos, have arrived in Marvel Snap as part of the game’s latest season update.

Black Desert Online is adding the War of the Roses story arc as a new way of experiencing the game’s conquest war. Players can choose to align with Kamasylvia or O'dyllita in their fight for the Allmother’s throne.

Nearly a year ago, we took a look at the Odinlake Ergo Plus 743, an impressive chair from a company we hadn’t yet heard of. It didn’t take long for us to see that the company was up to something special with how well-considered and well-built the chair was. Today, we finally have its successor, the Odinlake Ergo Butterfly 753. It has one of the most unique designs we’ve seen in an ergonomic chair and an array of upgrades that make it a substantial improvement over the original. At $999, it doesn’t come cheap, but its quality and comfort fit its price.

Looking for an interesting upgrade to our mechanical keyboard? Cerakey is back with its second round of ceramic custom keycaps, this time with silicone inserts for easier installation. They’re more than a little unique but are they worth the $126 cost of entry?

Obsidian Entertainment gave fans a closer look at Avowed during last week’s Xbox Direct, showcasing combat, exploration, dialogue and more during the presentation.

The new year continues to be a difficult one for the games industry, with Riot Games announcing layoffs affecting about 11% of their global workforce, or around 530 people. The company is also trimming its portfolio, shutting down Riot Forge, pulling back on some other projects, and recentering on its four core live titles: League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Valorant, and Wild Rift.

Star Wars: The Old Republic has released update 7.4B, which mainly adds a series of fixes to December’s Chains in the Dark missions, additional fixes, a series of HUD updates and improvements, and more player experience tweaks.

Enshrouded is an interesting title that has been hovering on my radar since it was first announced. The action survival RPG from Keen Games, Enshrouded, aims to slot itself right in amongst others in the survival MMO genre, taking cues from games such as Minecraft, Valheim, and more. It offers enough, though, to shake up the formula and make Enshrouded feel wholly distinct and, at times, even better than some of its predecessors.

The Saramonic BlinkMe B2  is a powerhouse of functionality and features packed into an impressively compact form factor. Whether you are a content creator, journalist or podcaster, the BlinkMe B2 offers an all-in-one solution to meet all your audio needs. Boasting an impressive battery life, two independent transmitters, optional onboard recording and a host of quality-of-life accessories the BlinkMe B2 aims to push the boundaries of what to expect from a portable Wireless microphone system.   

While wireless earbuds are more popular than ever, the wired earphone market is thriving. There are more, better earphones than at any other point and both innovation and sound quality are at peak. But… there’s something to be said for being free from a wire. Until recently, you were forced to use dongle DAC/amps or bulky standalone units, but the iFi GO Pod aims to change that.