Are you wanting a new MMORPG to jump into in 2022? In this post, we’ve listed seven of the best upcoming MMORPGs that are set to be released in 2022 to help you find a title to get excited about.
The MMORPG genre began in 1985, with the release of Island Of Kesmai. Back then, MMORPGs were primarily text-based, lacking the mechanical complexity that many MMORPGs are currently known for.
Since then, the MMORPG genre has only grown in popularity and, with the beginning of every new year, comes a fresh wave of exciting MMORPGs.
By reading this guide, you will learn about seven of the best upcoming MMORPGs for 2022.
*If you’re interested in jumping into an already established game, check out our list of the best MMO games to play right now.
Path Of Exile 2
Since its release, in October of 2013, Path Of Exile has received sixteen different expansions.
Each one of those expansions contains its own fair share of unique content.
Rather than transforming the fundamentals of Path Of Exile, the content found in the expansions expands on the world and mechanics in small, but enjoyable, ways.
As the name suggests, though, Path Of Exile 2 breaks with that trend, offering an enormous amount of new content, most of which fundamentally transforms the base game.
You will, with Path Of Exile 2, have access to a new seven-act storyline, a new skill system, plenty of new classes, as well as various graphical improvements.
Even though many aspects of Path Of Exile will change, with Path Of Exile 2, the most basic mechanics will remain quite similar to what they are now.
So, if you aren’t a fan of the Diablo-inspired gameplay Path Of Exile is known for, Path Of Exile 2 probably won’t change your mind.
If you are a fan of Path Of Exile, though, and want a sequel that offers a better, shinier version of what is currently available, then Path Of Exile 2 will be worth checking out in 2022.
Ashes Of Creation
A quick glance at Ashes Of Creation may suggest a fairly generic, if quite pretty, MMORPG.
Even though the setting and style seen in Ashes Of Creation – a fantasy setting that embraces a medieval aesthetic – may seem generic, the mechanics being offered are anything but.
Rather than offering a static world, Ashes Of Creation allows your actions, and the actions of those you’re playing with, to actively shape the world.
You can, as a result of your actions, influence the rise and fall of cities and towns; inspire the political developments that occur within those cities and towns; affect the in-game economy in tangible ways; among many other possibilities.
Every single one of your actions will, in turn, affect your experience within the world, as well as the quests, mechanics, and gameplay paths available to you.
We won’t know if Intrepid Studios is capable of pulling off this ambitious vision until sometime in 2022, which is when Ashes Of Creation is set to be released.
Guild Wars 2: End Of Dragons
Since its initial release, in August of 2012, Guild Wars 2 has received two expansions.
Both of those expansions have offered a new map to explore, some new mechanics, as well as new quests and characters.
Just as you would expect, Guild Wars 2: End Of Dragons embraces that formula, offering a new land to explore, some new mechanics, and new quests and characters.
You will, in Guild Wars 2: End Of Dragons, be exploring the land of Cantha, which is ruled by the Empire of the Dragon.
As you explore Cantha, you will be able to complete quests for various factions that exist within Cantha, while also engaging in the conflicts taking place across the land.
You will also, with this expansion, have access to new class specializations and weapons.
For those who enjoy Guild Wars 2, and would like to dive even more deeply into the world that ArenaNet has created, Guild Wars 2: End Of Dragons is worth keeping an eye out for.
Lost Ark
To some extent, putting Lost Ark on this list is cheating, since the game’s been out since December of 2019.
But, there’s a catch, and the catch is that Lost Ark is, as of when this article was written, only available in Korea, Russia, and Japan.
Sometime in 2022, however, Lost Ark will become available to players in North America and Europe.
As soon as that happens, players, in those regions, will be able to explore the unique world that Smilegate RPG has created.
All across Lost Ark’s world, players will find seven continents. Each one of these continents differs from one another, offering a distinctive style and aesthetic, as well as unique content.
Right between these continents, there is the sea. You can, while playing Lost Ark, explore the sea, which possesses its own fair share of unique content, as well as its own style and aesthetic.
Just like many other MMORPGs you will, while exploring Lost Ark’s world, engage in action-RPG inspired combat, complete quests, raid dungeons, and join guilds; all while upgrading your skills and abilities.
Since Lost Ark has technically been out for several years, you will have an enormous amount of content to enjoy. As a result of this, if you’re looking for a meaty MMORPG with a large player base, Lost Ark may be worth checking out.
Embers Adrift
Every game genre offers its own tropes and conventions.
The MMORPG genre is no different, possessing a plethora of tropes and conventions, many of which can be found in the most popular MMORPGs available.
Some of these tropes include a fantasy world with a medieval aesthetic, PvP gameplay, lots and lots of dungeons, mini-maps, quest hubs, and marketplaces for buying/selling in-game items
Many of those tropes can be found in Embers Adrift. But, some of them cannot.
You won’t find quest hubs, PvP gameplay, or mini-maps in Embers Adrift.
What you will find, though, is a vast open world that offers very little direction.
You are, as a result, forced to wander around, by yourself or with a group of people, taking note of what you see, allowing gameplay opportunities to arise.
The absence of familiar MMORPG mechanics ensures that, if nothing else, Embers Adrift will play, and feel, very different from most MMORPGs.
For those who want something that goes beyond the conventions of the genre, emphasizing community and exploration far more than other MMORPGs, keep Embers Adrift in mind.
Chrono Odyssey
The studio behind Chrono Odyssey, NPIXEl, has big plans.
Rather than existing as a stand-alone work, Chrono Odyssey will be one title in a long line of novels, comic books, and live-action dramas.
Every single one of these works will center around the main concept of Chrono Odyssey, though, which is that of the “Idraiginn”, and their mission.
The Idraiginn are a group of people, with unique abilities, that seek to eliminate the godlike beings controlling the world of Chrono Odyssey.
You, as the player, are a member of the Idraiginn and, as such, your mission is to work with the group in eliminating the aforementioned godlike beings controlling the game’s world.
To eliminate these beings, you will, as you might expect, need to complete quests, explore dungeons, accomplish high-level raids, and upgrade your skills and abilities.
All of these activities take place on maps that, according to NPIXEL, “transcend time and space”, all while supporting massive RVR battles and intense combat situations.
The specific form these ideas will take is unknown. Based on the trailer, though, as well as what little information NPIXEL has shared, Chrono Odyssey will possess a hack-and-slash inspired combat system, as well as a massive open world filled with activities.
If you enjoy those mechanics, and like the premise, Chrono Odyssey is worth keeping in mind.
Blue Protocol
Every gameplay mechanic seen in Blue Protocol will be familiar to those who play MMORPGs..
You will, as in other MMORPGs, engage in action-RPG inspired combat, explore dungeons, complete quests, join communities, and so on and so forth.
None of these mechanics are unique.
Even so, though, there is one aspect of Blue Protocol that is quite unique: the artstyle.
More and more anime MMORPGs are being developed. For the most part, these games are all quite pretty, offering plenty of color and creativity.
The artstyle in Blue Protocol keeps with that trend, but embraces a richer color palette, a wide variety of unique character designs, as well as a higher-level of overall sharpness.
Every facet of this artstyle is meant to create a compelling and unique world that, just like other MMORPGs, is filled with content and unique gameplay paths.
To go along with this artstyle, Blue Protocol offers, based on the footage we’ve seen, a very elaborate character creator, not unlike the one found in “Black Desert Online”.
Right now, Blue Protocol is being developed for Japanese audiences. So, it’s likely that, when Blue Protocol is released, in 2022, it will not be available in the West.
Soon after the initial release, though, Blue Protocol will be localized. This way, Western audiences will be able to enjoy the game.
For those who enjoy anime-inspired MMORPGs, and want to try something that offers everything the best of them offers, you should keep an eye out for Blue Protocol.
