15 MMOs That Have Been In Development For More Than 5 Years!

A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever”. Let this quote wrap you like a warm blanket on a cold night as we take a look at some MMOs and MMORPGs that have been under construction for too long.

Do you still hold some hope for these games or have you moved on already?

Star Citizen

Revealed In: October 2012.
Current Status: Playable Alpha.

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Star Citizen is in a league of its own. The official 2012 reveal date marked the debut of the Kickstarter campaign, however, pre-production began in 2010 and production kicked off one year later.

The game has been in the works for more than ten years! As you can imagine, it has attracted unparalleled criticism. With over $400 million from the backers, it holds a record for the most-crowdfunded video game.

Many are wondering if the space sim MMO and its Squadron 42 single-player campaign offshoot are ever coming out. Rumor has it that the people in charge have realized they cannot deliver on the initial promise, but canceling would spell disaster and potential lawsuits, so they are leading the backers on for as long as possible.

Aion 2

Revealed In: November 2018.
Current Status: In Development.

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In 2018, NCSoft announced an Aion sequel as a mobile MMORPG. In 2022, at a shareholders meeting, a bit of info on Aion 2 surfaced.

The team is using Unreal Engine 5 to build the game which will also be available on PC. A global launch frame is yet to be revealed.

The Aion 2 website, albeit with no relevant info, has been up and running for a while. We have a generic trailer and a couple of screenshots.

Fans’ concern is that Aion 2 will be a cash-grabbing gacha game. If we cannot optimistically look to the future, at least we can nostalgically look back now that Aion Classic is available.

Valiance Online

Revealed In: 2014.
Current Status: Playable Alpha.

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Valiance Online is one of the superhero MMOs that gained track following the closure of the beloved City of Heroes MMORPG.

The last update was in mid-2022 when a forum post from the devs revealed that the first investor milestone was achieved. The team used the money to create a “solid foundation”. And that was the last time we heard from the game officials.

Valiance Online takes place in San Cielo, the city formerly known as San Diego. It features ten character Archetypes.

Curious supporters can gain alpha access via donations starting from $25. However, considering the official radio silence, checking up a gameplay video is a more reasonable alternative at this point.

Ship of Heroes

Revealed In: 2016.
Current Status: Playable Beta aiming for a 2023 release.

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Ship of Heroes is one of the MMOs on this list that might see the light of release in 2023. After not delivering on the 2021 and 2022 launch promises, the developers are quite hopeful for 2023. Also, we count Ship of Heroes’ 2023 Steam listing as one step closer to release.

A “mix between City of Heroes and Star Trek”, this MMO aims to revive the superhero genre. Reports from those that gave it a try show that the indie developer Heroic Games Corporation has done a good job so far. Fingers crossed for a forthcoming release!

City of Titans

Revealed In: 2013.
Current Status: Playable Alpha.

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Not another City of Heroes spiritual successor! That’s the last one, we promise!

City of Titans is closing in on a decade of being under construction and we fear many moons will still pass until the game reaches 100% completion.

Back in November 2022, the development team decided to switch from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. They admitted that it slowed the development, but solved several major issues.

Other than that, the development blogs are keeping us posted with various updates. We can see that City of Titans has not been abandoned, but will the fans’ patience outlast the development cycle?

Camelot Unchained

Revealed In: 2013.
Current Status: Beta.

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From City State Entertainment, a studio led by Dark Age of Camelot’s designer Mark Jacobs, comes a PvP-based MMORPG centering on a three-faction conflict.

Camelot Unchained entered Beta in 2018 and it has been stuck in there ever since.

In 2020, the studio revealed that they are working on a second game Final Stand: Ragnarok which was released in early access in 2021 and it has been stuck in there ever since.

What’s worse than an unfinished game? Two unfinished games! Some backers requested a refund. In recent news, City State Entertainment revealed they are expanding the team to go forward with the development.

In 2022, the studio received a whopping $15 million from investors. That should be enough, right?

Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

Revealed In: January 2014.
Current Status: Pre-Alpha.

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Pantheon ROTF is a fantasy MMORPG with an emphasis on teamwork and challenging PvE. Nine races and 12 classes allow players to create all sorts of characters.

Gameplay videos revealed a massive potential, but the development pace is worrisome, to say the least. However, the developers have been more transparent in the last few years. The community still has faith in Brad McQuaid’s brainchild.

In 2022, it was revealed that Pantheon received $2.4 million from private investors. If you want to see how the game is coming along, founders’ packs that include access to closed testing sessions are available.

Ashes of Creation

Revealed In: 2016.
Current Status: Alpha.

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Ashes of Creation is one of those Kickstarted MMOs we are rightfully entitled to complain about. The game met the $750,000 goal in less than half a day. It raised a bit over $3.5 million from early backers.

In 2021, those who pre-ordered the $500 version had the chance to take part in the first alpha test. The second one is yet to come.

In its long development cycle, the game has transitioned from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5.

Ashes of Creation features a dynamic open world that reacts to players’ actions. Let’s hope the developers react to the community’s demands and finish the game in the foreseeable future.

Project Gorgon

Revealed In: 2016.
Current Status: Early Access.

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Project Gorgon is a niche sandbox indie game that sends players on possibly the wildest ride of their MMORPG experience. It’s eccentric but undeniably fun for those who have the equanimity to discover it. If you love old-school MMOs, this one should make your list.

Project Gorgon has been in early access since 2018. However, that doesn’t seem to bother the community as the regular updates keep players happy and engaged.

The husband and wife duo leading the development have worked on Star Trek Online, Asheron’s Call, and EverQuest II.

Dark and Light

Revealed In: 2016.
Current Status: Abandoned in Early Access.

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The original Dark and Light was a 2006-MMORPG fiasco. It was a bad game that attracted negative reviews. It was eventually shut down on the down low without an official announcement.

In 2008, Snail Games acquired the Dark and Light rights. Ironically, the new game would suffer the same fate. One year after the 2016 reveal, Dark and Light from Snail Games was available on Steam as an Early Access title.

In the first years, players’ reports have been favorable citing great potential for this survival MMORPG. To everyone’s surprise, Snail Games abandoned Dark and Light in Early Access without a word.

You can still buy it, but beware as the last update is from 2020.

No official news to seal the fate came to light. The game periodically goes on sale for less than $10. Is Snail Games quietly and shamelessly still cashing in on this abandonware?

Chronicles/Kingdoms of Elyria

Revealed In: 2016.
Current Status: In Alpha.

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In June 2016, Soulbound Studios raised $1.3 million through a Kickstarter campaign for an innovative and dynamic MMORPG.

Over the following years, the studio received an additional $7 million from backers. To everyone’s surprise, in 2020, CEO Jeromy Walsh announced the development will stop due to the lack of funds.

The rightfully-angry mob of backers filed for a class-action lawsuit which was eventually dismissed. Meanwhile, the company took back the announcement and stated that the Chronicles of Elyria development continues but with a smaller team.

They also revealed Kingdoms of Elyria, a spinoff strategy colony-building simulation that will be available for backers as a free game.

Kingdoms of Elyria is developed in parallel with Chronicles of Elyria. It eyes a 2023 release, but no one believes it.

Codename Reality

Revealed In: 2018.
Current Status: In development.

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If you’ve been casually scrolling this list hoping to discover one title you haven’t heard about, there you have it! Codename Reality’s 2018 Kickstarter campaign was a flop. However, that was merely a setback for the Netherlands-based indie studio, Orode Productions.

Over the last few years, they have stoically pushed through to achieve the world’s first MMOPEG, massively multiplayer online persistent entity game.

Codename Reality features a fantasy world that players change with their actions. The game is in the works with no release date in sight.

From time to time, interested people have the chance to join the closed testing sessions.

Identity

Revealed In: 2015.
Current Status: In Early Access.

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In 2015, Asylum Entertainment boasted about redefining MMOs with a groundbreaking title that would do away with the linear gameplay that has become a staple of the genre.

A successful Kickstarter campaign followed allowing the team to secure more money than they’d hoped for in the first place. In November 2018, Identity launched on Steam in Early Access.

The Negative reviews accuse the developers of not keeping their promise and abandoning the game. In August 2022, we were treated to what appeared to be a heartfelt message saying the studio is in financial trouble and no one should buy the game – which was to be taken off Steam in the near future – until an update is available. We are still waiting for that update.

Spycursion

Revealed In: 2017.
Current Status: In Development.

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Spycursion is the most uncommon MMO you will come across. If you’re into programming, you might want to check out the blog on the official website explaining why in the age of Unreal Engine 5 someone is using Lisp to make a game.

Spycursion is a “realistic hacking” game in which you play a hacker. Each player is free to set individual goals as the gameplay features sandbox elements. The game distinguishes itself through the lack of traditional weapons.

It’s an interesting concept that we wish to materialize into a fully playable neat little quirky MMO game sooner rather than later.

Reign of Guilds

Revealed In: 2016.
Current Status: Preparing to release in Early Access by the end of 2023.

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Reign of Guilds is a hardcore PvP MMORPG set in the Middle Ages. It has uncommon MMO features such as first-person perspective and friendly fire.

The development is moving on slowly, but it’s moving. However, those who participated in play tests aren’t too confident about its future. The development still has a long way to go.

There’s also the matter of the game’s design that favors PvP. A part of the community believes that, if done right, Reign of Chaos could find its niche, but a big if looms over it.

So there you have it! Which ones of these games are you looking forward to with the hope that it will actually be released, and which ones will never see the light of day? Let us know in the comments!