No other MMO has had as large an impact on the genre and the entire videogame industry as World of Warcraft. Despite its advanced age, World of Warcraft continues to surprise. Shadowlands, its most recent expansion, harkens back to the glory days of World of Warcraft with a combination of ambitious new systems and one of the best endgames the MMO has ever had.

World of Warcraft has something for everyone, whether you enjoy dungeons, raiding, player-versus-player battles, or simply exploring a wonderfully charming world. More than ever, you can play the MMO however you want, with the ability to level up in any expansion after reaching level 10, eventually leading you to the Dragonflight(opens in new tab) expansion. There are also entertaining events such as Timewalking, which allows you to revisit old expansion dungeons for cool loot, and World Quests, which allow you to accomplish something meaningful even if you only have 20 minutes to play.

WoW is in an interesting position in 2023. Dragonriding introduces new flight mechanics without making you wait until the end of the expansion to take to the skies, and the Dracthyr Evoker introduces a whole new class/race combination. The Trading Post(opens in new tab) is one of the most recent additions, allowing you to earn currency that can be spent on a variety of funky cosmetic items, some of which were previously only available from the cash shop. In a nutshell, there's a lot to do.

Google rating: 9.1/10
Release Date: 2004
Developer: Blizzard
Payment Model: Subscription
Buy now: https://eu.shop.battle.net/en-gb/product/world-of-warcraft-dragonflight
Website: worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/fr-fr/

The road to Final Fantasy 14 has been long and full of disappointments. After a disastrous launch in 2010, Square Enix refused to give up and rebuilt the entire game with a new team. A Realm Reborn, the second iteration, has done a better job of rekindling fans' love for Final Fantasy than any other recent game in the series. It is unwaveringly committed to following in the footsteps of World of Warcraft while also introducing a slew of novel ideas, the most notable of which is the innovative class system.

Final Fantasy 14 no longer requires you to create a new character for each class; you can switch between them whenever you want, and you can even borrow abilities between classes, just like in the classic Final Fantasy Job system. But Final Fantasy 14 isn't just about fighting. Its story begins slowly but gradually builds into a grand epic spanning continents across its three expansions, easily rivaling any of the classics such as Final Fantasy 7 or 10. If you have the time, it's a journey worth taking, but keep in mind that 14's endgame, while offering challenging and memorable boss fights, is limited. Although updates are released on a regular basis, you will encounter the same dungeons and raids dozens of times.

Steam rating: 9/10
Release Date: 2013
Developer: Square Enix
Payment Model: Subscription
Buy now: store.steampowered.com/app/39210/FINAL_FANTASY_XIV_Online/
Website: finalfantasyxiv.com

The original Guild Wars would have been firmly in the PvP section of this list, but ArenaNet took a broader approach for the 2012 sequel, giving us an MMO with the diversity and scale of World of Warcraft, but with a mountain of quirks and activities all its own. Then you're bouncing around an area taking part in events like a charr heavy metal concert or a religious festival to earn enough chillies to buy a weapon that looks like a microphone, traveling into videogame-themed dimensions to earn prizes, or duking it out in a persistent PvP battlefield where three servers collide.

Even among MMOs, the breadth of Guild Wars 2's diversions is astounding, especially once you reach level 80. That doesn't take long these days, and once you've completed it, you can begin working on all of the expansion and living world activities and maps. Every time ArenaNet added a new expansion or season to the living world, it also introduced new types of mounts, ranging from flying skyscales to handy boats, as well as a slew of new systems—all of which were meaningful, not just novel.

All of this is supported by a compelling loop in which you explore each region by completing small events, sprawling meta-events, and heart quests—one of the best questing systems available—while looking for points of interest, picturesque vistas, and hero points to flesh out your build. Character development is also a strong point, with a level of flexibility that will appeal to theorycrafters, aided by a quick action-based combat system that makes fights kinetic and flashy.

Steam rating: 9/10

Release Date: 2012
Developer: ArenaNet
Payment Model: Buy to play
Buy now: guildwars2.com/en-gb/shop/
Website: https://www.guildwars2.com/fr/

The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the best Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Games. It took The Elder Scrolls Online over a year to find its feet, but it's now one of the best MMOs on the market. This is due in part to the consistent stream of excellent premium expansions that have gradually opened up new areas of Tamriel to explore. Fans of Morrowind can return to Vvardenfell, the home of the dark elves, but ESO has also revealed previously unseen countries such as the high elf kingdom of Summerset and the Khajiit homeland of Elsweyr.

Each of these expansions is notable for its standalone stories and frequently excellent side quests. If you're a fan of Elder Scrolls lore, ESO has a lot to offer—much of it delivered through great voice acting and entertaining quests. Quests that, thankfully, deviate from the traditional 'collect 10 bear skins' busywork seen in many MMOs. Instead, they're all entangled in the sprawling story of ESO.

If that's not your thing, you can also build your own house, engage in chaotic three-way PVP, join the Thieves Guild, become a vampire, or simply explore the world in any direction you want. With the One Tamriel update, you can now approach endgame zones at any level, giving you more control over your journey.

Steam rating: 9/10

Release Date: 2014
Developer: Zenimax Online Studios
Payment Model: Buy to play
Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/306130/
Website: https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/

The Old Republic experienced an identity crisis early on, which turned many people off from playing. It wanted to be both a sequel to the beloved Knights of the Old Republic and a competitor to World of Warcraft, and it failed miserably at both. Those days, like its setting, are long gone, and the Old Republic of today is far more enjoyable thanks to a refined focus on what it's always done best: telling a great story.

Unlike most MMOs, The Old Republic has eight different class stories to experience in the main game, all of which are exciting and fun. The Old Republic has some of the best storytelling ever seen in an MMO, whether you want to sex your way across the galaxy as a seductive imperial agent or just murder everyone as a Sith warrior. BioWare spent a lot of money to ensure that the voice acting was top-notch, and it paid off big time. The presentation of The Old Republic is unparalleled.

Since its initial release, The Old Republic has built on that foundation with a series of expansion packs, the highlights of which include a pair of expansions that harken back to BioWare and Obsidian's single-player Star Wars adventures. What's more, SWTOR has removed much of the friction you'd normally experience in an MMO, such as having to grind for levels, so you can now simply blitz through the story missions one after the other, much like a singleplayer RPG. It's fantastic.

Steam rating: 9/10

Release Date: 2011
Developer: BioWare
Payment Model: Free to play
Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1286830/STAR_WARS_The_Old_Republic/
Website: https://www.swtor.com/

Despite being one of the oldest continuously running games, and certainly the oldest MMO on this list, RuneScape has an impressive legacy that is often overlooked. For over two decades, it has allowed players to embark on fantasy adventures, hunt down other players for sport, or simply relax and farm. While it has grown significantly and is technically in its third iteration, the core of free-form adventuring that isn't too serious has been preserved.

It's full of oddities, such as the ability to bury fallen enemies and pray for their souls, which increases your corresponding skill. Sure, RuneScape is full of epic quests, gods, and dragons, but a welcome sense of levity pervades everything, aided by writers who never pass up an opportunity to include some jokes or puns.

While the main game has a lot to offer, those looking for a heady dose of nostalgia should check out Old School RuneScape. When RuneScape evolved into the game you know today, Jagex gave players the option to stick with what they knew, effectively creating a time capsule in which RuneScape remains as it was 'back in the day'. It's less friendly, ugly, and grindier, but it's fascinating as a living piece of history. It's also a testament to how compelling the original version was, with an immersive-sim quality reminiscent of Ultima and a plethora of entertaining, often tongue-in-cheek quests.

Steam rating: 9/10
Release date: 2001
Developer: Jagex
Payment model: Free to play
Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1343400/RuneScape/
Website: https://www.runescape.com/

While Korean MMOs are frequently stereotyped as brutal grindfests, Black Desert does offer one of the most extensive crafting systems ever seen in the genre. While the active, combo-based combat is exciting, there are dozens of career paths to choose from in this dynamic sandbox MMO. You can be a merchant, a fisherman, or devote your entire life to building a massive beer production empire.

This is all due to Black Desert's intricate node system. Each region is divided into nodes that provide various resources, while city properties can be purchased and converted into blacksmith shops, fisheries, or storage depots. Instead of doing all of the heavy lifting yourself, you can hire automated workers who level up and have their own innate skills.

When you're first starting out, it's an intimidating system to learn, but the freedom it provides is unparalleled, and it's unlike anything else in the genre. Spending an evening tweaking your farms and leveling up your workers can be just as rewarding as taking down one of Black Desert's brutal world bosses. If that doesn't appeal to you, the node system also serves as the foundation for weekly guild wars, in which guilds compete to conquer various nodes for special bonuses, making BDO an excellent choice if you enjoy PVP as well.

Steam rating: 7/10

Release Date: 2016

Developer: Pearl Abyss

Payment Model: Buy to play

Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/582660/Black_Desert/

Website: https://www.naeu.playblackdesert.com/

EVE Online is one of the best Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Games. When it comes to modern sandbox MMOs, only one name comes to mind: EVE Online. The 18 years that EVE has been around could fill a textbook (in fact, it has(opens in new tab))—but only if you're studying How to Lose Faith in Humanity 101. Over a decade of war, betrayal, and scandal, its reputation as a callous, uncaring universe grew. But that same Spartan culture has also produced the kind of camaraderie found nowhere else.

EVE Online is obtuse and complex as hell, and you'll find yourself staring at the screen, unsure of what to do. CCP Games has gone to great lengths to make EVE easier to understand, but the sting of failure will always be your best teacher. The good news is that EVE Online started offering a free-to-play option a few years ago, allowing you to dive into its sandbox with a limited set of ships and skills to use. They've since expanded the program, giving free players even more ship options.

Those who persevere will discover a galaxy of possibilities at their fingertips—which has always been EVE's greatest achievement. It's a living world where those with the will to rise to the top can find a way—even if it means sticking daggers in the backs of those who trusted them.

Steam rating: 7/10

Release Date: 2003
Developer: CCP Games
Payment Model: Free to play
Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/8500/EVE_Online/
Website: https://www.eveonline.com/

Lost Ark is one of the best Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Games. MMOARPG Lost Ark might be your new best friend if you like your combat to be over-the-top and fast-paced. The Korean MMO differs from the others on this list by taking an action-RPG approach, with an emphasis on spectacular abilities that make you feel like you're strutting your stuff with each attack.

The flashy fights, particularly the big sieges that the story builds up to, are the real draw here, but Lost Ark also has everything else you'd expect from a modern MMO, including a story-driven campaign, a massive pile of quests, tons of exploration—especially once you're given your ship—and a promising endgame that players are only now beginning to delve into.

While it is the newest game on their list, Smilegate has already been quick to expand it, with new endgame activities, classes, and events appearing on a regular basis. Expect a regular stream of updates and new things to play with, as the Korean version is further ahead, providing Smilegate with a wealth of existing content from which to draw.

Steam rating: 7/10

Release date: 2022

Developer: Smilegate

Payment model: Free to play

Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1599340/Lost_Ark/

Website: https://www.playlostark.com/

When it comes to telling a great story in an MMO, The Secret World has a lot to teach the rest of the genre. Not only does it abandon the generic fantasy aesthetic in favor of a gritty contemporary one, but it also connects so many disparate themes—from the Illuminati to vampires—that it shouldn't make any sense, but it does. Not many MMOs can claim to have borrowed from Lovecraft and The Matrix and made it work.

The Secret World's investigation missions, which require donning your detective hat to search the internet for clues to decipher puzzles, best demonstrate that love of a well-told story. You'll sift through Wikipedia pages and backwater websites looking for that one piece that will tie the whole thing together.

Originally a subscription-based MMO, The Secret World was relaunched as Secret World Legends, with many of the game's weakest systems, such as combat, revamped. The update doesn't necessarily fix everything, and it was met with some criticism from veteran players, but it does go a long way toward making The Secret World more enjoyable for newcomers. Just keep in mind that it's a little quiet these days, but so much of what makes it great can be enjoyed alone, so it's still a great choice for any MMO player looking for a compelling yarn.

Steam rating: 6/10

Release Date: 2012
Developer: Funcom
Payment Model: Free to play
Buy now: https://store.steampowered.com/app/215280/Secret_World_Legends/
Website: https://www.secretworldlegends.com/