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If an MMORPG is popular enough, however, or well-built, it may withstand the test of time. Some of these old MMORPGs came out over twenty years ago now, but are still available to play. Not only that, but the devs are still working on them, still trying to improve the player experience and add more to the game for those loyal followers.

Updated on April 26, 2022 by Kristy Ambrose:Nostalgia and money continue to drive the revamp and return to the old MMORPG list. There’s an older generation that isn’t into all that busy new kid’s stuff. They have just as much money to spend, and contrary to what some developers believed up until recently, their tastes are economically viable. Considering the amount of revised, enhanced, or remastered versions of old games that are currently available, it seems that the pendulum of gaming is swinging back to a more mature audience. In that spirit, the younger generation is turning towards the classics for modern inspiration. In that spirit, we’ve added three more vintage MMO games for your grinding, role-playing, and gold-farming pleasure.

16 Age of Conan (2008)

While this old MMO has declined in popularity in recent years, its servers are still alive and going. Age of Conan is inspired by the fantasy legend Conan the Barbarian. Set in Hyboria, the game follows an action-based combat system, where players design and build their characters in a traditional fantasy setting. The goal is to “tread in the footsteps” of Conan the Barbarian.

Age of Conan offers a free-to-play version, but must be fully unlocked by a subscription fee. The game has received some negative publicity for its portrayal of women and the revealing female armor, but it was generally well-received when it launched in the mid-2000s.

15 The Lord of the Rings Online (2007)

Middle-Earth is the perfect basis for an open world MMORPG, so it is surprising that it took as long as 2007 to make one. The game was originally behind a paywall in the form of a regular subscription fee, but a free version was released in 2010.

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When starting The Lord of the Rings Online, players choose a race for their character and a class based on the ones from Tolkien’s work. Classes include Burglar, Beornling, Hunter, Champion, Lore-Master, and Warden. The game features several quests and areas from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as building several original regions inspired by Tolkien’s work.

14 Dungeons & Dragons Online (2006)

Almost every RPG owes something to the Dungeons & Dragons universe, and naturally, the vast video game library based on the franchise would include an old online RPG. The development and distribution teams have changed over the years, which is partly why the game has also been called Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach and Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited.

The gameplay is based on D&D 3.5 rules and takes place in the world of Eberron. Players that have experienced the tabletop game will recognize some familiar places and settings as they progress through this MMO. Dungeons & Dragons Online was also an important release that showed that the free-to-play model could work.

13 Guild Wars (2005)

This old MMO introduced various elements into the genre. Set in the fictional world of Tyria, players choose a main profession for their character that affects their skill-set and abilities. The main professions are Warrior, Monk, Elementalist, Ranger, Necromancer, and Mesmer, but others have been added in expansion packs.

Guild Warsis also credited as being the first major MMORPG that didn’t focus on subscription fees, going with the more traditional “pay for the game and you can play it forever.” A sequel, Guild Wars 2, was launched in 2012, but the original is still going strong.

12 World of Warcraft (2004)

Arguably the most popular and well-known MMORPG of all time, World of Warcraft still hosts almost five million subscribers almost 20 years after its release. WoW is a fantasy-themed MMORPG, and players choose a race for their character and skill specification for their class.

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Several expansion packs and updates have been added in the years since 2004. In 2019, the developers released World of Warcraft Classic, set in the original 2004 gameworld. Another expansion, Dragonflight, has been announced for release in the near future.

11 Lineage 2 (2003)

There’s been a resurgence in popularity for Lineage 2 recently, in part thanks to the publicity about its 18th anniversary. The game was released a year earlier in Korea than in North America, and even then it had impressive graphics and an immersive storyline. It started the trend of distinctive KRPG MMOs that continues today with games like Lost Ark.

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The Lineage 2 was one of the first MMOs when it was released and it’s still popular. The game has been free to play since 2016 and is currently available on a variety of platforms.

10 EVE Online (2003)

This space exploration MMORPG is a great fit for sci-fi fans who want to get away from the traditional fantasy MMORPG setting. In EVE Online, the player pilots a starship and travels through various galaxies, leveling a character and building resources. Each account can create up to three characters with a choice between four unique races- Amarr, Gallente, Minmatar, or Caldari.

EVE Online has enjoyed a steady increase in popularity, which improved even more in 2011 with a free-to-play version. The devs continue to work on this old onine RPG game, releasing regular events for players.

9 MapleStory (2003)

This old MMO includes both side-scrolling levels and areas where players can interact. MapleStory was one of the first MMORPGs to offer a large number of choices when it came to character customization, which explains its popularity.

MapleStory was also poised to break new ground when games for Andriod became a lucrative trend, another one of the features that have assured its longevity. Several local versions also exist, making the game a worldwide phenomenon in recent years and poised to continue expanding.

8 Second Life (2003)

This game is very much a staple in nineties fashion and style. Second Life is a much more basic game with a strong The Sims comparison. Players build and create a character, dress them up, style them, build their houses, and control their social life. Relationships can be forged with other players and your character can explore a game world based on reality rather than fantasy.

Second Life is often referred to as an MMORPG, but many including their own developers dispute this, stating that, “There is no manufactured conflict, no set objective.”

7 Final Fantasy 11 Online (2002)

MMORPGs based on already popular games and game worlds don’t always live up to expectations. Final Fantasy 11 Online proves that an old MMO installment can become as popular as other additions to the series and stay relevant.

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Final Fantasy 11 was created by the same developers as the rest of the series, Square Enix. It also broke ground as the first MMORPG to step out of PC, releasing on PlayStation 2 and XBOX. Add-ons and expansions have been added to the game since its release, and today the game servers only run on desktop computers.

6 Dark Age Of Camelot (2001)

It is a dark time. The internet is still in its infancy, and it would be years before addons would even be invented. To put the age of this game into even more sharp relief, Dark Age of Camelot is one of the oldest MMOs and was based on a text-based game called Darkness Falls: The Crusade from 1999. The game is currently free to play and is only available on PC.

That’s a nice parallel with how things were in Camelot in the time right after Arthur’s death, which is the era in which this historic MMORPG is based. The realm is broken into three different factions that are in a constant state of civil war, a concept that future MMOs would emulate and interpret for their own settings.

5 Anarchy Online (2001)

Released in 2001 and still going strong, part of the draw is the expansive, open world which is based on science fiction instead of the standard fantasy. This wasn’t just one of the first MMOs, either, it’s also one of the first online games to use a science fiction aesthetic and first-person shooter (FPS) instead of melee or magical combat.

There’s no endgame or instances in Anarchy Online, but a steady path of character progression through leveling your skills and collecting a precious ore unique to this harsh planet. It’s a simple formula with complex potential that has lasted for 20 years so far.

4 RuneScape (2001)

This game has a bit of a mixed reputation. While it can prompt eye-rolling from some gamers, RuneScape has always been incredibly popular. Virtually every gamer has played this old online RPG game at one time or another.

RuneScapeis a fantasy MMORPG set in the world of Gielinor. Unlike most MMORPGs, players don’t choose a race or skill set. All players are human and can train in a variety of skills which affect your character’s stats in some way. RuneScape’s popularity came from it being very accessible, with a restricted but fulfilling free-to-play world, and being able to run on almost every PC.

3 EverQuest (1999)

Earlier this year EverQuest celebrated its 21st birthday, which is quite impressive for an MMORPG. Yet another MMORPG that uses the standard medieval European fantasy model, EverQuest is set in the world of Norrath and focuses mainly on PVP combat.

Given the length of time since its release, EverQuest offers players a lot of content, boasting five hundred in-game zones. There are sixteen classes to choose from and sixteen races, although fourteen of these are from the original game. The continued input from the developers to improve this old MMO shows that it won’t be ending any time soon.

2 Tibia (1997)

This game goes all the way back to the last century, 1995 to be precise, when it was started by some German university students as part of a hobby. It could be the first MMO in history. Tibia was released in 1997 and is still based in Europe. The game uses a classic fantasy setting, and it still enjoys updates and bug fixes along with a loyal fanbase even after all these decades.

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Modern MMO players would call Tibia “hardcore” with features like making death frequent and often resulting in losing stats or items permanently. The graphics haven’t changed much from the top-down, two-dimensional view, either.

1 Ultima Online (1997)

This old MMO goes all the way back to the Ultima game series, the first of which goes all the way back to 1981. Like EverQuest, Ultima Online focuses mainly on PVP combat. Maybe back in the days before internet trolling it was easier to engage in friendly competition.

Although several expansion packs and updates have been released for the game including a new client in 2007 called Ultimate Online: Kingdom Reborn, which improved the game’s graphics, the developers have done their best to maintain the original spirit of the game.

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