18 Best Free MMORPGs You Should Play
Mar. 6, 20191. Dota 2
Dota 2 is one of the most popular multiplayer online games. This game is the most played game on Steam; the game delivery platform developed by Valve. Dota 2 is a direct sequel to the Dota (Defense of the Ancients) mod developed for the World of Warcraft III game. The mod quickly gained a lot of attention and praise which finally led to Valve hiring the developers behind the mod and creating Dota 2. Dota 2 is a highly competitive game played by millions of people worldwide. You control a hero in the game with different abilities and your objective is to destroy the opposing team’s ancient while keeping your ancient safe. Teams of 5 players battle in a beautiful battlefield filled with lush jungles. The offers in-game purchases, so you can buy extra heroes or items to gain an advantage over your competition.
Developer:Valve Corporation
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases
League of Legends started off as a direct copy of DotA but in a short amount of time,it grew to become the most-played MMO game in the world. With nearly 70 million people playing it per month, LoL became a blockbuster hit in the world of free-to-playgames. The gameplay is very similar to DotA and Dota 2. You choose one champion with various abilities and try to destroy your opponent team’s nexus while saving your own. Two teams of 5 players duke it out on a three-lane map where each lane needs to be defended against enemy minions and champions. The gameplay requires you to be quick, agile, and a fast decision-maker if you want to become a good player. LoL also offers in-game purchases where you can buy different champions or items to boost your gameplay. There are 10 free champions available and the selection of these free champions keeps changing every week so you can try all of them before actually buying them.
Developer:Riot Games
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases
Heroes of the Storm a.k.a HoTS is a massively multiplayer online battle arena game developed by Blizzard; the developers behind World of Warcraft. Blizzard is trying to get back in the battle arena scene and give both Dota 2 and LoL a good run for their money. HoTS features heroes from different games developed by Blizzard. These heroes come from World of Warcraft (Illidan, Malfurion, etc), Diablo (Diablo, Sonya, etc), and Starcraft II (Raynor, Tychus, etc). You can choose any hero that’s available in the weekly free rotation or you can actually buy a hero of your choice with actually money or in-game gold. You can collect gold by playing the game and completing daily quests. Your job is to keep your core safe while trying to destroy the enemy team’s core. You can also take advantage of unique map elements that can aid you in your objectives. The game does not have items, so you don’t have to worry about getting different items for your heroes at all.
Developer:Blizzard Entertainment
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases
Smite is fairly new to the multiplayer online games scene, however, it has still managed to gather a decent amount of praise and attention in this short amount of time. The gameplay is fairly similar to other game in the genre but Smite provides a lot of different game modes that keep the players hooked and give the game a more versatility. Instead of using new heroes or champions, Smite lets players choose from gods and mythical heroes to play as their heroes. There are different gods and other deities from different cultures. The game also features a third-person perspective instead of the over the top view found in similar games.
Developer:Hi-Rez Studios
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases
Developer:Blizzard Entertainment
Developer:Allods Team
Availability:Freeto Play
Neverwinter is a new MMORPG game as well that’s only available on Windows and Xbox One platforms for now. The game is based on Dungeons & Dragons’ set of rules. You can choose a character from different classes and races and assign it action points in order to boost his skills and stats. The more quests you complete, the more your character grows and become stronger. You can form groups with other players in the game and complete quests together to make it easier for each of you.
Developer:Cryptic Studios
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases
ArcheAge is a completely unique twist in the world of MMO role-playing games. This game gives the player a lot more content that keeps them hooked for a very long time. In ARcheAge you can craft different things from food to weapons, you can craft it at all. You can level up and gain prestige to get even more crafting skills. You can build ships and duke it out with other players in a naval combat. You can build siege weapons to destroy enemy forts, homes, etc. You can do almost anything that you would do in the real world. There are hundreds of choices and only you can make the decision in this exciting game.
Developer:XL Games
Availability:Freeto Play
Path of Exile is heavily inspired by Blizzard’s Diablo franchise. In this game, you embark on an outdoor adventure exploring large areas including dungeons and caves. You fight off monsters and other evils that are present in such areas and gain experience for completing quests. You can play with others but the main focus of the game is to provide each player with an isolated large map to explore, you can do so with your party as well. The game is truly free to play and you don’t need to spend any money in order to gain an advantage.
Developer:Grinding Gear Games
Availability:Freeto Play
EverQuest is one of the oldest MMORPGs still going strong today. The game also borrows its gameplay mechanics from Dungeons & Dragons where you have to choose your character and build it from a set of given races and classes. You embark on adventures and complete quests to gain gold and skill points. Leveling up your character brings in more skills for your character making it even more powerful. You can team up with other players, join their guild, and start fighting monsters together. The game offers a large community of role-playing lovers but since the rise of Warcraft, EverQuest has seen a huge decline in its popularity.
Developer:Daybreak Game Company
Availability:Freeto Play
We’ve had enough of the medieval-themedMMORPGs and now it’s time to take a look at something new and futuristic like ninjas in mech armor. In Warframe you are part of a ninja race that has awoken in the future and your job is to become the stealthiest assassins like your ancestors. Warframe is a third-person shooter where you team up with other players and complete missions to level up your heroes. You can also buy extra weapons and stuff with in-game currency or by using real cash to buy platinum that can be used to purchase in-gamecontent as well.
Developer:Digital Extremes
Compatibility:Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases.
Aura Kingdom is an anime-styled MMORPG that has been very well received in the Asian markets like Taiwan, China, Japan, etc. You start off your story in a village where the villagers ask you for your help, you complete these quests to advance in the game and gain experience. The game is a bit repetitive and the challenges are a bit on the easy side making the overall gameplay boring over the long run. The graphics are still pretty solid and the storyline gives the game a whole new level.
Developer:X-Legend
Availability:Freeto Play
Developer:Bluehole Studio
Availability:Freeto Play
Age of Conan: Unchained is a popular MMORPG based on the famous Conan novel written by Robert E. Howard. The game takes place in the mythical world of theHyborian kingdom where you embark on an adventure either solo or with your group. Playerscan choose from 4 different races for their characters and each race comes with unique abilities and skills that aid the character in its journey. The combat system used in the game gives a pretty real feel where you can chain different combos to cause extra damage. The game features beautiful graphics and an intriguing storyline.
Developer:Funcom
Developer:Gazillion Entertainment
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases.
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases.
If you want to play something that is both visually stunning and a breath of fresh air in the MMORPG genre, give World of Warships a try. This Wargaming-developed game is one of the best free MMORPGs that you can quite possibly play. If you are not looking for a concrete storyline and just want to enjoy mindless destruction for a while, this is it. You take control of a warship and make sure that enemy warships do not make it through your defenses.
Besides, if you crank up the graphics to the maximum possible settings, you will be taken aback by how realistic the visuals are. Not just that, the game mechanicsfeelpretty real and will keep you engaged for hours on end. With over 600 warships to unlock and choose from, it can be easily said that World of Warships is an endless conquest of naval warfare that will keep you hooked.
Developer:Wargaming
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases.
Just like World of Warships, Wargaming’s World of Tanks is another free to play MMORPG game that you should really give a try. You are basically in control of a tank of your choice and are to wreak havoc on enemy tanks. That’s pretty much it. In the process, upgrade your tanks and become a force to be reckoned with. There are 600+ tanks to get your hands on and mop the floor with enemies. Most importantly, the game is very well-optimized to run on any modern-day system without much of a hassle.
Developer:Wargaming
Availability:Freeto Play with in-game purchases.
Meet Sampad, Beebom’s in-house video game enthusiast and writer. With two years of freelance experience, he has passionately crafted articles about the games he loves. You can find his writings on Sportskeeda, Gamingbolt, and GGTalks.
During work hours, he covers the latest gaming news, creates how-to guides, and occasionally shares video game reviews. In his free time, he enjoys building Gundam model kits, planning his next cosplay, and play his favorite RPG games.
