Massively multiplayer online games have bounced in and out of popularity over the years, but there is no denying that they attract a wide audience and are an extremely rewarding genre of games. While World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV have dominated the spotlight for MMOs recently, there have also been other releases that seemed promising until they dropped the ball. Games like New World and Lost Ark have proven that there is still an appetite for the genre if executed correctly. Let’s take a look at the top 10 most popular franchises we think are just screaming to be made into an MMO.
1. Pokémon
If there’s any franchise more ripe for becoming an MMO than Pokémon then please do let me know. The series is perfectly set up to be a completely unique MMO that doesn’t utilize the tropes common in this genre. There is no holy trinity of roles, and you wouldn’t even pick a class for your character. Instead, you customize your role by choosing which Pokémon to use in a team. There is also a vast amount of land to explore from each generation.
Modern titles in the franchise also show the ways that Pokémon could easily branch into an MMO. Scarlet and Violet have a large open world, and you can venture with friends to an extent, while Legends Arceus also had a plentiful crafting system that could be explored. There has been several different group raid activities from different generations, and the way the Pokémon show sets up the Pokémon League basically creates a monthly event where players could compete for titles and rewards. This isn’t even mentioning basic trading and battling for fun. Gamefreak, please make it happen.
2. The Last of Us
The world of The Last of Us is brutal, but it is also extremely immersive and deeply compelling. While the events of the game are absolutely perfect, a far removed experience in which you create your own story in this post-apocalyptic landscape would make for a great MMO experience.
Imagine working together with friends to fight off infected and survive while creating and defending communities from threats. Players could choose to help each other venture out and tackle difficult area for rewards, or they could decide to fight each other with the constant threat of your community being attacked by another settlement. It would make for a very dynamic and ever-changing world where you shape how you want to survive. The success of the show means the time is ripe for more The Last of Us.
3. Harry Potter
The hype around Hogwarts Legacy proves just how thirsty fans are for an immersive wizarding experience. While the title is a step in the right direction, imagine if your day to day experiences revolved around interactions with real players and not just NPCs.
The franchise, much like Pokémon, would offer a more unique MMO experience. A lot of the day to day could focus around attending classes, building relationships with other people, and learning spells that customize your character for adventures outside of the school grounds. It also lends itself well for PvP combat through dueling and siding with good or evil in the battle for the wizarding world.
4. Avatar
Pandora is one of the most immersive worlds ever created, and living in that sandbox with other players would be quite the experience. Character creation is literally straight from the movies, as you would be able to design both a human and an Avatar to explore Pandora to your heart’s content.
The world would be an interesting balance of having a main hub where you deal with the normal day to day downtime as a human, but utilizing your Avatar when venturing out to do group content and earning rewards. It also lends itself well to moral choices as you build a character sympathetic to humanity or the different Na’vi tribes around the planet.
Character class customization would be much more unique than in other MMOs as well. Siding with the Na’vis would open up combat options such as bows or Eywa’s healing magic, while fighting on humanity’s side would allow for use of guns and mechs, provided the balance of each is priority.
5. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Do you want to be a waterbender? What about an airbender? The different elements of the World of Avatar: The Last Airbender make for a ton of unique combat opportunities, and also a class system focused around making well-rounded player parties or raids with a variety of different benders. The show has also expanded into specializations such as lavabending or bloodbending, creating even more niche roles for players.
The world of this series is also vast with a ton of charm and unexplored stories. It lends itself well to PvP as well, with different elemental bending having strengths and weaknesses against each other.
6. Resident Evil
Resident Evil fans are hungry for a remake of the Outbreak titles, but why stop there? Resident Evil Outbreak was way ahead of its time, and expanding upon the concept to create a massively multiplayer experience where survivors group up to survive or sabotage would make for a fun experience.
Imagine the police station of the Resident Evil 2 Remake as a fully fledged dungeon that requires multiple people working together to survive. Players could customize their character to be sturdier and produce more noise to focus the attention of enemies while others could focus on stealth to get in and out of tense situations with a much-needed item. Healers would specialize in different herb combinations and stick near their friends for when things go awry.
Much like the world of The Last of Us, a Resident Evil MMO would explore parts of the world not just in Raccoon City. Staying alive would require settlements and defense, with the threat of battles over resources.
7. Dragon Age
Dragon Age is a very interesting world with well-defined classes and combat. The controls of Dragon Age Inquisition are perfect for an MMO setting, and the ability to customize your character through different talent trees would set each player apart.
The opening stories of Dragon Age Origins are basically MMO starting zones in themselves. The addition of moral choices and a compelling story with romanceable characters just adds to the fun. These aspects were the best part of Bioware’s Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO, which fell from glory due to lack of polish and endgame at launch. If these issues are addressed for another go at a Bioware MMO, it would likely find a huge audience.
8. Mass Effect
Much like Dragon Age, Mass Effect brings the magic of Bioware to a science fiction setting. The success of Destiny shows that players are open to cooperative multiplayer shooters, and Mass Effect has an endless galaxy to explore. Star Wars: The Old Republic already showed its possible, and the addition of Mass Effect’s classes and combat would bring a modern flair.
There are a plethora of different race options for character creation, as well as the paragon and renegade morality options to better define your character in the world. Day to day gameplay would be similar to Destiny, just with the added Bioware flair for story, romance, and exploring the galaxy.
9. Elden Ring
Imagine if you could explore the entirety of the Lands Between with friends and not be limited to pop-in encounters. Elden Ring’s vast world is just screaming to get an MMO experience. Class customization would be second to none, with an endless way to work together with other players to tackle difficult dungeons and bosses.
Every part of FromSoftware’s title fits perfectly in an MMO setting. Players can collect materials to upgrade or craft better gear, band together to fight powerful outdoor world bosses, or kill each other in tests of skill. It would be dangerous, fun, and completely addicting.
Related: The 10 best free MMOs worth playing
10. Game of Thrones
The last franchise on this list has never been explored thoroughly outside of its novel and television experiences. The world of Westeros screams MMO setting, and offers a gritty take on the fantasy genre. There is a vast amount of cities for characters to hail from, and each one would provide a unique starting experience.
Class design would also a flair not seen in other MMOs. Do you want to be a Red Priestess like Melisandre, or a Watcher of the Wall like Jon Snow? What about a Warg with the ability to use different animals in combat like Bran Stark?
I could not imagine a Game of Thrones MMO without dangerous and brutal PvP combat, however. The game would need the constant threat of betrayal and moral choices that are much less black and white, with players constantly having to decide who to trust and who to turn on based on their own desires.
