The 10 best MMORPGs on PC

The PC has long been home to the largest collection of MMORPGs you can find. World of Warcraft used to be the only big player in the genre and everyone else was busy chasing the scraps of players who were fed up with adventuring in Azeroth, but now there’s a fantastic array of MMOs to choose from can have a huge variety of character classes to play with and worlds to explore. If you’re looking for the best MMORPGs to spend the next dozen hours of your life in, here are our top picks.

The best MMORPGs out there – our ten favorites

Choosing an MMO to play depends heavily on your personal preferences and tastes. Some people want competitive PvP combat, while others are more focused on having a thriving community to connect with. Whatever you’re looking for, there are at least a few games on this list to take that itch away.

Black desert online

It’s hard to overstate how good Black Desert Online looks compared to most of the other MMOs on this list. There’s a wealth of character customization options and a whole world of lush environments to play in. While you can focus on the fast-paced combat that rewards skill and timing via simple grinding, the real fun comes from Black Desert Online’s kingdom management features. You can run an entire tavern when you’re not slaying monsters if you want, making any adventurer’s retirement plan a viable option here.

EVE Online

There’s a lot of talk about EVE Online’s hyper-realistic economy, which can have real-world consequences for players, but it truly is one of the most impressive gaming feats we’ve seen. Each ship has a stat that costs either money or time to earn. So when massive battles wipe out entire fleets, the game’s economy responds. The guilds in this game are some of the most structured and cooperative around, giving players looking to live out their business tycoon fantasies in space a great place to go.

Final Fantasy XIV

Everyone loves a comeback story, and there’s none better in gaming than Final Fantasy XIV. Originally it was one of those games that wanted to take on World of Warcraft, but with the A Realm Reborn event, it became something really special . The job system allows a single character to jump between roles within a party, and the story will take you on some twists and turns worthy of the Final Fantasy name. This is one of the most popular and celebrated MMORPGs for a reason.

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 offers many things that don’t look like they should work on paper. Its free-to-play model usually relies on making the game pay-to-win, while the lack of a set story to play through should lack excitement in a genre that’s so plot-heavy. However, everything in Guild Wars 2 works surprisingly well. The dynamic event system rewards players for exploring the world and going on an adventure, rather than seeking a specific quest giver. Meanwhile, the unique leveling system doesn’t require nearly as much grinding as most games. There is no other MMORPG like Guild Wars 2 and it’s worth just trying.

Lord of the rings online

Every fantasy setting you come across borrows something from Middle-earth, and no gaming experience captures the feeling of living in Tolkien’s setting like Lord of the Rings Online. The factions, quests, and environments bring this classic world to life, while the storyline is suitably epic for the source material. You play as a hero and help the community behind the scenes by doing the heavy lifting to make their quest a success. It’s a clever way of allowing players to interact with the books without having to simply retell those stories.

Lost Ark

Many free-to-play MMOs focus on enticing players with paid content, but Lost Ark manages to avoid this trap. It is entirely possible to never spend a dime on this game and get the full experience without falling behind other players. The game plays very differently depending on which class you choose, so players might be tempted to go back and try several of them. Luckily, Lost Ark offers a system for leveling a character after introduction, which means it’s easy to try something new without spending hours getting to the fun parts.

Never winter

There have been many games set in the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons, including Forgotten Realms. With decades of novels and game materials to bring the setting to life, Neverwinter has plenty of lore to build on. It borrows some of the mechanics from the tabletop game but manages to streamline everything into a face-driven system. No matter what class you choose, there are plenty of build options to suit your playstyle.

Planet side 2

War is the whole game with Planetside 2. Instead of leveling up through quests or exploration, you’re thrown straight into an endless interstellar war. Some missions will take you into space battles, while others will cast you as one of the boots on the ground in a first-person shooter skirmish, and others will allow you to unleash vehicular battles on your enemies. The gameplay of this MMORPG is very diverse, which means it’s always fresh and different with every game.

Runescape

More than two decades after its inception, Runescape is one of the oldest existing MMOs. Despite its age, the game is still popular today thanks to its constant updates and branching paths. Few games can match the variety of skill levels in Runescape. Using the game’s free-form leveling system, you can create a character focused on completing a single task better than anyone else, or you can create a more balanced character who can do a little bit of everything. The choice is yours.

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft has been the biggest name in gaming for over a decade, and it shows no signs of stepping down from that pedestal anytime soon. With solid expansions consistently added and an ever-expanding game world, WoW remains at the top of the MMORPG food chain. There’s just no end to what you can do in Azeroth, with a storyline that can handle epic moments and a healthy dose of humor in equal measure. This game has become the name by which all other MMOs are measured, and it’s still one of the best out there.