New Unreal Engine MMO Games coming in 2023

2023 has been an exciting year for gaming so far, and the MMO genre has not been left out. Regardless of the platform you play on, the setting you prefer, or the gameplay style that best suits you, one of the many upcoming Unreal Engine-powered MMOs set to release in the second half of 2023 is sure to pique your interest.

Throne and Liberty

Throne and Liberty (TL), originally developed as a sequel to Lineage, is the latest MMORPG from South Korean developer NCSoft, best known for its many MMO releases such as Guild Wars 2. What's intriguing about TL is its dynamic weather and time system, which will physically change the world by filling previously empty areas with water, causing arrows to fly off course from strong winds, and making certain areas only accessible under certain conditions. Aside from that, combat is a major focus, with jobs based on the weapons a player is holding, which can be switched between when in battle.

It will be available for free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in 2023, though no specific date has been announced.

Dune: Awakening

Funcom, the studio behind Conan Exiles, is developing a new open-world survival MMORPG based on the Dune sci-fi franchise. The game will be set on the desert planet Arrakis, feature many of the series' characters, locations, and other lore elements, and include infantry and vehicular third-person combat as well as base building. Outside of some gameplay snippets, not much has been revealed, but fans are excited to see the world of the books and the 2021 film come to life in a video game once again.

It will be released in late 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but due to the reported size of the title, it may be delayed until early 2024. You can sign up for the beta here on the official website.

Blue Protocol

Blue Protocol is Bandai Namco's upcoming foray into MMOs, with cel-shaded graphics reminiscent of its Tales RPG series and a strong emphasis on its action combat system, which will see players dodging attacks in real-time by rolling and jumping in the same way that single-player games do. The title has also chosen to abandon the open-world design of most modern MMOs in favor of a zone-based structure, to ensure that every area contains enough content to be worth exploring.

Blue Protocol will be released as a free-to-play title for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in Japan in 2023, with Korean and Chinese versions planned to follow shortly after. Western fans, on the other hand, will have to wait a little longer, with the release window set for 2024 in Europe and North America.

The Day Before

The Day Before is an upcoming MMO zombie survival game developed by Russian studio Fntastic, set in the post-apocalyptic United States. It is said to include the typical looting, shooting, and sneaking around found in other zombie games, most notably DayZ, with its gameplay trailer displaying a crafting system, gun modifications, and interactive environments. Unfortunately, the project has been labeled a "scam" by some after its developers delayed its release in January, citing trademark issues with its title less than two months before its intended release.

Fntastic and publisher Mytona have set a new release date of November 10, and hopefully, the game will not run into any additional legal issues before then.

Pax Dei

Mainframe Industries’ Pax Dei is a "social sandbox MMORPG" set in a medieval-inspired fantasy world. It will emphasize a player-driven economy, with players responsible for everything from crafting and selling weapons and armor to growing or finding materials used to build homes and bases, allowing "all" play styles to have a place in its world.

Alpha testing for PC players is expected to begin in late 2023, with Mainframe also working on a "cloud-native" version that will allow players to jump in on any device via cloud streaming for its full release in 2024. You can sign up for a chance to participate in the Alpha on its official website.

Chrono Odyssey

Chrono Odyssey is the debut title of Korean developer and publisher Npixel, and despite limited official information, it has captured the attention of many MMO fans with its stunning visuals, engaging combat systems, and intriguing story based on time warping. Many of the classic MMORPG classes, such as Paladins, Sorcerers, and Assassins, will be available, each of which can equip two weapons at once to take advantage of the weapon-switching mechanic, increasing your chances of defeating the world's array of exciting bosses.

The MMORPG will be released on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, but we don't know when. It was originally scheduled for 2022, but the developers decided to upgrade from Unreal Engine 4 to 5, so we could see a full release, or at least a beta, in late 2023 to early 2024.

Odin: Valhalla Rising

Odin: Valhalla Rising, a Viking MMORPG from Lionheart Studio, casts players as Norse heroes battling a variety of creatures across the open-world realms of Midgard, Niflheim, Alfheim, and Jotunheim. The game places a strong emphasis on character customization, with multiple classes and subclasses each with their own set of weapons and outfits, allowing for a wide range of playstyles.

The game will be available on both PC and Android, with a target release date of late 2023. It's currently available in Japan and Korea, and it's worth noting that it follows the standard free-to-play model with many microtransactions.

Pioner

Pioner, GFAGames' upcoming debut title, is one of the most intriguing MMOs in recent memory, putting the player on a post-apocalyptic Soviet island with a first-person perspective and a greater emphasis on realism. It will include both PvP and PvE, a day and night cycle that is synchronized with real-time, and its developer has even chosen to forego traditional health bars and enemy levels to create a more immersive experience. Eating and resting are also survival elements, giving it a similar feel to the cult classic franchise S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Pioner is releasing on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in the second half of 2023 and will operate on a traditional buy-to-play model with no additional costs.