In-Development Indie MMORPGs

[francisbaud]

Open-development and crowdfunding are extraordinary tools for independent developers, especially the studios specialized in MMORPGs, because 1) they require a lot more resources than the average video game, 2) they need a very large active player-base to populate the world, 3) they rely on an army of testers to find bugs, help with the optimization and provide feedback. I've created a list of the 15 most popular MMOs that indie studios are currently developing. Here it is:

Dual Universe [Beta]
Setting: Science-Fiction || Focus: PvP || Budget: ~$25M* || Engine: Unigine 2

• Single shard persistent universe shared by all the players
• Voxel-based universe: player-made cities, stations and warships
• Space warfare: pirate ships, coordinated attacks, skirmishes
• Player-controlled global economy: mine, craft, build, optimize, barter and trade

Camelot Unchained [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: RvR || Budget: ~$27M* || Engine: Unchained

• Spiritual successor to Dark Age of Camelot
• Large-scale RvR battles and sieges with more than a thousand players
• Open world with islands that players can move to strategically reshape the world
• Block-by-block construction with server-side stability and destruction

Crowfall [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: $38M || Engine: Unity 5

• Spiritual successor to Shadowbane
• Player-created worlds with parcels of terrain and pre-fab building pieces
• GvG/RvR campaigns that guilds or factions can win
• Deep crafting system inspired by Star Wars: Galaxies

Starbase [Alpha]
Setting: Science-Fiction || Focus: PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Frozenbyte's

• Voxel-based, fully destructible and infinitely expanding universe shared by all the players
• In-depth physics simulation make fights (structural durability), exploration and flying spaceships more creative and fun
• Focus on building and designing spaceships and stations, exploration, resource gathering, crafting, trading, and combat
• Ships are hand made by the players, wired and controlled with a in-game programming language

Ashes of Creation [Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP/PvE || Budget: ~$30M* || Engine: Unreal 4

• Nodes system: player participation influences the type of content in the surrounding areas
• Open world housing: players have the ability to survey and develop land anywhere in the world
• Castle sieges with hundreds of players with many moving parts
• Harsh, unforgiving and stunning environment

Star Citizen [Alpha]
Setting: Science-Fiction || Focus: PvP || Budget: $350M || Engine: Lumberyard

• Spiritual successor to Freelancer
• Procedurally generated and handcrafted stunning worlds
• Open world PvP with high speed dog fights with multi-crew ships or intense FPS warfare
• Exploration: hidden outpost, abandoned ships and beautiful sunsets

Corepunk [Alpha]
Setting: Cyberpunk || Focus: PvE/PvP || Budget: $? || Unity 5

• Seamless open world with top-down view and fog of war
• Explore the world, participate in trading, complete dungeons, or engage in PvP battles
• Day / night cycles as well as weather conditions
• Flexible character customization with a wide variety of builds

Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen [Pre-Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvE || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Spiritual successor to EverQuest
• Deeply social: dungeons require teamwork and group strategy
• Fun climbing system
• Perception system: the world reveals its secrets through the environment

Gloria Victis [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Low-Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: ~$4M* || Engine: Unity 5

• Skill-based combat mechanics à la Mount and Blade
• Class-less system with diversified equipment
• Open world with housing, territory control and sieges
• Complex crafting system: leatherworking, armorsmithing, weapon forging

Wild Terra 2 [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvE/PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Immersion and adventure: a world full of interconnected little things
• Every season a new continent will be available, with a variety of biomes and inhabitants, conditions, rules and rewards
• Various roles: blacksmith, fisherman, doctor, alchemist, sailor, weaver, merchant, farmer, carpenter, cartographer or hunter
• Raids and sieges: players join groups and clans to siege medieval castles, raid large bosses and adventure in dungeons

Profane [Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5

• Territory conquest: guilds can leave their mark on the game's history by conquering mines and castles
• Players can build small towns and great cities in the open world
• No class or level: combat style is determined by what players exercise the most
• Open PvP and full loot: karma system with restrictions to access cities if the player is a criminal

AdventureQuest 3D [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvE/PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unity 5
Cross platform: can be played on PC and mobile
Ever expanding world: exploration of the lively land with new exciting environments
Randomly generated dungeons that are unique and offer a new experience every time
Random events: dragons could swoop down, the undead may rise, or there could be an Easter egg hunt



Foxhole [Beta]
Setting: WW1/WW2 || Focus: RvR || Budget: $? || Engine: Unreal 4

• Single shard with hundreds of players: wars that last several weeks and reset after each war
• Players are what they carry or drive: player progression is purely horizontal as characters have no stats
• Three main roles: soldier, logistics, builder, and many sub-roles: medics, drivers, gunners, artillery, partisan, etc.
• Deep logistics and building mechanics: transportation, factories, scrapping, trenches, bridges, defenses (AI), bunker bases

Mortal Online 2 [Beta]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus: PvP || Budget: $? || Engine: Unreal 4

• Open and realistic sandbox world
• True, real-time combat where outcomes are decided by skill rather than levels or gear
• Legendary crafters trading across the globe, famous warriors studying the art of combat
• Individual reputation: people will recognize you by the impact you've made on the world

Rise Online [Alpha]
Setting: Medieval Fantasy || Focus PvP/PvE || Budget: $? || Engine: Unreal 4

• Spiritual successor to Knight Online
• Full PvP-based maps and events
• PvE content like missions, creatures and bosses that take several groups to defeat
• An endless war between two kingdoms

Cross post. *Personal estimate, may be inaccurate
Feel free to suggest improvements to this post!