What is the best MMORPG on PC? If you’re wondering, those oft-used letters represent the words Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game and refer to games where thousands of players come together in the same world. Is it one with spells to sling and demons to slay? Working your way through the stars as a miner or a corporate bigwig? Solving ancient conspiracies and fighting Lovecraftian horrors? Maybe it’s all of them.
Ultimately, the deciding factor for the best MMORPGs on PC largely comes down to personal preference, so with that in mind, here’s our list of the top MMOs currently alive and kicking. You’re sure to find something that will swallow up entire days at a time, and many of these entries can also be considered some of the best PC games around. While there are plenty of recently updated and new MMOs to consider, the golden oldies on this list have withstood the test of time.
Here are our top picks for the best MMORPG:
Star Trek Fleet Command
This is the kind of game that people who aren’t Star Trek fans probably wouldn’t play – but the core gameplay loop is pretty fun and I recommend it even for those who aren’t hugely familiar with the Star Trek universe. When you start out, you’ve just got a single ship and a simple base, but as you despatch your only vessel to complete various missions, you’ll earn resources that will then enable you to expand your armada.
Missions vary from delivering resources to those in need to battling Borg cubes and answering distress calls. There’s a lot to do, with new missions endlessly popping up, and endless ships and historic Star Trek characters to unlock as officers. It’s a big universe and one that’s filled with countless players doing just the same thing as you. Do you want to fight them? Or do you want to cultivate alliances in the spirit of Star Fleet? Whatever you do, it’s an exciting world to make your way in.
Play Star Trek Fleet Command for free.
Black Desert Online
Black Desert Online received a graphics overhaul in 2018 to remaster the original (and already gorgeous) MMO, breathing new life into the game. It certainly makes up for what it lacks in polished dialogue with one of the best character creators around and a gorgeous fantasy world that you’ll want to roam around for hours.
Just don’t get too comfy, as there’s plenty of fighting and grinding, so if you’re looking for a relaxing MMO, this may not be the game for you. As Black Desert Online isn’t your average MMO, it can be tricky to get your head around the new systems, especially how combat, trade, diplomacy, and resources work. Check out our Black Desert Online codes guide if you want to jump into this MMO with a bit of a headstart.
Play the Black Desert Online free trial.
Neverwinter
Neverwinter is a surprise. It is thematically Dungeons & Dragons, taking the places, classes, spells, and abilities from the tabletop game and then cramming them inside one of the best MMORPGs. It should not work, but somehow it does. It helps that there is an earnest love for the source material of DnD games, and each quest feels like one you could imagine yourself embarking upon while sitting around a table.
Lots of free expansions – which include new races and classes – have been introduced in the time since Neverwinter launched, taking players far from the safety of Neverwinter itself to lands like Icewind Dale, where barbarians and unpleasant temperatures are the least of your worries.
Romans: Age of Caesar
Do you like a bit of city-building in your MMOs? If so, you’ll love Romans: Age of Caesar, as it’s a game that tasks you with helping to rebuild the Roman Empire. You’ll work cooperatively with up to 16 other players, and together, you’ll have to build and maintain a city.
As you play, loads of other groups of players will be working on their own cities, and together, you all form part of a large, interconnected digital empire. Sometimes, you’ll need to do battle to defend yourself from oncoming barbarians, and sometimes, you’ll have to create trade routes so that you can establish relationships with the other cities. There’s a lot to this game, and it’s easy to get sucked into its world.
Play Romans: Age of Caesar for free.
Play for free
Star Trek Online
Miss watching Star Trek on TV? Star Trek Online might tide you over until the next season of Discovery on Paramount Plus. Each quest in this MMO is like an episode of the show, and each mission series is an arc, complete with the occasional filler episode.
Take a trip to Risa, visit DS9 in Star Trek Online, land on planets, and practice your diplomacy, or get into tense space battles with Cardassians, Romulans, Borg, and whoever else is causing mischief. Space fights are tactical while playing out in real-time, as it’s key to position your ship to get the most out of your firing arcs. On any away missions that devolve into combat, the game turns into a squad-based third-person shooter, complete with ability cooldowns.
STO has grown into a gargantuan, compelling, and free MMO and one of the best space games out there; it’s frequently expanded by massive updates that add whole new storylines, and a while back, the neutral Romulan faction introduced unique missions and ships.
Speaking of ships, that’s what sets this game apart from other MMOs. You’re not just outfitting and leveling up a hero; you get a whole crew and a starship to manage and customize.
Play Star Trek Online for free.
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is a story of heartwarming redemption. When it was originally released, it was not very good. In fact, it was terrible. This triggered Square Enix to take drastic action – ditch the old team, hire a new team, and remake Final Fantasy 14 in its entirety.
The outcome is A Realm Reborn. And it is good. It hits everything the series is known for: epic stories of good and evil duking it out, varied, painfully gorgeous environments, over-the-top characters, flashy cutscenes, and Chocobos galore. It is also clever: players have great flexibility within their FF14 classes. As soon as you hit level 10, you can switch to any of the game’s eight combat classes at just the switch of the weapon. The upside is that players do not need to create alts to try out other roles.
The Endwalker expansion adds new jobs (the Reaper and the Sage), locations, instances, and the long-requested male version of the Viera race. However, the story takes center stage, concluding the events that began in A Realm Reborn. Few MMOs receive as many quality updates and expansions, so it’s worth hopping back in if you’ve been away for a while. If you want to learn more, check out our FF14 Endwalker review. It’s also well worth checking out our FF14 leveling guide if you’re new to the JRPG game.
Wizard101
Looking to lose yourself in an MMO with a nuanced storyline and deep battle system? Well, look no further than Wizard101. This game sees you playing as a student in the Ravenwood School for Magical Arts, and you have to decide whether you want to enroll in the school for Fire, Ice, Storm, Myth, Life, Death, or Balance – each one will allow your character to learn and develop different magical abilities, all of which will drastically affect how you approach battles.
You’ll end up traveling around the fantasy world of the Spiral, which, in true video game fashion, involves locales that range from winter wonderlands to arid deserts and countless other environments. The game’s storyline involves you coming up against the school’s former necromancy teacher, Malistaire. While at first, he might seem a bit of a generic evil wizard, you’ll soon find that his motivations are much more interesting.
Throne and Liberty
Arguably the biggest MMORPG of 2024 has to be Throne and Liberty, the free-to-play multiplatform game from NCSoft. Set in the world of Solisium, your goal is to take down the big baddie who plans to enslave everyone in her pursuit of power. This mythical world allows its special inhabitants to turn into creatures, allowing you to travel the world as a powerful ogre, or fly around as a majestic bird.
Throne and Liberty features several battle passes to unlock in-game items, and fortunately none of which are pay to win. If you are looking for a way to improve your character, we have some Throne and Liberty codes to use, as well as a list of the best weapons in the game to strengthen your characters.
Once Human
Once Human is a futuristic survival crafting game with monstrous enemies, an open-world, and a bunch of other players to live next to a team up with as you defend the world against the latest threats. Like most classic MMOs, there are a series of main and side quests you can follow on your own as you meet NPCs and help to rebuild a post-apocalyptic society following a parasitic alien takeover. As you do so, though, you will meet other real players and request their help against the most powerful foes. What’s more, you can see everyone else’s homes and builds and build your own among them, giving a real community feel to the survival game.
Palia
Following a long beta period, Palia released its 1.0 version in early 2024. It’s one of the few MMORPGs on this list that has no combat; you’re tasked with making as beautiful an environment as you can while helping your fellow villagers – real wholesome stuff. Partake in some chilled-out gardening, decorate the area, and socialize with your peers in this relaxed, cozy, community MMO. It’s available on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as Nintendo Switch.
Lost Ark
The hit Korean MMO finally made it to Western shores, and we gave it 9/10 in our Lost Ark review. At its heart, it’s a “superb dungeon crawler”, where you play as an adventurer looking to make their fortune in the land of Arkesia. Demons stand in your way of treasure, and before long, you’ll have access to crafting materials, guilds, collectibles, and so much more.
If you’re considering checking the game out, we’ve got some guides that can help you get started, from how to level up quickly in Lost Ark to what you need to know about Lost Ark gold and Lost Ark Mokoko seeds. There are also some great features here for those who care about raiding, guilds, PvP, and co-op dungeons. If those sound appealing, it may be worth giving Lost Ark a go.
New World
New World is as much a sandbox survival game as it is a traditional RPG. It dispenses with the typical character creation of other fantasy MMOs – there are no other races aside from humans, and classes are replaced with attributes, and skill systems that grant you the freedom to experiment with different character builds at your leisure. New World is set in an approximation of the 1600s, so while you can don burnished plate armor and cast spells with an elemental staff, you can also wield a musket or blunderbuss – take a look at our New World weapons tier list for the full scope.
The newly discovered, hostile land of Aeternum is threatened by The Corrupted, a demonic horde whose presence must constantly be beaten back by the forces of good. You can band together and help construct and maintain settlements or strike off into the wilderness and face the supernatural threat alone. You can craft, quest, and explore across Aeternum and even wage war in large-scale PvP conflicts as each New World faction’s territory expands and encroaches upon one another. If you’re looking to get started, our New World beginners guide and leveling guide will certainly help you find your footing.
World of Warcraft Classic
If you didn’t expect to see World of Warcraft on this list twice, then you’re severely underestimating Blizzard’s juggernaut MMO. There are thousands of World of Warcraft veterans nostalgic for the charm and challenge of the vanilla game, and the launch of WoW Classic has granted their every wish. Based on the version of Azeroth pre-Cataclysm, WoW Classic is home to veterans and newbies alike, enjoying the sense of community that emerges by necessity when you remove dungeon finders and quest markers.
Access to the game is included with a standard World of Warcraft subscription. Even if you’re familiar with the modern game, it’ll take substantial adjustment to survive the notoriously difficult WoW Classic leveling experience. While some diehard fans might claim that spending hours on a WoW Classic dungeon, wiping against the final boss, and then running back to find that he’s despawned and can’t be summoned again is all part of the adventure, they probably want you to suffer like they did. Instead, learn from their mistakes and prepare yourself thoroughly with our WoW Classic tips for new players. We also have guides for WoW Classic races and the enviable WoW Classic legendary weapons you can obtain.
Destiny 2
In Destiny 2, you take on the role of a righteous and stalwart Guardian, defending the last city of humanity against anyone or anything that would seek to destroy it. As with most action MMOs, you begin by creating your Guardian, customizing their face, hair, and body to your satisfaction. There are three classes to choose from – the shield-bearing Titan, spell-slinging Warlock, and agile Hunter. Each class comes with unique abilities, along with perks and upgrades to differentiate yourself from other players of your Destiny 2 class.
Once you’ve decided on your character, you’re let loose to explore the solar system, uncovering its secrets through engaging missions that you can complete solo or with friends. The valuable loot you can uncover on your travels is vital to improving your Guardian’s equipment, but Destiny 2’s story is where it truly shines.
Albion Online
If you’re looking for an MMO where you can sit back, relax, do a little crafting, and tend to your farm while popping out for the occasional fight and odd monster hunt, then Albion Online is not your game.
It’s PvP from the get-go, and for that reason, you’ll always need to be alert and on guard. The full-loot drop system can be slightly frustrating, but Albion Online demands players to be tactical and patient. It’s a lot of fun and requires brain power and perseverance to steer your guild in the right direction, but it’s as rewarding as it is tough.
Trove
Trove is an action-focused MMO, often compared to games similar to Minecraft, and one of the best building games on PC. Firstly, you’ll need to build a base, a home from home, where you can fashion all sorts of creatures, weapons, and items. Once your home base is established, you can zip between worlds, loot dungeons, and go on quests online with your friends or guild pals. Trove’s dedicated community is always updating and bringing the best Trove mods, so there’s always something to do, whether you’re improving your base or looting with your online buddies.
Elder Scrolls Online
Despite a rocky beginning, The Elder Scrolls Online remains a strong entry for one of the best MMORPGs on PC. The Elder Scrolls games are among the best RPGs around, and now you can sink even more of your time into the series’ vibrant universe by playing online with friends or total strangers.
Set 1,000 years before Skyrim and 800 years before Morrowind and Oblivion. The Elder Scrolls Online begins in Coldharbour’s Wailing Prison, where, staying true to Elder Scrolls tradition, the player is a prisoner. After escaping, you’re free to explore the continent of Tamriel, battling monsters, discovering dungeons, and crafting weapons with fellow adventurers or on your own. With a handful of expansions bringing old and new regions into the game like Murkmire and Summerset, not to mention plenty of planned future DLC releases, the Elder Scrolls Online universe is forever expanding, making for an MMO that always feels fresh.
Tibia
This game is one of the OG MMORPGs. It predates World of Warcraft, it predates Runescape, both of which owe something to Tibia, which laid the foundations upon which they were built. It originally launched in 1997 and while the majority of the early MMOs of that era have since had their servers closed down and fallen into obscurity, Tibia continues to have a solid fanbase to this day.
No doubt, part of the reason that it has been able to survive is its charming 2D-pixel art visuals. While its contemporaries would likely look quite janky by today’s standards, Tibia is a historic example of an art style modern indie developers are always trying to create. As for the gameplay, you choose your character’s job and then you make your own way in its sprawling, beautiful worlds – there are quests to complete, monsters to defeat, and a world of mysteries and adventure laid at your feet.
Guild Wars 2
Where World of Warcraft is as traditional an MMO as they come, Guild Wars 2 is the weird, contrarian opposite. Its design can be seen as an attempt to fix and improve on every broken mechanic that online games persist in pursuing, and its success in these areas makes it one of the best MMORPGs you can play.
Guild Wars 2’s content constantly evolves through the Living World episodic updates. Should you not be ready to meet that challenge, you can play lower-level adventures without spending a dollar, as the core game is now entirely free. If you’re curious, our Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons review will get you up to speed with the latest expansion, which pits players against the cataclysmic Elder Dragons.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
A galaxy far, far away is the perfect setting for one of the best MMOs, so it is no surprise that BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic is a winner. Play as one of eight classes split across the Empire and Republic. Each has a detailed, dramatic story, and they are good. Surprisingly so.
You can take on the role of an Imperial Agent, working for the good of the Empire by rooting out terrorists; a Jedi Knight sworn to hunt Sith and protect the galaxy; or even a slave-turned-Sith Inquisitor, playing a dangerous game of politics. You can play all of this for free, but as a subscriber, you can level faster and concentrate solely on the interesting class and planetary quests instead of the trite filler rubbish.
Several expansions have kept it feeling reasonably fresh, but it is the excellent Knights of the Fallen Empire expansion that really deserves to be played. With its web of intrigue, relationships, and a focus on player choice, it feels more like a proper Knights of the Old Republic sequel than anything that has come before it. SWTOR is easily one of the best Star Wars games ever.
Lord of the Rings Online
Tolkien’s World of Middle-earth is a perfect setting for an MMO. It has great characters, a massive world to explore, and everyone is always fighting.
Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits – aka the good guys – make up the playable races of Lord of the Rings Online, and as hunters or burglars or one of the other classes, you’ll go on your own adventure, half-following in the footsteps of the famous Fellowship. Meet Ents, get lost in Moria, or take long rides through Rohan.
Expansions push the story forward, following the books, and with each major plot point comes new mechanics, like the addition of mounted combat. If you have ever dreamed of experiencing Tolkien’s world firsthand, this MMORPG has you covered. Best of all, it is free-to-play, making it the perfect RPG MMO to play right now.
World of Warcraft
Over a decade old and still the most popular MMORPG game in the world, World of Warcraft is a bit special. WoW has changed a lot during its long reign, introducing several new classes and races; check out our WoW Dragonflight tier list for a glimpse at the most powerful character combinations that are now possible. Over the years, players have also been treated to a graphics overhaul, whole new continents… players can even travel back in time. The world is enormous and teeming with rich, story-laden quests at every turn.
At times it seems traditional, which is unsurprising considering it is the MMO that defined the modern style of the genre, but Blizzard is still mixing things up. The WoW Dragonflight talents system overhaul reintroduced class complexity, along with revamps to professions and UI to blow the cobwebs off Blizzard’s venerable RPG game. WoW’s longevity also means great third-party support, with innumerable WoW addons to assist you on your journey. If we had to crown an MMO as king of the genre, World of Warcraft would likely be it. The new expansion, The War Within, is out soon – here’s how to gain access to the beta if you want to try it early.
Eve Online
There’s a good chance you’ve already heard about one of the many tales of dark bastardry that have spun out of Eve Online’s New Eden. It is a game of cold-hearted betrayal, mining, economics, more betrayal, more mining, and the occasional thousand-person spaceship battles – the latter of which has earned the game several Guinness world records.
With CCP’s hands-off approach, the universe of New Eden is one of the most player-driven MMOs in existence. Wars span weeks, if not months, across multiple systems. Years of plotting and sabotage to bring huge corporations down from the inside. Reports of huge losses in ships and cargo, some reaching the thousands of dollars in real-world value. As you can imagine, it is not the easiest game in the world to learn, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. Our own Eve Online beginner’s guide will show you how to set up one of the best MMOs around.
Runescape
Like World of Warcraft, Runescape has been a staple of the MMORPG genre for as long as we can remember. But rather than dwindle, Runescape continues to grow in terms of both players and content. New quests and events are introduced on an almost weekly basis so that veterans always have something fresh to experience while new players enter a world already enriched by a decade of lore and adventures.
Don’t worry about getting to grips with Runescape either, as its community is among the most generous and friendly in all gaming (or you can check out our Runescape beginner’s guide) – whether you’re looking for advice on a tricky quest or simply after a chat, you’ll find help is always at hand. It’s not just history that Runescape boasts either; with major expansions, a mobile release, and countless spin-offs, Jagex’s MMO shows absolutely no signs of stopping.
So, we conclude our list of the finest MMORPGs available to play on PC. What worlds you dive into next is entirely up to you. Will you go for one of the free MMOs, or will you be splashing out on a subscription? Regardless of your choice, know that the best multiplayer games are a ticket to new friends and, of course, new enemies. Pick your battles, create your clans, and head into a new adventure. Good luck!