15+ Best MMORPGs To Play In 2026

Getting into a new MMORPG is exciting, but it also takes a lot of work.

With so many MMOs to choose from, it’s hard to find the best MMORPG with an active community and regular updates to dive into.

I’ve been playing MMOs for a while, mostly as a way to kill boredom and loneliness. In this list, I will share with you some of the best MMOs I’ve played.

Note: I highly recommend games that don’t force or require you to pay for a subscription to play. I have to start the list with subscription-based games for obvious reasons, but feel free to skip over them to find the non-subscription games.

Subscription-Based MMOs

These are the MMOs that require a monthly subscription to play the game. While I don’t prefer playing games with a subscription, I must reluctantly admit that these are the best MMOs available right now.

1. World of Warcraft: Forever

Leveling capped at 60, no power creep, no flying mounts, and no zone scaling. World of Warcraft: Forever is the dream MMO every gamer was wishing for, and it’s finally come true.

Even though I’m not a fan of WoW and subscription-based MMOs, there’s no debate that World of Warcraft: Forever is going to be the best MMORPG designed for gamers, no investors.

World of Warcraft: Forever is a completely new way of playing WoW that’s separate from both WoW Classic and Retail. Leveling in this game will feel much slower, and questing will be much more meaningful with more than a thousand quests at launch, just the way an MMO is supposed to be.

World of Warcraft: Forever will be available on November 4th, 2026. It’ll be available with the WoW subscription; no additional purchase is necessary unless you want to play the new Skyborne class.

World of Warcraft subscription costs $15 per month or $13 per month if you purchase the 6-month or 12-month plan.

2. RuneScape Reignited

Following the footsteps of World of Warcraft, RuneScape is also preparing to launch a revamped version of modern RuneScape, or RuneScape 3, called RuneScape Reignited.

RuneScape Reignited gives players a fresh start by resetting the characters, giving the same level playing field for both new and old players to start over. The game is also getting rid of all the pay-to-win microtransactions for good this time.

Additionally, the game is getting massive changes and quality-of-life improvements to various mechanics and systems.

While Old School RuneScape is still the GOAT of classic MMOs, this revival of the modern RuneScape gives you the perfect opportunity to upgrade the experience and start with a fresh character.

RuneScape Reignited is launching on December 2nd.

RuneScape subscription costs $15 per month or $10.99 per month if you get the 12-month plan.

3. Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV is another MMO beloved by the fans of the Final Fantasy series as well as folks who are new to the series.

This game is known to be very solo-friendly and offers plenty of ways for you to enjoy the game at your own pace and style.

FFXIV includes many roles, or Jobs, for you to try and master. Of all the subscription-based MMOs, this game features the best graphics and visuals as well.

To play FFXIV, you need to purchase a game package starting at $20. This gives you 30-days worth of play time. After that, you need to pay for the subscription starting at $13 per month, which comes with a max character limit as well.

4. EVE Online

At $20 per month, EVE Online is the most expensive MMO subscription you should try to avoid at all costs. Not just because of the price, but also because of how addictive it is.

If you’re into massive space battles and grinding, EVE Online will be right up your alley. EVE Online is a space-themed MMO where you get to explore a persistent world full of space battles, mining, trading, and much more. EVE has one of the biggest active player bases of all MMOs. It even holds Guinness World Records for its massive fleet battles.

Unfortunately, EVE Online is not very beginner-friendly. Unless you’re willing to work with spreadsheets and spend hours watching guides, you will have a hard time enjoying this game.

If you’re like me and don’t want to pay for subscriptions, you can check out my list of games like WoW and RuneScape alternatives.

Free & Buy-To-Play MMOs (No Subscriptions)

These MMOs don’t require a subscription to play. You can either buy the game for a one-time price or start playing for free. Some of the games have subscriptions, but they are optional.

5. AION 2

I didn’t expect AION 2 to be a great MMO, especially since most Korean MMOs are riddled with pay-to-win and predatory monetization tactics. But I was wrong.

AION 2 is an MMORPG featuring a massive and beautiful world built using Unreal Engine 5, which is said to be 35X larger than the map of the original game. Flying is a major part of AION 2, which allows you to explore this world without restrictions. If you see a mountain in the distance, you can definitely go there.

In addition to this freedom, AION 2 also has a modern and engaging combat system, which reminded me of Guild Wars 2, except with more engaging mechanics.

The game is designed for both casual and hardcore players. As well as solo players and groups. There are over 200 dungeons in the game, designed for solo, group, and 10-player teams. Most of the raids are designed to be done in solo instances.

From every angle, AION 2 is shaping up to be the best MMO to dive into this year. The game is free, but to access its marketplace, you will need to buy a subscription.

Right now, that seems to be the biggest pay-to-win item in the game. Apparently, without access to the marketplace, the grind for leveling takes way longer.

But I’ve been having a blast playing AION 2 as a free-to-play player so far.

6. Elder Scrolls Online

Elder Scrolls Online, or ESO, is one of the best MMORPGs to play right now.

Bethesda and Zenimax have been updating the game regularly with massive expansions and yearly themed content updates. The game also hosts regular events to keep players busy throughout the year.

But what got me hooked on ESO the most was its massive campaigns and the side quests. Each quest is quite entertaining and offers plenty of ways for you to play the game.

ESO has a scaled leveling system. This means you don’t have to level up to explore different areas of the map. You can dive right in and play any quest you want.

ESO is the perfect game for beginners to get into MMORPGs as well. Big changes are happening in 2026 for ESO, especially with the new seasons model content launching this year.

7. Black Desert Online

Black Desert Online is a Korean MMO that features, hands down, the best graphics and visuals in any MMO available today.

BDO is also one of the games that gives you many ways to play the game. Once you reach the endgame, you can choose a life path to enjoy the game on your own terms.

You can fish, cook, farm, hunt, sail, and do a whole bunch in this game. It’s quite an entertaining game that will keep you hooked for hours upon hours.

The only complaint I have about this game is its microtransactions and the pay-to-win elements. But of course, you can easily play the game without having to spend any real money.

The combat system in the game alone is worth trying out. Plus, there are more than 20 different classes to choose from. So the game offers tons of replay value.

8. Guild Wars 2

One of the games I’m hoping to try out this year is Guild Wars 2. With its brand new expansion on the way, I’m curious to see how this game plays.

Ever since its release on Steam, Guild Wars 2 has climbed back up to be one of the most popular MMOs among many players, especially as a WoW and New World alternative.

It’s been many years, and it’s still one of the most popular MMOs out there.

You can actually play the base game for free, which offers a lot of gameplay hours, and buy the expansions if you like what you see.

The game does show its age, but it has a very fun combat system. Plus the developers have mentioned that they are working on enhancing the visuals.

If you’re a fan of the original Guild Wars game, Guild Wars Reforged with enhanced visuals is now available.

9. Project Gorgon

Project Gorgon is the newest up-and-comer in the MMO genre.

Featuring classic Runescape-style graphics and addictive gameplay mechanics, this massive game developed by a small indie developer went viral in early 2026.

After New World got cancelled and Ashes of Creations scammers left the game to dust, many players looked for a decent MMO where they could invest their time. Project Gorgon became their savior.

This game features lots of activities suitable for all types of MMO players. If you’re a fan of games like Runescape and WoW, Project Gorogon will be particularly perfect for you.

10. STAR WARS: The Old Republic

Released in 2011, Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) is starting to show its age. But it’s one of the most fun MMOs you can play, especially if you’re a fan of Star Wars.

SWTOR has one of the best campaigns and questing systems in an MMO. Every quest has voiced dialogue that will immerse you in the story. And best of all, it has lightsaber battles.

SWTOR is very solo-friendly. Of course, it has group content like boss battles and operations as well.

You do need a subscription to access all of the content in SWTOR. However, buying the sub for just one month is enough to unlock all the story content. Then you’ll have access to those expansions even after cancelling the subscription.

Even if you don’t want to buy the sub, you can get dozens of hours’ worth of gameplay value from this game as a free-to-play player.

11. Warframe

Warframe is my favorite MMO of the generation. Yes, it has one of the grindiest grinds of any free-to-play game, but it’s also the most fun you’ll have grinding for gear.

Warframe was among the highest-grossing F2P games on Steam and a massive new expansion was dropped into the game in 2021, making the single-player campaign even bigger.

For a free-to-play game, this MMO offers a ton of value for its price. I’ve been playing Warframe for several years now and I still haven’t completed all the content.

12. Diablo 4

Blizzard keeps saying that Diablo 4 is not an MMO, but it has all the characteristics of an MMORPG.

Diablo 4 received rave reviews at launch, hailing it as the best ARPG ever made. It combined some of the best mechanics from all popular ARPGs into one MMO-like experience.

Diablo 4 runs and feels just like an MMORPG, and if you’re a fan of ARPGs or the Diablo franchise, this is a must-play for you.

Blizzard kept delivering content for Diablo 3 for years, and you can expect an even more active live-service experience with Diablo 4.

13. Fallout 76

Fallout 76 didn’t get off to a good start at launch. But the game received a ton of quality updates since 2020 that made it one of the best MMORPGs available today.

If you’re a fan of the Fallout games and their bleak post-nuclear apocalypse world, this game will get you hooked.

The game has a short campaign, but there are tons of live events you can participate in to have fun with other players.

Ever since the Fallout TV series, there has been a resurgence of new players coming to Fallout 76. Bethesda even released new content in 2025 based on the TV show.

With over 20K concurrent players on Steam, Fallout 76 is at a really good spot right now.

14. Throne and Liberty

Throne and Liberty did not have a strong start at launch, and it was riddled with bugs and issues that forced the devs to reanalyze their approach to the game. And it is now at a decent stage where you can enjoy the game.

Throne and Liberty is a free-to-play MMORPG and it features massive-scale PVP and PVE battles that you can participate in with guilds.

Even though guilds is the main focus, you can easily enjoy this MMO as a solo player as well. The game has decent combat and boss battles to keep you busy for a while.

I can’t vouch for this game myself, as it is region-locked and not available in my country.

15. Lost Ark

The long-awaited Koran MMO-ARPG, Lost Ark was a hit among MMO players world wide at launch with more than 1 million players jumping into the game at some point.

Lost Ark is definitely a very addictive and fun MMO you can play for a long time. Since it’s a Korean MMO, Lost Ark has a lot of pay-to-win elements as well as gambling-style mechanics. So be aware of those while you play this game.

Unfotunately, since this game is also region-locked, I wasn’t able to try it out myself.

16. Albion Online

Albion Online is a sandbox MMORPG that features a completely player-run economy. The game feels a lot more like Runescape, but with better graphics and gameplay mechanics.

In Albion, you don’t create a character with a specific class. It has classless characters where you get to experiment with different builds. You can equip any gear and find the build that suits your playstyle.

If you like ranged attacks, you can wield a staff. If you like close combat, you can equip some knight armor and chop down enemies.

What I loved the most about this game is its cross-play and cross-save function across mobile and PC platforms. I was able to close the game on my PC and pick up from where I left off on my Android phone while I’m waiting at the bus stop.

Albion is also free to play.

17. Path Of Exile 1, 2

The free-to-play ARPG, Path of Exile, is a game that keeps getting bigger and better. With the sequel on its way, which is slated to mash this title and the sequel together, the player base for the game keeps growing.

New expansions for PoE are released periodically. And it has a large trading aspect for the game that makes it quite fun to play.

Path of Exile 2 is also available in early access. It’s a much-improved game with better visuals and gameplay mechanics. If you wait until it’s full release, you’ll be able to play it for free.

18. Neverwinter

Neverwinter is another old MMORPG that managed to revitalize itself by re-releasing the game on Epic Games.

This MMO shows its age, but it still has an active player base with constant updates and new events being released every year.

Neverwinter also has fun gameplay mechanics featuring lots of loot and dungeons to grind for. Also, it’s as close as you could get to a World of Warcraft alternative.