I’ve always wanted to play World of Warcraft but its expensive membership subscription kept me from trying it out.
Thankfully, I’ve found many great World of Warcraft alternatives. If you’re like me and looking for games like World of Warcraft, you’ll love this list.
In this post, I share some of the best RPGs and MMOs that have massive worlds and similar gameplay to World of Warcraft.
Check out the games below and see if you can find a game for your liking.
1. Runescape
RuneScape is a game that looks and feels just like WoW. Or at least it’s as close as you can get for a WoW alternative.
First of all, the game is super old and has gameplay similar to WoW. Runescape was recently launched on Steam with improvements. It’s free to play with an optional membership plan.
Sadly the game didn’t click with me so I haven’t played it much. But I will consider trying it again sometime in the future.
2. Elder Scrolls Online
A brand new expansion was announced for Elder Scrolls Online, or ESO, recently. It just goes to show that this game is very much still alive and thriving.
ESO is a massive game full of amazing quests and events to take-on. Personally, I just play it for the quests. Even the smallest side quests are very interesting in this game.
ESO is one of the best MMORPGs you can play right now. And it keeps getting better.
3. Neverwinter
Neverwinter is another free to play MMO that’s been around for a while. The game recently made its way over to Epic Games store and got a boost in its player count.
Over the years, Neverwinter had a stable player count on Steam as well.
Neverwinter also received a new expansion in 2020 and has another expansion in the works to be released in 2021. Needless to say, the game is still doing well.
4. Black Desert Online
The Korean MMO, Black Desert Online may not look or feel like WoW, but it has all the elements you’ll expect to see in a WoW alternative in a more beautiful-looking environment.
BDO has a massive range of classes or characters, an advanced crafting system, tons of loot, and loads of events to keep you busy 24/7.
The developer has another MMO in the works called Crimson Desert. It’s expected to be released in Winter, 2021.
5. Age of Conan
It’s hard to believe that this game is still alive but it has a decent player base that keeps coming back to it.
If you don’t mind the same old combat system and outdated graphics, Age of Conan can still be an enjoyable game for you to scratch your WoW itch.
6. Warframe
Warframe is one of my favorite games ever. I still play it almost every day and have put hundreds of hours into it.
Warframe is a completely different game from WoW but it has a few similarities that will keep you hooked.
The game has a player economy with its own earnable currency. It has a crafting system with hundreds of items to craft. And, more importantly, it’s very grindy. But it’s the good kind of a grind.
7. Path of Exile
Path of Exile is a top-down ARPG game. It’s similar to Diablo except for this game also has its own economy and a large player base.
Again, PoE is not exactly a game that plays like WoW. It’s more like a combination of WoW with Diablo. You get more action-centric gameplay with lots of loot to grind for.
8. Lord of the Rings Online
Similar to Age of Conan, LotR Online is a game that’s barely hanging on. Surprisingly enough, the game still has over 1K active players who play the game daily.
The graphics and gameplay of the game still feel old. But, if you’re a fan of LotR you can still have fun playing this MMO.
9. Star Wars Old Republic
This one is for the fans of the Star Wars series. Old Republic is an old MMO but it has great RPG elements to keep you coming to the game over and over again.
Believe it or not, Star Wars Old Republic still has an active player base of around 10K daily players as well.
10. TERA
TERA is another Korean-developed MMO game with a heavy ARPG aspect. TERA is old but it still looks great and has a very active community as well.
Some players may consider TERA to be a bit of a weird game. Especially those who do roleplay in the game. So be careful what you get into.
11. Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is an MMO with an emphasis on action gameplay. While it’s not as sophisticated as WoW, you will find many aspects that are similar in Guild Wars 2.
Guild Wars 2 also has a great campaign with an intriguing story. And it’s better enjoyed while playing co-op or with a team.
12. Albion Online
Albion Online is another MMO that plays quite similar to WoW and Runescape. The game has an active player base, an in-game economy, and lots of content to keep you busy for months.
The reason to include the game all the way down here is that there have been complaints from some players regarding how grindy the gameplay gets once you reach a certain level in the game.
But I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Want more suggestions? Well, you’re not getting any. At least not yet. Keep refreshing and I might update the list with more games. Or not. I don’t know.