Not every game can live forever, and the direct-to-service market is one of the biggest places where it seems like every day a new title is taken offline or put into maintenance mode. MMOs fall into this category, and there are many examples of great games entering the space, only to reduce the size of its team, reduce the scope, and in some cases, the whole thing is taken offline, never to be seen again.
Ranking of the oldest MMORPGs (that are still online today)
MMORPGs can have a long life if made correctly. Here are some examples of older titles that are still online today.
Because MMOs are so dependent on players, it doesn't matter how well the game is understood; If it does not have the necessary popularity to sustain itself, it will slowly fade away and eventually die. In some cases, that fate remains up in the air, but the low player count has almost completely halted development, aside from a few small seasonal additions and infrequent updates that serve only to keep the game online, without meaningfully changing the actual gameplay.
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New World: Eternum
end of line
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The last major update has already been released
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Shutdown scheduled for 2027
new world Launched with a huge amount of hype and attention, attracting several hundreds-of-thousands of players who were all excited to see what the game was all about. And while that initial attention was impressive, the game eventually transitioned into a quieter phase after its final seasonal roadmap ended in late 2025.
After its console launch and rebrand, post-release support gradually shrunk to a balance of adjustments and limited-time events rather than full expansion, and in early 2026, the developers confirmed that no additional large-scale content drops were planned, signaling the end of meaningful growth for the world of Aeternum. Although the servers are online now, by 2027, the game will be gone forever, taken offline like many other great MMOs that were cut too soon.
Spiral Knights
To offer nostalgia and something new
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No significant content has been added over the years
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Servers remain live with no active development
Started in 2011, Spiral Knights It built a loyal following through its attractive art style and cooperative dungeon delving, but over time, development slowed dramatically, with meaningful content updates dwindling by the mid-2010s. Since then, additions have consisted of minor balance tweaks or recurring events rather than new story arcs or gameplay systems.
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While remaining playable, watch functions have not expanded over the years. No new areas, enemy factions, or sweeping mechanical changes have appeared, leaving the existing content as a definitive version of the game, making it feel like a static experience for veterans who appreciate its distinct aesthetic and arcade-inspired pacing, rather than an evolved one.
Eldevin
Classic fantasy turned into a forgotten kingdom
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Updates are slow to stop
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The community continues even without constant support
Eldevin Entered the MMORPG scene as a classically inspired fantasy world mixed with quest-driven progression with light sandbox elements. Early updates added dungeons, occupations, and incremental refinements, but several years after launch, new expansions stopped appearing, and communication about future content became rare.
The game remains accessible, but it operates without a forward-facing roadmap. The lack of enough arenas, raid tiers, or system overhauls in recent years has now held the game back, so despite a small following, no serious future is on the cards. Eldevin.
Wildstar
Closing the Nexus door
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Closed in 2018
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Revitalization through community support
WildStar distinguished itself with fast-paced combat and a bold sci-fi fantasy aesthetic that allowed it to explode into an otherwise hotly contested genre. That initial buzz was strong, but it struggled to maintain a sustainable player base, even after the shift to free-to-play, and in September 2018, NCSoft officially shut down the servers, ending all future updates and permanently closing Nexus to Adventurers.
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Unlike titles in repair mode, of WildStar The lifecycle is definitely over, with no official revival or legacy servers from the original developers. The game now lives on only through memory and a few small fan projects that have managed to keep the experience playable for those diehard fans, but it ultimately stands as a reminder of how ambitious and creative MMO design can still reach a tight end point.
your
Big jobs that aren't much
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PC servers shut down in 2022
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Remaining versions in full maintenance mode
your Recognized for its action-oriented combat and large-scale boss encounters, but as good as the initial vision was, its PC version ended operations in June 2022 after years of declining updates and population changes. Development had slowed well before the shutdown, with little expansion and small content drops leading up to the shutdown announcement, so it was no surprise to see a large portion of the game taken completely offline.
Console servers continue to operate under different management, yet the product remains the same as it was before. The once-robust update cadence has dwindled to maintenance-level adjustments, and for many gamers, marked the de facto end point of PC shutdown. of TERA A developed world, expanding it and transforming it from an MMO to a preserved legacy experience.
Rift
Appreciate that was not the only last
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A major expansion cycle ended years ago
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A little revival but no serious updates
Rift Launched with dynamic world events and very frequent content updates that quickly earned it a place in the MMO landscape in its early years. Over time, ownership changes and changing priorities significantly delayed expansion releases, and eventually, all full-scale updates largely ceased, replaced by sporadic patches and minor adjustments.
Although the servers remain operational, the absence of major expansion or new regions defines their current state. With that being said, a new team has recently taken over the project, introducing some very minor fixes and minor item additions, but for the most part, players can expect the game to remain for the foreseeable future.
Secret World Legends
Conspiracies were left on standby
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Slow updates resume dramatically
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Limited ongoing support
Secret World Legends Funcom's original modern-fantasy MMO was relaunched with streamlined combat and a revamped onboarding approach that specifically targeted newcomers to the genre. While the early years were filled with updates and fixes, major story expansions became increasingly rare and effectively ceased by the 2020s.
At this point, development has moved almost entirely into maintenance mode. Seasonal events still return, yet no overarching content arcs or mechanical reinventions are planned, meaning the existing story journey will remain the same, potentially forever, with no new expansions to the universe, no matter how small.
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