Many of the biggest fantasy franchises out there, from The Elder Scrolls to The Lord of the Rings, have at least dabbled in the MMO space. After all, exploring a well-known fantasy realm with your friends is about as good as it gets. Indeed, The Lord of the Rings Online is celebrating 19 years of MMORPG success, while The Elder Scrolls Online continues to be the best way to experience new content in the world of Tamriel. But there are a few major fantasy franchises that, weirdly enough, have never had a major MMORPG, even if they seem perfect for it.
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As someone who loves fantasy and video games that let me swing a sword or cast some spells, I’ve had my eye on the MMORPG space for a while. And it continues to surprise me that some of the biggest fantasy IP out there don’t have a virtual online space for fans to gather and quest together. But as many major MMOs are struggling to keep up momentum in a saturated space, it might not be a bad thing that these brands never made a go of it. At least, not yet.
3) The Witcher
The Witcher series is wildly popular across all manner of media, from the original book series to the video games and, more recently, the TV adaptation. Yet for all that popularity, the world has never been translated to the MMO format. That’s not for lack of desire. Like other single-player fantasy RPGs, many fans would love the chance to explore the world of The Witcher with friends.
That said, the franchise might not translate all that well to the MMORPG space. After all, much of the series hinges on its protagonist, Geralt, and a close circle of trusted companions. The world itself can, at times, feel fairly generic fantasy otherwise. As such, the concept might not translate as well to a world full of Witchers running around together. Even so, it’s a bit surprising that such a big and long-running fantasy IP still doesn’t have a major multiplayer option for players.
2) Game of Thrones
Technically, there have been a few attempts to make a Game of Thrones MMORPG. Quite a few, in fact. A project called Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms was in development back in the heyday of the TV series, but it never came to fruition. A browser-based game, Winter is Coming, combines RTS and MMO gameplay, but it comes from a small publisher and never really took off with the fanbase. That leaves many fans wondering why we’ve never seen a major AAA MMO for the beloved fantasy franchise.
Game of Thrones has spawned plenty of TV series spinoffs, even as the book series remains incomplete. But despite the IP’s success with TV adaptation, it’s never really gotten a foothold in the gaming world. The relative failure of other Game of Thrones video games may be part of why HBO has never put big dollars behind a true, AAA MMORPG for its fantasy IP. And given how bad the budget attempts have been, that may be for the best.
1) Harry Potter
Of all the fantasy franchises that really ought to have an MMO, it’s most surprising that Harry Potter never has. Despite controversy surrounding the author in recent years, Harry Potter remains one of the biggest fantasy IPs out there. And Warner Bros isn’t afraid of leveraging its brand, with everything from a baking competition show to the upcoming TV series. Yet somehow, there’s no Harry Potter MMO. Yet. Like Game of Thrones, there have been scrapped attempts, but it’s pretty amazing that no one has made it to the finish line with this one.
Rumors have suggested that the next Hogwarts Legacy game could well be an MMO, or at least incorporate multiplayer in a way that the first one never did. While fans have mixed feelings about that, it’s pretty likely that a Harry Potter MMO would attract quite a fanbase. The success of Hogwarts Legacy proves that existing and new fans alike are still happy to step into the Wizarding World. Even so, many would prefer a true sequel to Hogwarts Legacy over an MMO, as the cozy escape is one of the reasons so many fans love the single-player RPG. So perhaps sticking to single-player really would be a better move for future Harry Potter games.
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