Game development on the most basic of titles is tricky enough, but massively multiplayer online role-playing games are a different beast entirely. MMORPGs have to be a big enough world to justify a player’s lengthy time commitment, while also being entertaining and engaging enough to keep them from migrating to other titles.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The biggest MMORPGs (like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile) have massive player bases, and there are other consistent titles in the genre like Star Wars: The Old Republic and DC Universe Online. However, there have been some heartbreaking cancellations over the years that resulted in some promising concepts never making it out of development. Here are some of the most exciting MMORPGs that players never got to dive into.
The Halo MMORPG
Codenamed “Titan,” the Halo MMORPG was sent to bring Master Chief into the RPG space. Developed by Ensemble Studios, the game was initially inspired by the success of Ultima Online. The concept for a sci-fi-heavy MMORPG became a passion project for the developer. After the success of Halo: Combat Evolved, the sci-fi MMORPG was retrofitted into a Halo title and had a number of functional similarities to the hit Blizzard game.
Intended to be a rival to World of Warcraft, Ensemble Studios split attention between this game and the RTS adaptation of the Halo franchise, Halo Wars. Although the game pioneered several concepts that would later be brought to life by other MMORPGs, leadership changes at Microsoft and the inevitable investment it would take time to turn a Halo MMORPG into a money maker resulted in the game being shut down.
Lord of the Rings MMO
Amazon’s move into the world of gaming was an ambitious play that didn’t end up landing as well as the company had hoped. This resulted in some serious cuts to Amazon’s gaming teams in October. One of the biggest casualties of this was an open-world MMO game set during the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Developed by Amazon Games Orange County (the same team that produced New World: Aeternum), the game was formally announced in 2023 and described as being in early development.
While the game would have benefited from Amazon’s resources and the natural connection to Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power TV show, the team reportedly had trouble figuring out how to make the game stand out from other fantasy MMORPGs like Standing Stone Games’ The Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft. Amazon Gaming has shut down many of its games as part of its recent layoffs, with reports suggesting that the Lord of the Rings MMORPG was among the games impacted and shut down by the cuts.
EverQuest Next
EverQuest has been one of the most consistent MMORPG franchises in gaming history, launching in 1999 with the first entry in the series and eventually getting sequels like the PS2’s EverQuest Online Adventures and 2004’s EverQuest II. Formally announced in 2012, EverQuest Next was intended to be a fresh take on the material and would have featured the biggest sandbox world developed at the time. Development carried on for several years under the eye of Daybreak Game Company, which has successfully launched several MMORPGs over the years.
Although the game was intended to launch on the PlayStation 4 and was even suggested to have some compatibility with the Oculus Rift, plans for the game came to a halt in 2016. According to the game’s development team, the team couldn’t find a way to make the expansive game “fun,” and the title was cancelled. Fans of EverQuest still have the earlier titles, with the most recent expansion launching in December 2025.
Rockman Online
Announced in 2010, Rockman Online was a collaboration between Capcom and Neowiz Games. Taking place in the distant future of the Mega Man/Mega Man X series, Rockman Online would have brought back the Maverick Virus and required the construction of several duplicate machines modeled after series mainstays X, Zero, Duo, and Cinnamon to combat the hordes of new corrupted robots.
The game was in active development for two years, with gameplay trailers even revealing a 2.5D platforming gameplay style that felt consistent with the franchise’s history. Production moved along far enough that trailers and gameplay clips were revealed to the public, showcasing multiple Mega Man characters fighting alongside one another. There was even a promotional contest to let two lucky winners name characters in the game. However, management shifts at Neowiz Games pushed the game to the back burner, and it was formally cancelled in 2013.
Stargate Worlds
Stargate Worlds was an ambitious collaboration by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and the MGM film studio. The game was announced in 2006 and was set to be directly based on the cult classic series, Stargate SG-1. Game publisher FireSky became involved in 2008, announcing they were committed to helping bring the best game possible to life.
However, in 2009, Stargate SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright (who had been brought into the development as a games creative consultant) revealed his doubts that the game would ever see the light of day. Although there were plans for a closed beta version of the game, and members of the press at the time were impressed by the early previews of the game, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Stargate Worlds was formally cancelled
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel
