Massively OP Podcast

On this week’s episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree, Carlo, and Justin talk about Black Desert developments, WoW's housing neighborhoods, Guild Wars 2's future philosophy, New World's updated roadmap, Dune Awakening's compensation, and an enticement to participate in Blaugust '25. It’s the Massively OP Podcast [https://massivelyop.com/podcast/], an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your question to the show, use this link [https://massivelyop.com/tips/]. Show notes: * Intro * Adventures in MMOs: WoW Classic, WoW, LOTRO, Palia * News: What's going on in the Black Desert franchise? [https://massivelyop.com/tag/black-desert/] * News: World of Warcraft talks about neighborhood housing [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/10/world-of-warcraft-previews-its-housing-systems-neighborhoods-charters-and-community-quests/] * News: Guild Wars 2 talks about its future [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/08/guild-wars-2-will-shift-around-story-and-maps-in-its-next-expansion-due-for-reveal-next-week/] * News: New World updates its roadmap [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/09/new-world-outlines-its-next-two-seasons-with-pvp-and-pve-content-and-no-new-season-servers/] * News: Dune Awakening compensates for a pulling a Funcom [https://discord.com/channels/164090351081095168/1191422285148602488/1394356431745974292] * News: Blaugust is gearing up [https://discord.com/channels/164090351081095168/1191422285148602488/1394356318810275941] * Outro Other info: * Podcast theme: "Village of Trents [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiWMjMJqSWo&pp=ygUeYmxhY2sgZGVzZXJ0IHZpbGxhZ2Ugb2YgdHJlbnRz]" from Black Desert * Your show hosts: Justin and Bree * Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/massively-op/id966329746], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/battle-bards/massively-op-podcast?refid=stpr], Player FM [https://player.fm/series/massively-op], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/Massively-OP-Podcast-p685174/], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/massively-op-29468504/], Pocket Casts [http://pca.st/massivelyop], Amazon, and Spotify * Follow Massively Overpowered: Website [https://massivelyop.com/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/MassivelyOP], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/massivelyop], Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/massivelyoverpowered] * If you’re having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

On this week’s episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk about -- what else? -- the huge Microsoft layoffs and what that means for the MMO industry. On top of that, there's discussion about Ship of Heroes' launch date, John Smedley's new MMOFPS, and Guild Wars 2's teases. It’s the Massively OP Podcast [https://massivelyop.com/podcast/], an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your question to the show, use this link [https://massivelyop.com/tips/]. Show notes: * Intro * Adventures in MMOs: WoW Classic, WoW, Palia * News: Huge Microsoft layoffs [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/02/microsoft-went-forward-with-its-fourth-round-of-mass-layoffs-in-two-years-shedding-9000-more-workers/] -- ZeniMax MMO dead [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/02/zenimax-online-studios-president-matt-firor-is-stepping-away-in-the-middle-of-microsofts-layoff-binge/], Warcraft Rumble retiring [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/02/blizzard-is-putting-warcraft-rumble-into-maintenance-mode-following-the-microsoft-gaming-purge/] * News: Ship of Heroes gets a launch date [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/02/city-of-heroes-spiritual-successor-ship-of-heroes-is-finally-launching-in-august/] * News: John Smedley's new game is a lot like his old MMO [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/03/john-smedleys-new-mmofps-is-called-reaper-actual-and-yeah-its-pretty-much-planetside-3/] * News: What's Guild Wars 2 up to? [https://massivelyop.com/2025/07/03/guild-wars-2-is-teasing-something-new-elite-specs-a-bard-with-a-countdown-for-two-weeks-from-now/] * Outro Other info: * Podcast theme: "Main Theme [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0pEfpCHcd4&pp=ygUWcGxhbmV0c2lkZSBhcmVuYSB0aGVtZQ%3D%3D]" from Planetside Arena * Your show hosts: Justin and Bree * Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/massively-op/id966329746], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/battle-bards/massively-op-podcast?refid=stpr], Player FM [https://player.fm/series/massively-op], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/Massively-OP-Podcast-p685174/], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/massively-op-29468504/], Pocket Casts [http://pca.st/massivelyop], Amazon, and Spotify * Follow Massively Overpowered: Website [https://massivelyop.com/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/MassivelyOP], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/massivelyop], Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/massivelyoverpowered] * If you’re having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

On this week’s episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk about Chrono Odyssey's character odyssey, the EverQuest emulator lawsuit, an actual RIFT update, RuneScape's monetization crisis, the end of Hytale, and how our MMO journeys have aged. It’s the Massively OP Podcast [https://massivelyop.com/podcast/], an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your question to the show, use this link [https://massivelyop.com/tips/]. Show notes: * Intro * Adventures in MMOs: WoW, LOTRO, Monsters & Memories, Palia, Erenshor, City of Heroes * News: Chrono Odyssey's hilarious freeform character creation [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/26/chrono-odyssey-confirms-restrictions-to-limit-strange-and-uncomfortable-player-created-characters/] * News: The EverQuest emulator lawsuit [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/28/judge-approves-tro-mandating-everquest-emu-the-heroes-journey-halt-content-and-put-profits-in-escrow/] * News: RIFT gets a patch and promises more [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/24/rifts-datamined-patch-has-officially-gone-live-with-summerfest-minion-missions-and-a-small-list-of-fixes/] * News: RuneScape's monetization crisis [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/26/we-have-lost-players-to-the-way-we-approach-microtransactions-runescape-plans-a-major-monetization-overhaul/] * News: Riot's Hytale MMO project is dead [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/24/riots-minecraft-inspired-hytale-mmorpg-has-been-canceled-its-studio-is-closing-too/] * Mailbag: How our MMO journeys have changed over time * Outro Other info: * Podcast theme: "Silverwood [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVHeN_MEa2Y&pp=ygUVc2lsdmVyd29vZCByaWZ0IG11c2lj]" from RIFT * Your show hosts: Justin and Bree * Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/massively-op/id966329746], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/battle-bards/massively-op-podcast?refid=stpr], Player FM [https://player.fm/series/massively-op], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/Massively-OP-Podcast-p685174/], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/massively-op-29468504/], Pocket Casts [http://pca.st/massivelyop], Amazon, and Spotify * Follow Massively Overpowered: Website [https://massivelyop.com/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/MassivelyOP], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/massivelyop], Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/massivelyoverpowered] * If you’re having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

On this week’s episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk about World of Warcraft's next patch, Bitcraft Online's EA launch, the sale of EVE Online's CCP, more server news for LOTRO and DDO, Palia's upcoming roadmap, Dune Awakening's PvE endgame course correction, and Chrono Odyssey's beta. It’s the Massively OP Podcast [https://massivelyop.com/podcast/], an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your question to the show, use this link [https://massivelyop.com/tips/]. Show notes: * Intro * Adventures in MMOs: WoW, LOTRO, Palia * News: World of Warcraft previews Update 11.2: Ghosts of K'aresh [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/18/world-of-warcraft-previews-its-next-major-update-the-ghosts-of-karesh/] * News: Bitcraft Online launches into early access [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/21/sandbox-mmorpg-bitcraft-online-has-officially-released-to-steam-early-access/] * News: CCP and EVE Online are up for sale [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/19/pearl-abyss-has-apparently-put-ccp-games-and-eve-online-up-for-sale/] * News: LOTRO [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/13/lord-of-the-rings-online-announces-the-full-closure-of-its-old-32-bit-worlds-at-the-end-of-august/] and DDO [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/13/dungeons-and-dragons-online-heralds-a-trio-of-new-64-bit-servers-this-july-but-is-closing-all-old-worlds/] update on server closures (and openings) * News: Palia's future roadmap [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/10/palia-launches-radiance-rising-this-week-heres-the-content-packed-roadmap/] * News: Dune Awakening attempts to course-correct [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/23/funcom-is-retooling-dune-awakenings-pvp-endgame-to-be-more-pve-friendly-after-all/] * News: Chrono Odyssey's beta [https://massivelyop.com/2025/06/23/chrono-odysseys-beta-draws-in-65k-players-on-steam-mixed-reception-and-comparisons-to-new-world/] * Outro Other info: * Podcast theme: "Time Rifts [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWkweqPsRMs&pp=ygUxVGltZSBSaWZ0cyBNdXNpYyAtIFdvcmxkIG9mIFdhcmNyYWZ0IERyYWdvbmZsaWdodA%3D%3D]" from World of Warcraft * Your show hosts: Justin and Bree * Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/massively-op/id966329746], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/battle-bards/massively-op-podcast?refid=stpr], Player FM [https://player.fm/series/massively-op], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/Massively-OP-Podcast-p685174/], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/massively-op-29468504/], Pocket Casts [http://pca.st/massivelyop], Amazon, and Spotify * Follow Massively Overpowered: Website [https://massivelyop.com/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/MassivelyOP], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/massivelyop], Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/massivelyoverpowered] * If you’re having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.

On this week’s theme episode of the Massively OP Podcast, Bree and Justin talk all about character progression in MMOs! Trust us, there are far more types of progression than you might first assume -- and we're going to try to cover as many of them as we can in an hour. Plus. Plus about fifteen. It’s the Massively OP Podcast [https://massivelyop.com/podcast/], an action-packed hour of news, tales, opinions, and gamer emails! And remember, if you’d like to send in your question to the show, use this link [https://massivelyop.com/tips/]. Show notes: * Intro * What is character progression? * Why is progression important? * The broad categories of progression * Horizontal vs vertical progression * Story as progression * Offline progression * Rebirth progression * Progression you can lock * Crafting XP progression * PvP progression * Collaborative progression * Reward tracks and mastery system * Gearscore * Money/collections * Dungeon progression * Outro Other info: * Podcast theme: "Irontoe 2006 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoTNTeRdE1A&pp=ygUYZXZlcnF1ZXN0IDIgaXJvbnRvZSAyMDA2]" from EverQuest II * Your show hosts: Justin and Bree * Listen to Massively OP Podcast on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/massively-op/id966329746], Stitcher [http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/battle-bards/massively-op-podcast?refid=stpr], Player FM [https://player.fm/series/massively-op], TuneIn [http://tunein.com/radio/Massively-OP-Podcast-p685174/], iHeartRadio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/massively-op-29468504/], Pocket Casts [http://pca.st/massivelyop], Amazon, and Spotify * Follow Massively Overpowered: Website [https://massivelyop.com/], Twitter [https://twitter.com/MassivelyOP], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/massivelyop], Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/massivelyoverpowered] * If you’re having problems seeing or using the web player, please check your flashblock or scriptblock setting.