The MMORPG Daily Drop - Your Daily MMORPG News Recap
We’re closing out June with one of the most packed news drops of the month. Black Desert’s Heidel Ball stunned with a new Wukong class, fresh PvP systems, and sweeping UI and QOL updates. Meanwhile, Hytale’s cancellation spirals into developer finger-pointing, Ashes of Creation enters a major new phase, and FLOKI’s crypto-MMO Valhalla hits mainnet. Here’s everything you need to know in today’s MMORPG Daily Drop.
Black Desert Heidel Ball: Wukong Class & PvPvE Realms Incoming
Pearl Abyss made a splash during its Heidel Ball livestream by unveiling the Wukong class — a fast, flurry-focused martial artist inspired by the legendary Monkey King. Wukong arrives July 2 and will be joined later by “Savior,” a female Awakening Warrior variant. The team also announced Edania, a massive new region packed with boss zones, a PvP arena for ten players where one victor claims control, and a new PvPvE “tax revenue” system that allows guilds to fight for resource dominance. August 9 will also bring crafting system enhancements and the ability to swap characters instantly. Other changes include reworked map UI, PvP resistance removal, and major notification settings updates.
Hytale Post-Mortem: Former Devs Blame Execs for Doom
The cancellation of Hytale — once hyped as Riot’s answer to Minecraft — has exploded into public drama. Former devs allege mismanagement, poor leadership hires, and “reinventing systems just to prove a point.” Internal tools were scrapped, devs felt sidelined, and the game’s engine was reportedly overhauled multiple times. Former Hypixel founder Simon Laflamme shared that the studio burned $350K/month and passed up larger opportunities before ultimately being steered off course by “real” producers trying to impress Riot. It’s a painful end to a project once hailed as genre-defining.
Ashes of Creation Phase 3 Brings New Races & Zones
Intrepid Studios shared a roadmap for Alpha 2’s Phase 3, which kicks off August 4 with two new playable races — the forest-dwelling Py’Rai and mountain-forged Nicua — alongside a brand-new starting region, The Anvils. Guild systems, PvP content, and full crafting progression to the “town stage” will also be testable. Players in Alpha 2 gain PTR access starting July 1, with servers staying live 24/7 through August 3 to gather extended feedback.
Pantheon Reworks Crafting Stations
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is updating its crafting stations, both visually and functionally. The once-basic placeholders are being replaced with profession-specific workbenches, helping reinforce the growing complexity of crafting professions and offering better thematic identity for trade skills in the game’s sandbox system.
Toram Online: Chapter 15 Adds New Boss & Gear
Toram Online rolls out Chapter 15: Unda’s Rescue, a new narrative arc packed with fresh regions, a challenging boss fight, and new high-tier gear. Following its recent anime crossover, this update focuses on expanding the game’s solo and co-op PVE content.
BitCraft’s First Week: 3K+ Concurrents, Mostly Positive
Realm of the Mad God Launches Season 22
Update 5.13.0.0 is live, ushering in Season 22: Relics of the Realm, with fresh loot, challenges, and leaderboard resets for this bullet-hell MMORPG.
Ethyrial’s New Keys System Now in Alpha
Ethyrial: Echoes of Yore has rolled out an alpha version of its Keys system, a new layer of progression for levels 35–50. Currently restricted to Early Supporters, the testing will expand soon.
FLOKI’s Valhalla MMORPG Mainnet Goes Live
The blockchain-backed MMORPG Valhalla officially launched today on mainnet. Players can now earn real FLOKI tokens through in-game quests, combat, and trading. The open world supports full NFT item ownership, real-time clan systems, and turn-based creature combat. Valhalla also partners with major esports events and TV campaigns to push adoption.
