While we’re still waiting for the next great new MMORPG to take the world by storm like World of Warcraft did years ago, there are still plenty of great active ones to choose from. These are the 10 most popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018, ranked specifically by their peak concurrent players.
Editor’s Note: Hard data for concurrent player counts do not exist for MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2.
Therefore, they have been excluded from this list. We are aware that they would undoubtedly be right at the very top of this most popular MMORPGs in 2018 list if we had access to reliable data from which to source.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
10. Lord of the Rings Online – 1,685
The Lord of the Rings Online first debuted back in 2007, but it’s still commanding a very respectable active community. Throughout the first quarter of 2018, concurrent player peaks have hovered around the 1,500 mark, and we’re fairly sure the total active accounts is around the 250,000 mark.
The draw of the Tolkien franchise is likely a big pull for many, but as far as MMORPGs go, this is a quality experience regardless of whether you’re a fan of the Middle Earth saga. There’s also the shift to the free-to-play model which has undoubtedly helped to bolster numbers.
As you’d expect, LOTR lets players choose between the typical Middle Earth races (Orc, Elf, Human, etc). There are countless epic quests, PvP action, and a swell music feature that lets you belt out grand symphonies every part as epic as the action on-screen.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
9. Star Trek Online – 3,753
Star Trek Online isn’t the most accomplished MMORPG you’re ever likely to play. Yet, Star Trek itself remains a hugely popular franchise across all mediums of entertainment, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the game boasts a substantial and active community of players.
That said, Star Trek Online isn’t just for uber Trekkies. There’s plenty here for all sci-fi fans to enjoy since this is more of a shooter than it is about boldly exploring the Galaxy according to the utopian ideals of The Next Generation.
There’s both space combat and conventional ground-based PvP action, which see’s the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans duke it out for Galactic supremacy.
Peak concurrent player counts have remained consistent for years, with 2018 seeing around the same 3000-4000 player numbers at peak hours. This year, it recorded its 3,753 total in January.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
8. TERA – 3961
Originally a PC release in South Korea, the free-to-play MMORPG, TERA, has since gone global. As you’d expect, the numbers have seen a steady increase.
TERA’s most impressive feature is certainly its fast and fluid real-time combat. If you’re bored of playing clunky MMORPGs with simplistic combat, TERA accomplishes thrilling levels of action that makes its rivals look dull by comparison.
Battling Big Ass Monsters (yes, that’s the official designation) with combos and area-of-effect spells is utterly enthralling.
What you won’t find in TERA are that many particularly interesting side quests or super in-depth levels of lore. Still, as a game to pop in and join your buddies on entertaining raids, it’s superb. And clearly, that’s enough to draw an impressive near 4,000 concurrent player count and likely well over double that amount of active players.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
7. EVE Online – 4636
EVE Online is one MMORPG experience that absolutely manages to simultaneously boast thrilling gameplay and an astonishingly-detailed amount of lore.
Since its launch in 2003, a passionate community of players have immersed themselves in the enormous galaxy that comprises EVE Online’s playable environment, logging battle reports, adding anecdotes about the world, comparing ship profiles, and mapping political boundaries.
It’s an incredibly immersive experience that truly lives and breathes.
Player counts aren’t likely quite what they used to be, having once peaked at over 500,000 subscribers in 2013. Yet there’s been no notable drop-off in concurrent player counts for 2016 according to Steam chart statistics.
A move to the free-to-play model has likely helped sustain EVE 18 years after its initial launch, with ‘alpha’ accounts giving new players access to most of the game without charge.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
6. Neverwinter – 4649
Neverwinter is a D&D fan’s biggest fantasy come true, bringing to life the iconic board game series in an immersive and extremely entertaining MMORPG experience. And given the popularity of that franchise, it’s no surprise Neverwinter remains exceptionally popular.
Player counts saw their peak back in 2012 and 2013, with well over 10,000 players on servers at any one moment, but things have remained steady over the past two or three years, hovering around the 5,000 mark for some time.
If you’re looking to jump on board, it seems likely the active player numbers will remain healthy long into the future.
Perhaps that’s partly due to the slightly more accessible nature of Neverwinter. It certainly isn’t a hardcore MMORPG, which makes it perfect for those interested in the genre and wanting to dip their toes into MMORPGs.
It’s free-to-play and for the most part a very entertaining romp through an iconic fantasy universe, particularly when grouping up with friends.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
5. Trove – 7,726
Trove is an MMORPG that pops from the screen with a vibrant color palette reminiscent of Minecraft and uses the same voxel, block-based design.
Everything in the game has been made by the players, with the idea that your own adventures shape the environment around you.
That’s really the substance of the game, so don’t expect some huge narrative to draw you into this world. It’s about creativity, and a lot of ground – there are dozens of procedurally generated dungeons to explore.
But while there’s not a terribly substantial story on offer, the gameplay loop clearly has its hooks in an avid community of players. It’s a fairly social community, too, with the game encouraging you to join clubs and
Trove peaked at 7,726 back in February this year. Impressive, though a far cry from its numbers exceeding 50,000 back in 2015.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
4. Final Fantasy XIV – 12,637
One of the big comeback stories in video gaming history, the original version of Final Fantasy XIV was so completely unserviceable that Square Enix completely abandoned it and reworked the entire project.
As you can imagine, the ordeal was more than a little upsetting for the game’s fanbase.
Re-released as a Realm Reborn, though, Final Fantasy XIV has been such a massive improvement that it’s completely turned its fortunes around.
From zero to hero, XIV is now one of the most active and popular MMORPGs in the world, played across PC and console. Of course, the 12,637 concurrent player count cited here is just based on its PC population.
Final Fantasy XIV has a subscription model, though new players are able to access some content free of charge. Still, it’s absolutely worth paying for a premium product, and that’s exactly what a Realm Reborn is.
Consistent new content in the form of small tweaks and added features to massive expansion packs, such as Stormblood, make for a world brimming with epic stories and exciting gameplay to immerse yourself in.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
3. The Elder Scrolls Online – 24,641
The Elder Scrolls Online launched to mediocre reviews back in 2014, but the game has changed a lot since then.
Rebranded as Tamriel Unlimited, The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) is now a paid, premium product with a wealth of content and a host of gameplay changes that makes this a must-play game for fans of the Elder Scrolls universe.
Now feeling much more connected to the single-player smash-hits developed by Bethesda (ESO is a Zenimax Studios game), the Morrowind expansion and Summerset DLC add fresh new adventures with the sort of excellent storytelling the franchise is known for.
ESO is one of MMORPGs most successful franchises, with an estimated active player count that exceeds 2 million players across all platforms. It’s no surprise, then, that daily concurrent peaks on PC regularly surpass 20,000.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
2. Black Desert Online – 26,187
Black Desert Online is less than three years old. In fact, it only made its way over to the west back in 2016, having first released in South Korea.
Clearly, the game has made a huge splash on the MMORPG community thanks to its beautifully realized world, boasting lush environments and detailed character animations.
The combat also happens to be superb, echoing the sort of adrenaline pumping action-RPG experience of TERA but married to much more modern game design.
There are eight classes to choose from, and all of them are super entertaining to play, from ax-wielding knights to spellcasting sorcerers.
And there’s plenty of interesting narratives to dive into beyond that, too. With a world that’s unique in style, believable, and deeply immersive.
The community continues to expand each month and hasn’t really seen any drop in concurrent player averages since records began. Peak concurrent player numbers for 2018 were recorded in January.
Most Popular MMORPGs on PC in 2018
1. Old School Runescape – 81,499
The iconic MMORPG Runescape is the oldest game on this list, and yet it still remains the most popular of the genre that we have hard numbers for.
We’re citing the game’s most popular version here, Old School RuneScape (OSRS) since it records the highest daily concurrent numbers. Daily peaks of 50,000 plus aren’t uncommon, though the game in its original form back in the early 2000s was far more populated.
Perhaps a great deal of the reason RuneScape remains so insanely popular is its accessibility. This is a game that can be played with just a web browser, and it recently came to mobile, too. That said, the ease of booting the game up is about where the accessibility ends.
RuneScape is intimidatingly hands-off, with just a five-minute tutorial that introduces you to the basics before sending you off into its enormous and highly populated sandbox to just go and do whatever you please.
But there lies the magic that has attracted people to the concept of a persistent fantasy world since the inception of the genre. Just be warned, it’s a hardcore experience that is liberating but sometimes overwhelming.
Thanks to an unofficial tracking site that logs into RuneScape and records player numbers every five minutes, we have a good idea of the number of concurrent players for 2018.
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