Massively Overpowered (opens in new tab), has revealed the game's 2023 roadmap (opens in new tab ), as Standing Stone celebrates D&D Online's 17th anniversary by announcing a new free dungeon, three character archetypes, and "mini-expansions" for the months of April through June.
The news of D&D Online is a bit nostalgic for me, as I was still in middle school when the game first launched in 2006! Initially focused on D&D's Eberron campaign setting, the game was expanded in 2012 to include content from the epic Forgotten Realms, home of Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter; in 2016, developer Turbine, Inc. to Standing Stone, D&D Online continues to enjoy a steady following. The last expansion, Isle of Dread (opens in new tab), was released last June.
The centerpiece of D&D Online's 2023 plan is Vecna Unleashed, the aforementioned mini-expansion and follow-up to the MMO's ongoing story. Vecna, for those in need of a D&D lore brush-up (how dare you?), is a supervillain lich who originated in the original "Greyhawk" campaign setting of Gary Geygax's novel. The nasty boy has since appeared in other settings such as Ravenloft and Forgotton Realms, and you may recall getting his enchanted pajamas secondhand at Baldur's Gate (open in new tab) and Neverwinter Nights.
To take on Vecna, D&D Online is teaming up with Morgrave University, an adventurer/alchemist academy based in Eberron. My colleague and PC Gamer contributor Jon Bolding describes the plot setup as "basically Indiana Jones versus Lich King traveling through the multiverse," which sounds pretty interesting. [I'm not a D&D Online player myself, but I'm not surprised that a contemporaneous MMO like Tabula Rasa (opens in new tab) has closed its doors and recently launched live games like Marvel's Avengers (opens in new tab) and Anthem are already in an end-of-support state. There is something very heartening about seeing this generation of MMOs from the late 00's and early 10's surviving despite the fact that recently launched live games like Marvel's Avengers (opens in new tab) and Anthem are already in an unsupported state.
My favorite of this classic MMO brethren would have to be the fan-made Star Wars Galaxies Revival (open in new tab). Meanwhile, Galaxies killer and my dear old friend The Old Republic is also keeping the dream alive, as TOR just received a Mandalorian-focused content update last month, "Showdown on Rhunuk" (opens in new tab).
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