‘People want MMOs’, says veteran designer Jack Emmert, it’s the publishers chasing WoW-level scope that are the problem
Veteran MMO designer Jack Emmert argues that the genre’s current crisis stems not from a lack of player demand but from publisher ambitions. While players continue to want MMOs, the fundamental problem is that major publishers attempt to replicate World of Warcraft’s massive scope, resulting in unsustainable development costs and repeated failures.
The MMO landscape has become increasingly difficult for new titles. Recent years have seen numerous projects cancelled or abandoned—New World was axed outright, while Project Blackbird was shelved before release. In contrast, smaller indie projects like Project Gorgon continue to survive and operate with modest but stable player bases. Emmert highlights a troubling trend in contemporary MMO design, describing many games as “basically features without any soul,” suggesting a disconnect between ambitious scope and meaningful gameplay vision.
Established MMOs remain popular but are aging, with the genre struggling to produce culturally relevant new entries. The divide is stark: smaller, passion-driven indie projects maintain engaged niche communities, while big-budget MMO attempts from major publishers consistently underperform or fail entirely. Emmert’s analysis suggests that recovering the MMO genre may require publishers to recalibrate expectations and allow for more focused, creatively driven experiences rather than pursuing the World of Warcraft template.