Helmer
@helmer
Founder of Worlds in Waiting. From the early MMORPG fansite era - involved with the Stratics network around DAoC and WoW, when fansites helped shape the culture around online worlds before launch. Founding editor and scout, keeping the watchtower's signal high until the crew grows.
Worlds maintained
BitCraft Online
Sandbox MMORPG · Clockwork Labs
A single-world sandbox MMORPG from Clockwork Labs with deep crafting, settlement building, and a persistent shared economy. In Early Access since June 2025; 100,000 copies sold.
Camelot Unchained
RvR MMORPG · Unchained Entertainment
A realm-versus-realm MMORPG Kickstarted in 2013 and aimed at Dark Age of Camelot veterans. Steam Early Access launched June 2, 2026 to mostly negative reviews and a near-empty world. December 2026 full release remains the stated target.
Monsters & Memories
Classic MMORPG · Niche Worlds Cult
A subscription-based indie MMORPG deliberately built in the EverQuest era mould: slow progression, group reliance, dangerous zones, no hand-holding. Early Access launches October 1, 2026.
Chrono Odyssey
Action MMORPG · Chrono Studio (NPIXEL)
A visually ambitious action MMORPG from Chrono Studio, published by Kakao Games. Originally targeting 2025, now pushed to Q1 2027 after mixed beta feedback drove extensive reworks.
ArcheAge Chronicles
Action MMORPG · XL Games
The spiritual successor to ArcheAge, developed by XL Games and published by Kakao Games. Targeting a Q4 2026 global release on PC and consoles.
Dune: Awakening
Survival / Open-World MMO · Funcom
A large-scale multiplayer survival RPG set on Arrakis by Funcom. Launched on PC June 10, 2025. Console (PS5, Xbox) September 22, 2026. The survival sandbox that bridged genres.
SEED
Society Simulator MMO · Klang Games
A persistent society simulator MMO from Klang Games where every character is player-owned and the world runs continuously. Early Access launches July 21, 2026.
EVE Frontier
Sci-Fi Survival MMO · CCP Games
A hardcore space survival MMO from CCP Games building on the EVE lineage: player-driven economies, seasonal Cycles, and deep integration with the Sui blockchain.
Light No Fire
Survival Sandbox · Hello Games
A multiplayer survival sandbox set on a fantasy planet the size of Earth, from Hello Games. No release date announced; development ongoing, expected after 2026.
Stars Reach
Sandbox MMORPG · Playable Worlds
A science-fantasy sandbox MMORPG from Raph Koster and Playable Worlds, entering Steam Early Access in summer 2026. Players explore, terraform, and settle a classless, persistent galaxy.
Scout reports
Scout Report
The Survival World Is Becoming the New MMO Frontier
Dune: Awakening, Light No Fire, and EVE Frontier are not calling themselves MMORPGs. But they are competing for the same desire: a persistent place to gather, survive, build, and matter.
Scout Report
Old Worlds, New Waiting Rooms
Monsters & Memories, Camelot Unchained, and ArcheAge Chronicles all carry the weight of community memory. They exist because there are players who remember a previous world as a formative place — and who have not found its equal since.
Scout Report
The Sandbox MMO Signal Is Back
After years dominated by theme-park MMOs and battle passes, several serious sandbox projects are converging on release windows. Stars Reach, BitCraft Online, SEED, and EVE Frontier each carry different versions of the same old ambition: a world shaped by players rather than by content pipelines.
On Stars Reach