Hello and welcome to Massively Overpowered’s year-end awards for 2018!

Each December we survey our staff to pick the standouts and stinkers across MMOs, studios, stories, and trends, then hand out trophies to the winners (or the losers).

For the fourth straight year we’ve broken the ceremony into focused categories, and while 2018 brings a few tweaks to the format, the core idea remains the same.

We’ll still publish selected nominations and short explanations from our writers, and after last year’s push to reach more unanimous decisions, we’ve kept that deliberative approach this time around as well.

There’s also a lighthearted readers’ poll at the end so you can tell us whether you agree with our choices or think we missed the mark.

The category we’re spotlighting today is Most Underrated MMO — a prize that last year was shared by Black Desert and The Secret World Legends.

Note: titles released before 2018 remain eligible if they achieved something noteworthy during this calendar year.

And with that, the Massively OP staff’s pick for 2018’s Most Underrated MMO is…

MapleStory 2 and The Lord of the Rings Online emerged as the community and staff standouts for “most underrated” MMOs in 2018, each earning strong backing for different reasons.

Why LOTRO resonated:

• Several writers praised LOTRO for faithfully evoking Tolkien’s world, calling it one of the most authentic Middle-earth experiences in gaming.
  
• Longtime fans pointed to the sheer volume of content — frequent events, seasonal festivals, and deep lore-driven expansions like the year’s Mirkwood update — as proof that the game still delivers despite its age.
  
• Its free-to-play entry point and the 2018 “legendary” servers were highlighted as ways new players can dive in without feeling outpaced by veterans (though the new-server perks required subscription).
  
• Reviewers noted LOTRO’s player-focused storytelling: it allows you to contribute meaningfully to the world without casting every character as a single savior hero.
  

Why MapleStory 2 caught attention:

• The sequel’s unabashed charm, bright visuals, and goofy personality made it the go-to pick for writers seeking an MMO that’s simple fun.
  
• Several staffers called it a sleeper hit — unexpected, delightful, and addictive for people who gave it a chance.
  
• Even those who only tried it occasionally were surprised by how much appeal it had, and how it brought a different crowd into the MMO space.
  

Notable runner-ups and other mentions:

• Project Gorgon earned praise for its deep, idiosyncratic gameplay; some admitted that the art style and oddball charm keep it from wider recognition.
  
• RuneScape was commended for quietly evolving over the years and surprising returning players with modernized systems and content.
  
• Path of Exile was recognized for consistent, substantial updates, new challenge leagues, and for drawing in players seeking complex ARPG gameplay.
  
• Black Desert and Blade & Soul were singled out as titles often overlooked by Western audiences due to their origins rather than any lack of quality.
  
• Trove, Secret World Legends, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and a handful of older or niche MMOs also received shout-outs for being underappreciated despite offering distinct experiences.
  

How the staff selection worked:

• The team discussed candidates over several days and aimed for consensus rather than a strict tally.
  
• Every writer submitted a brief explanation for their pick, and those comments shaped the final decision announced by staff.
  
• The site planned to present both the staff choice and the community’s top vote in a January debrief.
  

Reader poll snapshot (1,500 voters):

• The Lord of the Rings Online — roughly half of the votes (~49%).
  
• MapleStory 2 — single-digit support (~8%).
  
• Path of Exile and Project Gorgon each gathered a few percent apiece; other games like Black Desert, SWTOR, RuneScape, and Secret World Legends drew smaller shares.
  
• A small percentage voted “nothing” or suggested other titles in comments.
  

Ultimately, 2018’s conversation around “underrated MMOs” was dominated by LOTRO’s persistent quality and MapleStory 2’s surprising warmth — but the field contained many worthy, lesser-seen experiences that staff and readers wanted to champion.

Ballot entries consist of the games our staff nominated plus other overlooked titles we felt deserved a shot.

We excluded the big, regularly award-winning MMOs unless a team member specifically nominated them.

The intent was to spotlight lesser-known or underrated games rather than the usual front-runners.

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