The best MMORPGs, according to hackers
15 MMORPGs were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 3 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The three most recommended MMORPGs with the badge. Each figure is 5 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Memorable multiplayer experiences and friendships
People recommend it for its player-driven economy, lasting multiplayer drama and real stakes. Critics agree it is a major time sink, and some find the performance and learning curve poor.
Vast shared persistent world
People recommend it for its player-driven world, emergent gameplay and social bonds that later MMOs have not matched. Critics find the clunky interface dated and the PvP viciousness off-putting.
Regular updates keep game fresh
Players recommend this nostalgic, passion-driven MMO for its regular community-voted updates and long-running player base, though critics say some balancing changes erode progress.
All 15 MMORPGs, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | World of Warcraft | 67 | 65 | 51% | 12 | 20 yrs5 owners | — |
| 2 | EVE Online | 52 | 23 | 69% | 11 | 11 yrs7 owners | Approved |
| 3 | Ultima Online | 44 | 5 | 90% | 9 | — | Approved |
| 4 | RuneScape | 35 | 18 | 66% | 8 | 20 yrs3 owners | — |
| 5 | Old School RuneScape | 22 | 3 | 88% | 9 | — | Approved |
| 6 | Aardwolf MUD | 15 | 2 | 88% | 3 | — | — |
| 7 | Phantasy Star Online | 11 | 3 | 79% | 3 | — | — |
| 8 | Guild Wars 2 | 9 | 2 | 82% | 7 | — | — |
| Tied 9 | EverQuest | 8 | 2 | 80% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 9 | Guild Wars | 8 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Discworld MUD | 7 | 1 | 88% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Outlands Ultima Online freeshard | 7 | 1 | 88% | 3 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Puzzle Pirates | 7 | 1 | 88% | 2 | — | — |
| Tied 14 | Final Fantasy XIV | 6 | 5 | 55% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 14 | BitCraft | 6 | 1 | 86% | 3 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same MMORPG in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to MMORPGs that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.