5 biggest open worlds in MMO games

While the average size of maps in all games has been increasing over the years, there are certain open worlds in MMO games that have truly broken norms and revolutionized game design. Procedural generation has been adopted by many gaming studios, freeing the developers from having to design every part of the game manually. This makes it possible to create gigantic maps, ranging from an entire continent to an entire universe.

This article will elaborate on the five biggest open worlds in MMO games.

5 biggest open worlds in MMO games

Open-world games have always appealed to gamers because of their scale and the feeling of freedom associated with getting to traverse a large environment. These games allow players to choose their destiny and be a part of another universe. Exploration is the cornerstone for open-world games, and as such, maps play a pivotal role in determining how big a game is and how interesting the environments are.

Disclaimer: This article takes into consideration only the map size of the game to determine the biggest open worlds in MMO games.

Having said that, let's take a look at the five biggest open worlds in MMO games.

Also read: 5 best fantasy mmo games, ranked

1) No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is an action-adventure survival game revolving around space exploration. It was developed by Hello Games and was released worldwide in August 2016.

No Man’s Sky by far is the biggest game ever created in terms of explorable content. The game is entirely procedurally generated with an indeterminate 18 quintillion possible planets. Every planet has procedurally generated flora and fauna, which gives an actual sense of discovery. These planets are spread out across a massive number of star systems that inhabit the 256 Galaxies in the game. No Man's Sky is a big game with many secrets, but the sheer size of the galaxies makes it one of the biggest open worlds in MMO games.

2) Elite Dangerous

Elite Dangerous (Image via Frontier Developments)

Elite Dangerous is a space flight simulation game that takes place in the Milky Way Galaxy. It was developed by Frontier Developments and released on December 16, 2014.

Elite Dangerous is one of the first games to have massively multiplayer gameplay where the story of the game is affected by the player’s actions. However, what really makes Elite Dangerous stand out is its recreation of our entire Milky Way Galaxy at a realistic 1:1 scale. The player is free to explore the 400 billion star systems, each having planets and moons that orbit in real time. Out of this plethora of stars, 150,000 are taken from real astronomical data, making Elite Dangerous not only one of the biggest open worlds in an MMO game but also an amazingly realistic simulation of the cosmos around us.

3) EVE Online

EVE Online is an MMO role-playing game developed by CCP Games and released in May 2003. It is entirely based in space and allows players to take up several professions or activities in-game like mining, piracy, manufacturing, trading, exploration, and combat.

EVE Online has both PvP and PvE elements for the player to experience. But what makes the game magnificent is its scale and complexity. Players can explore 7,800 star systems, each with its set of planets and moons. The game boasts complex mechanics like economic competition, political schemes, and warfare, with other players keeping the community locked into the game for hours or even years. EVE Online is a no-brainer in this list of the biggest open worlds in MMO games as the map covers an area of around five light-years.

Also read: 5 best free MMO games for PC in 2024

4) Minecraft

Minecraft is a popular sandbox game with a blocky pixelated art style. It was developed by Mojang Studios and released on November 18, 2011.

Minecraft is also a procedurally generated blocky 3D world where players can explore, gather raw materials to craft tools, and build almost anything they can imagine. The game has potentially infinite terrain, with a surface area of approximately 3.6 billion square kilometers. This area is larger than Earth, and with a diverse generation of terrain types, the game never gets old. Minecraft has stood the taste of time and is undoubtedly one of the biggest open worlds in MMO games.

Although Minecraft isn't technically an MMORPG, a list stating the biggest maps in multiplayer gaming wouldn't be complete without this game.

5) World War II Online

World War II Online (Image via Cornered Rat Software)

World War II Online is an MMO first-person shooter game released on June 6, 2001. The game was developed by Cornered Rat Software and was re-released in 2005 under the name of WWII Online: Battleground Europe.

Evidently from the name, WWII Online is set in 1940 to 1944 during World War II in Western Europe. The game allows players to play with or against others on a virtual battlefield in an arms war simulation. The game’s map is a 1:1 scale to the actual Europe and covers a surface area of 350,000 square kilometers. As such, World War II Online is easily one of the biggest open worlds in MMO games.

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