Monsters & Memories will hold four open playtest sessions throughout this year

Monsters & Memories, an upcoming MMO inspired by the classic 2000s era MMOs, will be hosting a series of open playtest sessions throughout 2025. As someone who was already deeply obsessed with MMOs around this point in time, I’m very excited to get my hands on Niche Worlds Cult’s upcoming game. Thankfully, the wait time won’t be very long because the first playtest session is coming in June 2025.

Later in the year, Monsters & Memories’ open playtest sessions will get longer, giving players more time to dive into the game to see how development is going. With so many free-to-play MMOs on the market right now, it’s interesting to see a game planning for a subscription-based system instead.

Monsters & Memories to host four playtest sessions throughout 2025

Monsters & Memories revealed on their Discord back on May 28, 2025, that a series of open playtest sessions were on the way for the year. This is a lead-in to their planned Early Access, which is currently scheduled for Q1 2026. Fans of older-style MMOs, like EverQuest, and the earliest days of World of Warcraft, will certainly be interested.

We can't wait to see what this fantasy world has in store for us later this year (Image via Niche Worlds Cult)

It’s also important to note that these dates are tentative and could change if the need arises. It’s still exciting to see something like this come to life, and if you’re interested, the dates are below:

Tentative playtest session dates

June Playtest: Friday, June 27 - Sunday, June 29, 2025 (3 days)
July Playtest: Wednesday, July 23 - Sunday, July 27, 2025 (5 days)
September Playtest: Monday, September 1 - Sunday, September 7, 2025 (7 days)
November Playtest: Saturday, November 1 - Monday, November 10, 2025 (10 days)

This indie title's development began after discussions on what it would be like to create an old-school, smaller-budget fantasy MMO with modern tools. A slower, more meaningful system, where leveling is supposed to feel rewarding, it should be a fun experience. It’s a fascinating project, and it’s certainly one that I’m curious about.

I played EverQuest, MUDs, Ultima Online, and other MMOs in the early 2000s, so I’m definitely someone this game is marketed towards. I’m looking forward to trying it out, and hopefully it will reach other people who have a fondness for that style of online game. With the Monsters & Memories open playtest sessions coming soon, I definitely hope to be a part of them.

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About the author

Jason is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda holding an amazing 11 years of experience under his belt. Having put out 4000-plus articles and amassing over 12 million reads for Sportskeeda, he is among the company’s most experienced writers. Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in English from UNC Pembroke and was inspired to become a gaming journalist very early on in life after reading Nintendo Power.

Jason is a jack of all trades when it comes to gaming journalism. He’s a key writer in Sportskeeda's MMO department, but he also likes to help out in other categories, like streamers, RPG, card games, and whatever else is needed. A solo gamer at heart, Jason's favorite titles include Earthbound and Dragon Warrior.

Jason places high value on accuracy and relevance in his write-ups. He achieves this with thorough research to sift facts from rumors. One of the biggest highlights of his career is his interview with Canadian pro wrestler Kenny Omega about his inclusion in the Like a Dragon game series. He is also good friends with journalist Kazumo Hashimoto, who he admires for the kind of stories he works on and his deep ethics.

A true cinephile, one of Jason’s primary hobbies involves enjoying cinematic experiences. He also loves reading, be it fiction or manga, when not working. Additionally, he streams on Twitch and posts his gaming insights on YouTube.

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Edited by Jason Parker