5 MMO Games We Almost Got (And Why They Were Never Made)

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Even simple games can be challenging to create, but massively multiplayer online role-playing games, or MMORPGs, are on a whole other level. These games need to offer a large and compelling world to justify the significant time players invest, and they must be fun enough to keep players hooked instead of moving on to other games.

Popular MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Path of Exile boast huge communities, and games such as Star Wars: The Old Republic and DC Universe Online have also maintained a strong following. Sadly, many promising MMORPG projects have been cancelled over time, preventing players from ever experiencing them. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated MMORPGs that were ultimately never released.

The Halo MMORPG

Originally known as “Titan,” the team aimed to create a massive online role-playing game featuring Master Chief. Developed by Ensemble Studios, the project started with inspiration from the popular game Ultima Online. The developers became very enthusiastic about creating a sci-fi MMORPG. After the release of the successful game Halo: Combat Evolved, the project was adapted to fit the Halo universe and shared several features with Blizzard’s popular online game.

Originally designed to compete with World of Warcraft, Ensemble Studios had to divide its efforts between this game and Halo Wars, their real-time strategy version of the Halo franchise. While the game introduced some innovative ideas later adopted by other massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), changes in Microsoft’s leadership and the significant investment needed to make a Halo MMORPG profitable ultimately led to its cancellation.

Lord of the Rings MMO

Amazon tried to make a big push into gaming, but it didn’t go as planned, leading to layoffs in October. One of the projects canceled was a large online game based on the worlds of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The game, which was being created by the team behind New World: Aeternum (Amazon Games Orange County), was first revealed in 2023 and was still in the early stages of development.

Although Amazon could have used its considerable resources and the connection to its TV show, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, to promote the game, developers struggled to make it unique compared to other popular fantasy games like The Lord of the Rings Online and World of Warcraft. As part of recent company layoffs, Amazon Gaming has closed several games, and reports indicate that the Lord of the Rings MMORPG was one of them.

EverQuest Next

Launched in 1999, EverQuest has remained a consistently popular online role-playing game. Over the years, it spawned sequels like EverQuest Online Adventures for the PlayStation 2 and EverQuest II in 2004. In 2012, a new installment, EverQuest Next, was announced with plans for a massive, player-driven world. Daybreak Game Company, known for launching successful online games, worked on the project for several years.

The game was originally planned for the PlayStation 4 and potentially the Oculus Rift, but development stopped in 2016. The creators explained they couldn’t make the large-scale game enjoyable, leading to its cancellation. Fortunately, fans of EverQuest can still play the older versions, with the latest expansion released in December 2025.

Rockman Online

Released in 2010, Rockman Online was a joint project between Capcom and Neowiz Games. Set far in the future of the Mega Man and Mega Man X storylines, the game would have reintroduced the Maverick Virus. Players would have needed to build multiple copies of iconic characters like X, Zero, Duo, and Cinnamon to fight waves of new, corrupted robots.

For two years, developers worked on the game, and trailers showed it would be a 2.5D platformer, staying true to the classic Mega Man style. They released gameplay footage featuring multiple Mega Man characters teaming up, and even ran a contest allowing fans to name characters. Unfortunately, changes in leadership at Neowiz Games led to the project being shelved, and it was officially cancelled in 2013.

Stargate Worlds

Stargate Worlds was a large-scale project created by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and MGM. First announced in 2006, the game aimed to be a direct continuation of the popular TV show, Stargate SG-1. In 2008, FireSky joined the project as the publisher, promising to help make the game the best it could be.

Despite initial excitement, the Stargate Worlds game never launched. Brad Wright, a co-creator of Stargate SG-1 and a creative consultant on the game, expressed concerns as early as 2009 that it might be cancelled. While a limited beta test was planned and early previews received positive feedback, the game’s developer, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, went bankrupt in 2010, officially ending the project.

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2025-12-23 20:41