Beyond World of Warcraft Classic – 10 Most Hardcore MMORPGs out There

MMORPGs are the domain of hardcore players – to achieve something, you not only need to know the ins and outs of the game, but also pack hundreds of hours into it. Here's our list of the most hardcore titles you can play today.

In recent years, the MMO genre has been slowly turning away from its roots – those games used to be considered very difficult. No mortal man without tons of free time (and nerves of steel) dared to even approach games such as Ultima Online, Tibia, EverQuest, or Lineage II. At the same time, there was the stereotypical image of the online gamer – hidden in a dark basement, surrounded with empty pizza boxes, pale skin, sleepless nights, no private life – those were the associations.

With the growing popularity of broadband Internet, the group of people looking to try their hand at massive online games that required constant connection grew exponentially. It's no surprise, then, that developers quickly begun to fill the new niche and attract crowds of gamers looking for something less restrictive than the MMO games of the time. And so formed the group referred to as casual or – as some prefer – weekend MMO players, who want equal chances, easy challenge, a complete set of items right at the start, and an instant advancement to the maximum level of experience available.

However, if you belong to the almost extinct species of hardcore players, for whom MMO games are mainly about the challenge, and who aren't afraid of losing, we've got something for you. If you miss the old days, when achieving something in the game took a lot of time and work; if you're missing the thrill of ubiquitous PvP, and the risk of losing all your inventory; if the word "casual" gives you allergy – the below list of games is for you.

Here is a list of the 10 most hardcore MMO games. We selected the titles in a big discussion we've had in the office, and the order is not particular.

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