When you want that sweet-and-salty combination of online RPG progression and rapid-paced combat with tons and tons of mostly disposable loot, the action RPG genre is there to take your hand and sprint with you all the way to the final boss.
Ever since Diablo II brought ARPGs to online play, we’ve seen many of these games straddle the line between the MMO and the solo click-fest. If you’re in the mood for gaming in the fast lane, these 10 titles have what you need.
Diablo IV
We’ll get the current Big Daddy of the genre out of the way. While it wasn’t the global sensation that Blizzard hoped it would be, Diablo IV is an undeniable giant stomping around with its famous IP, gloomy atmosphere, frequent updates, and seasonal progression. MMO fans should enjoy this game’s social and grouping features, not to mention the fact that Blizzard’s already invested into a full expansion.
Titan Quest II
Cult favorite ARPG Titan Quest — a title from all the way back in 2006 — is getting a follow-up next year with Titan Quest II, though you can technically play it now in early access already. This title differentiates itself from the rest of the ARPG pack by focusing more on ancient Greek mythology for its setting. It’s aiming to come out in 2026 (two decades after the original!) with multiplayer attached.
Path of Exile 1 and 2
Of course, no list of online ARPGs is satisfactory unless Grinding Gears’ Path of Exile titles are included. The original was a smash hit that gained a lot of traction over the years with incredibly solid Diablo-style gameplay, a vast amount of build customization, and outstanding studio support. Path of Exile 2’s been shaky since its early access launch but has a lot of potential as well.
Last Epoch
Speaking of cult favorites, Last Epoch garnered a sizable following since its 2018 Kickstarter and its early access launch last year. Word-of-mouth of this impressive title brought a lot of curious players into its fold, and while Last Epoch is still taking shape, the studio’s worked hard to beef it up with continual updates and improvements.
Lost Ark
Amazon partnered up with Smilegate to bring this (very) long-awaited fantasy MMOARPG to market back in 2022. Lost Ark proved to be both divisive and popular, with some loving the gorgeous eye candy visuals and MMORPG elements, and others not keen on the bots, bugs, and business model. It’s definitely an ARPG for those who want brighter visuals and a more eastern flair to their game.
Diablo Immortal
A mobile Diablo that’s also a full-fledged MMO? That sounds like a dream come true for many franchise faithful. But while Diablo Immortal is a fully competent MMOARPG, players have been a little leery of NetEase standing behind it — and a fully dubious business model. Still, it’s pretty slick and freely available, so it’s worth a try at least!
Drakantos
Want some cute pixel art mixed with your hack-n-slash combat? The upcoming Drakantos should satisfy 16-bit 2-D fans with its visuals, but ARPG players should stick around for its wealth of systems, pets, and boss battles. As a bonus, this game is far more MMO than some other titles on this list, so we’re definitely looking forward to seeing it release.
Throne and Liberty
NCsoft’s long, long, long-awaited next chapter of the Lineage franchise splashed down pretty hard a year ago. It’s a mixed bag of quality, but the eye candy here is undeniably delectable, and the studio’s worked hard to add a ton of content to Throne and Liberty — including this month’s housing system.
Diablo III
If Diablo IV’s bleak visuals and Diablo Immortal’s mobile slush aren’t to your liking, there is still another great online candidate: Diablo III. This colorful, flashy, and — frankly — fun entry in the series may not be getting new expansions these days, but Blizzard still runs new seasons and gives it the occasional patch.
Grim Dawn
This scrappy ARPG underdog’s been nipping at Diablo’s heels for years now, and it’s definitely a title worth checking out. Grim Dawn’s had three expansions to date, released on Xbox, and refined its gameplay with lots of adjustments and features over many patches. It’s a title that we’re most confident that a lot of people are sleeping on — but shouldn’t.
Corepunk
Ukrainian-developed Corepunk attempted to create a fusion between the MMO and ARPG — not to mention a hybrid of fantasy and tech. It was a rough road even getting to early access, and it’s been a rough road since, but there’s some quirky potential in this product. We’ll see how it shakes out.
Honorable mentions
Looking for even more online ARPG suggestions? Why not take a gander at Wolcen, Tree of Savior, Project Pantheon, Dark Continent, Hellgate London, Diablo II Resurrected, or Torchlight Infinite?
Everyone likes a good list, and we are no different! Perfect Ten takes an MMO topic and divvies it up into 10 delicious, entertaining, and often informative segments for your snacking pleasure. Got a good idea for a list? Email us at justin@massivelyop.com or eliot@massivelyop.com with the subject line “Perfect Ten.”
