Is It An MMO? #5 — Grinding Gear Games Says “Path Of Exile Is Not An MMORPG," But I Disagree

The game may not be "massive" but it's always online and uses instancing, so the player is never alone.

Matthew D'Onofrio
By Matthew D'Onofrio, News Editor
Share:

poe dungeon

The characterization of a massively multiplayer online game, or MMO, is self-explanatory. Or is it? By definition, it means a large number of players on the same server — hundreds, thousands — and a big open world that continues to evolve. So does Path of Exile, the “online-only action RPG” developed by Grinding Gear Games, measure up?

Well, the team behind the game says no. Despite being played on persistent servers with thousands of other players, “Path of Exile is not an MMORPG,” wrote Chris Wilson, one of the company’s founders, in a post on the game’s official website in 2010. Case closed then, right? Nah. Let’s still dive in.

poe multiplayer

Path of Exile uses instancing for all areas, including towns. That means servers never get overloaded because more just get added if so — which is good. However, that also means you won’t encounter those thousands of other players — which is bad (for my argument). When in dungeons, the maximum size for a group is six, but players may encounter up to eight others in total. And when you’re in a town, there’s usually only a dozen or less people hanging out (who are open to trade with too). As for PvP, there is the Arena which holds up to 24 players at a time.

While this element of the game clearly negates the “massive” part of MMO, there’s something actually interesting here. Many MMOs come and go, and when they’re on the way out it’s typically because the population reached an all-time low. A town in a dying or dead MMO will be a ghost town, meaning no one is around. But in Path of Exile — due to instancing — there’s always going to be some sort of liveliness when players are in towns…giving off that MMO feeling.

poe player

Such a system is similarly prevalent in games like Wayfinder, Diablo IV, Blue Protocol, and Tower of Fantasy — games that I previously covered in this “Is It An MMO?” series.

Aside from the multiplayer aspects, the game features an expansive storyline, loads of quests, meaningful character customization, classes with unique abilities and playstyles, and endless growth and progression. Saying all of that is exclusive to MMOs would be silly, but the genre sure does almost always include most, if not all these things.

Overall, I disagree with Chris Wilson from Grinding Gear Games when he said: “Path of Exile is not an MMORPG.” That’s a stretch, because the game kind of is an MMO. Not entirely, but slightly.

Share this Article:


About the Author

Matthew D'Onofrio
Matthew D'Onofrio, News Editor

Matthew “dinofries” D'Onofrio is a writer, content creator, podcaster and — most importantly — a gamer. With such a strong passion for video games and a severe case of FOMO, it's no surprise he always has his finger on the pulse of the gaming world. On the rare occasion Matt's away from a screen, you'll find him strumming away on his acoustic guitar or taking care of his cat Totoro.

More Stories by Matthew D'Onofrio

Discussion (2)

justsomeguy 7 months ago
If all it takes to be a MMO is for there to be a lot of players on the same server, then Skyrim when played on Steam is a MMO.

It's not about how many people are on the servers, it's how many can actively play together. This also means being able to see a lot of people in a hub town, while only say four people can play together in an instanced zone does not make a game a MMO, as the instances are where you're actively playing the game, not in the hub zone.

mouhsine 7 months ago
well for me...an MMORPG is a multiplayer RPG game in which you can meet and find lots of players not just in towns or hubs and the likes but in all of the maps including the ones that have mobs on them...and of cours you can meet and see and meet all of these players in these maps without being in a group or party with them and you can also kill steal in an MMORPG...so for me since path of exile does contain only one part of an MMORPG and that where players meet in camps like only...then i don't consider path of exile and MMORPG...

1

Read Next

6 MMORPGs You Can Get Married In 2023

These MMORPG games feature a bonding ceremony you can share with your significant other.

By Troy Blackburn - 7 months ago

You May Enjoy

Teamfight Tactics Gets A Bit Musical While Your Strategy Builds The Soundtrack...And Pengu Rocks

The blending of genres works better than you probably think.

By Michael Byrne - 5 days ago
Top 10 Most Beautiful Open Worlds in MMORPGs

Sometimes, it's just awesome to take in the views in some MMORPGs.

By Troy Blackburn - 1 week ago
“Lady Siel’s Call” Is Coming To Aion Classic EU Bringing More For Both PvE And PvP Players

Update 2.5 will add new gear and conent later this year.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 18 hours ago
Guild Wars 2 Black Friday Sale Starts Now, MMO Hits $1 Million During 2023 Extra Life Marathon

Save up to 75% off expansions and other content.

By QuintLyn Bowers - 6 days ago
Trove "Punches And Potions" Update Adds 2 New Tradeskills And Finally Gives You Better Effects Visibility

You should have an easier time actually seeing what effects are on your character...and even be able to remove some.

By Michael Byrne - 4 days ago
KartRider: Drift Season 5 Is Bringing 8 New Tracks, 4 New Characters, And UI Improvements

Plus a BLACKPINK Crossover event.

By Troy Blackburn - 3 days ago