The concept of the free MMORPG has been around a long time, and there are hundreds of various titles that the average computer user can instal and play on his or her computer. The sheer number of these free to play MMO-RPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) is astounding.

You can search the internet and find the exact game play style (ex, mouse movement or keyboard) and graphics (3D, 2D, Anime, Realistic) that you desire. Numerous people download and play these games everyday, but sadly not everyone can enjoy the diverse amount of these game available for free for people to play.

Well, even though the game isn’t free to play in its entirety, you can play the first 20 levels for free and when it comes to World of Warcraft, 20 levels mean a lot of play time. Despite the growing popularity of Mac, most MMOs and MMORPGs don't have mac compatible versions of their games. Free to Play MMORPG for PC, play now for free on your desktop. Free MMO games are epic online fun for hours. As the classic used to say: 'You need to gather the party before venturing forth', and now players from all over the world will join. Enter the worlds of fantasy and science fiction, and go to the battlefield. Ha ha, now that is funny.while there are some companies that write MMO's for both PC and Mac, CCP is an example, none of the free ones do. Good reason for that, most of the free games come out of Korea and China and Macs are quite rare in those countries. So chances that one of these free companies will fund a mac client are slim and none.

The Mac user is left out...but this is nothing new. It seems that every single free MMO-RPG released is designed only to be played by the PC user. The system requirements always state that Microsoft Windows Xp is needed to play. Clicking the download link always displays a .EXE extension to the file. That signals that I can't play it. I have tried to open numerous free MMOs but they always disappoint me...

Here is the list of MMO-RPGs that Mac users are barred from playing:

3D Wow Clones:
Talisman Online
Runes of Magic
4Story

Anime Styled:
Mabinogi: Fantasy Life (From Nexon, creators of Maplestory)
LUNA Online
Scions of Fate
Fly For Fun-a.k.a Flyff
Monato Esprit
Dream of Mirror Online
Trickster
Tales of Pirates
Fiesta Online
NosTale
Seal Online
Secret of the Solstice
Tales Runner
ZU Online
Grand Chase
Albatross 18
Vanilla Gate
Splash Fighters
Rumble Fighter
Manga Fighter
Shin Megami Tensei

There are also numerous others that I cannot play, to see the FULL LIST of MMO's visit this website:
http://www.freemmogamer.com/

It is a huge disappointment that out of the 25 total MMO-RPGs listed here, not one of them is available for a Mac user to install and play. Despite this lack of Mac support, I don't believe that the creators of these MMOs are trying to exclude Mac users on purpose. I think that when these games are developed, they create them to reach the widest possible target audience. The majority of computer users own a Windows based OS, unfortunately. But what many of these developers don't realize is that the number of people using Macs instead is steadily increasing, not every computer owner uses a Windows based operating system. Mac users make up a substantial market as well, and should not be ignored just because game developers neglect to realize that there is more than one computer operating system.

'Opponents state that a Mac versions of these MMOs are not needed, referring to the fact that Mac users can run Boot camp or programs like Parallels to run windows and still play the game. But the problem with this argument is the cost for Mac users, Windows emulation programs like VM Ware and Parallels are very expensive (cost $80.00) plus the cost of a Windows XP disk (around $120.00). Even with Boot Camp (which is free, runs only on Intel Macs) you are still required to buy a Windows XP disk for Boot Camp to work. This is not fair to the Mac user because these games are all free to install, sign up for, and play. It is unfair for Mac users to have to pay around 120.00 to 200.00 for games that are free for everyone else.'
-Adapted from Maplestory petition

What Does Mmorpg Stand For

In conclusion, I want companies to realize that there are computer users out there that own Macs. I want it to be known that including these Mac users would provide freeware MMO-RPG companies valuable customers that would be willing to pay for in-game services just like their PC user counterparts. The goal of many of these companies is to reach the widest possible target audience, this is the reason that many (or all) of them neglect to develop their games for the Apple OS. But there is a downside to this strategy, in trying to reach the widest possible audience they do just the opposite. Reaching the widest possible audience, in reality, would mean developing (from the start, or adding support later on) to the computer users who own Apple computers running Mac OS 10.5.

Finally, Macs are not like they were in the past. Most Mac computers are now Intel-processor based, the same intel processor that most PCs use. Today's Macs are even able to run a Windows based operating system on them due to this new processor. I can't stress how important this fact is, this makes creating a Mac version much easier for game developers than it would have been in the past. Due to this fact, there should be no excuse to why companies can't take full advantage of this new technology and port their Windows only games to the Mac as well.

The humble MMORPG isn’t as popular as it once was, but there are still plenty of awesome MMORPGs out there that are still kicking and waiting for you to sign up so you can start sinking hours into them.

Best Mmo For Mac

Sadly, as with most game genres, Mac players have a limited selection of quality options; nearly all MMORPGs are available on Windows, but fewer than half are natively playable on Mac. Of the ones that are playable, only a few are actually worth your time.

Here are the best Mac MMORPGs that are natively playable, active with significant playerbases, complete with fun gameplay, and ultimately worth playing even now.

1. World of Warcraft

Upon its release in 2004, World of Warcraft made it clear that for any other MMORPG to compete with it, that game would have to be groundbreaking. Sixteen years later, it’s hard to argue that any game has done so to date.

While the Battle for Azeroth expansion pack was not popular with players, the following Shadowlands expansion has been quite popular so far.

On top of that, World of Warcraft Classic—a separate service that reverts the game back to what it was at initial release—has proven to be very popular with players as well.

Even if you’ve never played WoW before, there has never been a better time to start. It’s not just one of the best Mac MMORPGs; it’s still one of the best MMORPGs, period.

Related: What is World of Warcraft Classic?

2. Final Fantasy XIV

While Blizzard’s World of Warcraft behemoth is undeniably the biggest MMORPG in the world, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV isn’t far behind. This would have been impossible to foresee in 2010 when the game was first released.

Famously a major flop, the original Final Fantasy XIV shut its servers down in 2012, only to be re-released a year later as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

This revamped edition of the game did much better, attracting a large playerbase and pulling in some serious money for Square Enix.

Now? The game is bigger than ever, having seen three major expansion packs released since Reborn was released. It’s still going strong, and it’s still worth jumping in as a newbie.

3. The Elder Scrolls Online

When it was first released, it appeared that The Elder Scrolls Online might suffer the same fate as Final Fantasy XIV did after its initial release: a negative reception that threatened to slay the game before it could pick up traction.

Fortunately, ZeniMax Online Studios was able to make several key changes in a timely fashion, and eventually the game started gaining real popularity.

Playing somewhat like a mix of a traditional Elder Scrolls game in an MMORPG format, The Elder Scrolls Online is perfect if you’ve ever dreamed of a multiplayer Skyrim.

Unlike subscription-based MMORPGs, The Elder Scrolls Online is a buy-once title with optional expansions that are also unlocked via one-time payments. (If you prefer a subscription model, ESO Plus provides several perks for $15/mo.)

4. Lord of the Rings Online

You might have forgotten about it—or maybe never even knew about it—but Lord of the Rings Online has been rolling along since its initial release back in 2007.

This game started off subscription-based, only to move to a free-to-play model in 2010 and subsequently gaining a significant number of players in the process.

The game has seen several expansions released over the years, with the most recent being Minas Morgul in 2019.

Another expansion is said to be in the works for 2021, so there will continue to be new content for players to explore—and there’s plenty of existing content to enjoy if you hop in now as a first-time player.

5. Guild Wars 2

Get the “Path of Fire” and “Heart of Thorns” expansions, a max-level boost, an extra character slot, 4000 gems, and more goodies with the super-valued Ultimate Guild Wars 2 bundle!

The original Guild Wars was a unique game, landing somewhere between action-RPGs like Diablo and more traditional MMORPGs. It was heavily instanced, with only hub areas containing large numbers of players.

Guild Wars 2 took a more traditional MMORPG approach to gameplay, but still brings a lot of its own flavor to the mix.

Unlike most other online games, developer ArenaNet says that Guild Wars 2‘s storyline (Living World) is influenced by player actions, making players feel like they have more of a stake in the happenings of the game.

Originally following a buy-once model similar to The Elder Scrolls Online, publisher NCSoft eventually switched Guild Wars 2 over to a free-to-play approach in 2015.

6. EVE Online

I’m sure there are some fans of EVE Online who are outraged that it took five other games in this article before this game saw its due. I’m also sure that others are outraged that the game is here at all! Because EVE Online isn’t “just” an MMORPG.

Unlike the other games on this list, EVE Online is part MMO, part space sim, part I’m-not-even-sure. It’s 100% PVE and 100% PVP.

It’s more than just hunting enemies and completing quests; there’s an entire universe with a player-driven economy, shifting control of various stations throughout space, and lots of cutthroat politics between corporations (EVE’s version of guilds).

It’s intense and requires more than casual commitment—not to mention the steep learning curve. That said, it’s one of the most rewarding MMORPG experiences.

There are stories of players getting the power shut off for other players (in real life!) just to win key battles over resources in space. For good or for bad, no other MMORPG is this “real.”

7. RuneScape

RuneScape is actually the oldest game on this list, even beating out World of Warcraft in seniority. (World of Warcraft came out in 2004, whereas RuneScape launched in January 2001.) That’s a long time to still be going strong.

Of course, the game has had multiple iterations at this point, so much so that you could really refer to it as RuneScape 3. If your machine has terrible specs, or if you prefer a more truly old-school experience, you can always play Old School RuneScape. Yes, it’s literally called that.

Offline Games That Feel Like MMOs

Whether you’ve got a dodgy internet connection or just don’t like the possibility of other players ruining your game, MMORPGs aren’t for everyone.

And what a shame that is, since the sheer sense of exploration in a good MMORPG is tough to beat.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t get these same experiences in single player games. If you’re looking for the same sense of scale without any other players…

Read next: Offline games that will scratch your MMORPG itch