I know what you’re thinking. “Oh god, not another one.” Well, either that, or “Thank god, screw NetEase.” I feel as though either are realistically acceptable responses to this news.
Don’t get me wrong. I was excited for Project Ragnarok. Legitimately excited. It was a norse-inspired cross-platform MMORPG with an endless budget. Not the typical Chinese-themed MMOs that typically come out of China.
The single trailer released for the game initially – while in its entirety, a pre-rendered cinematic, despite the developers claiming the contrary, looked good.
The following year a full in-game trailer was released that showcased the world, flight, the combat, and the severe issues they were having with regards to FPS.
And then.. nothing. For the last year, there hasn’t been a single peep out of NetEase.

Project Ragnarok is advertised to be a “next generation AAA budget cross-platform action MMORPG” that was initially slated to be released back in 2021 – within China at least. They had expressed their interest in releasing the game Globally – that would provide them their largest return on investment after all.
A full in-game trailer was released earlier in 2021 to show off exactly how much progress had been made up until that point, and likely to reassure investors that the game’s progress was nearing completion.
However, as many interested gamers noticed while watching the trailer, this didn’t seem remotely close to being in a ready, playable state. The game had severe FPS issues. The world seemed empty. The combat didn’t look at all reminiscent of the “AAA quality” that they had been promising us.
Heck, if I’m being entirely honest with you all, Genshin Impact, Punishing Gray Raven, and the upcoming Tower of Fantasy and Wuthering Waves games have substantially better looking action combat. And their budgets are a fraction of what Project Ragnarok was touting.

Googling around, not only has there been no active communication with players or companies outside of China, but there has been none within it either.
2 years have passed since this MMO was announced, 1 year has passed since this was confirmed to be releasing, and here they are, pulling a Blue Protocol on us. The only difference being, Bandai Namco are still openly recruiting for Blue Protocol.
Back in 2021, NetEase confirmed that they would be holding an official Beta test for the game. A limited number of players would be able to pre-register for and access the version of the game they had been actively working on.
That pre-registration is.. interestingly, still open. Meaning technically, you can pre-register for the limited Beta test that was going to take place all the way back in 2021.

Reading through comments on Taptap, I’ve noticed a common theme amongst Chinese players: They hate the fact that NetEase are catering the game to us Western players.
Scrolling through, I came across comments stating that they should instead of focusing on the Nordic theme present currently, focus on “Chinese culture.” Because there aren’t already enough Chinese games with Chinese aesthetics.
Then I came across another claiming that there needs to be more Chinese elements within it. That the game doesn’t NEED Western elements.
These kinds of comments are the type of feedback NetEase are getting. They’re being told by their community that potential players found within the game’s region of origin do not like the aesthetic focus, and would rather be another Age of Wushu, Moonlight Blade, Swords of Legends, Justice Online.
Yet if history has taught us anything: It’s that every single one of these Asian-inspired games have done horrendously over in the West, and the West is a key part of NetEase’s strategy for expansion. As is the same with Tencent.

Project Ragnarok has made barely any progress over the last 2 years. If any at all. We don’t know – how could we. Their developer team is 100% uncommunicative.
One thing is for certain, though: This game is not releasing this year. This game is not releasing next year. And if it ever does release – which is doubtful at this juncture, the Chinese playerbase is not going to receive it with any type of positivity.

So, Project Ragnarök has been on my radar for over a year now, ever since the original trailer was revealed. And today, we’re taking a look at the self-proclaimed “AAA Action MMORPG”. Project Ragnarök, henceforth referred to simply as Ragnarök is an upcoming norse-mythology themed action MMORPG. You know, featuring Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya.

This game was scheduled to release in 2021, and there has been no confirmation or announcement from the developer claiming the game isn’t still on schedule to release before this years end.

Ragnarök is a fast-paced free-to-play action MMORPG with a Norse setting. MMOs in this day and age target one of three aesthetics: We have Anime MMOs which all look and feel relatively similar to one another, with small differences in terms of combat or character models.
We have Korean MMOs which are all.. I mean, let’s face it.. pretty much replicas of games like Black Desert or Astellia. They have a very noticeable style that seems eerily specific to that region.
And then we have Western MMOs… which all look like Ashes of Creation, New World, and Gloria Victis.
*ew sound effect*
Ragnarök specifically looks particularly different as it takes inspiration from a setting that is generally underutilized.

As of October 14th, 2021, there have been 2 trailers released for the game. The first trailer was used quite deceptively in an attempt to convince players that it was in fact in-game gameplay being showcased.
Which isn’t specific to this game – developers use that tactic all the time to give off the illusion of full gameplay. It helps hype players. But it also sets unrealistic expectations.
The second trailer, however, which was released several months ago went on to give us a much better look at the game: We got to see the action combat in real-time, with heavy FPS issues and all.
And don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming “heavy FPS issues” here is a negative, quite the contrary. This is exactly what we WANT to see. It proves this was captured in-game. Yes, it means that they still have a ways to go in terms of optimization, but what we see is what we’re ultimately going to end up getting.

As of March 2021 – earlier this year, NetEase, the developers in charge of Ragnarök confirmed in an interview that they had over 60 staff members working on the game. That was over 6 months ago. It’s very plausible that within that timeframe additional members have been brought in to aid in the development process.
Several other things were made clear during the very same interview. Ragnarök is going to be a full sandbox strategy MMO. They haven’t confirmed what they meant with regards to the “strategy” element, nor what purpose it will serve, but it will provide players a large sandbox world supposedly without limitation.
Yes, that means you can play Conan the Barbarian, Barbie Island Adventures, or Barbie the Barbarian if that’s something you’re into.

Although you won’t be limited to just a single world. Rather, it will provide players several large sandbox worlds. Yes, according to NetEase, this game isn’t going to be set on just one world, likely allowing players to travel through the various different realms that populate Norse mythology. Kind of like what ODIN: Valhalla Rising is doing.
And ODIN made over $100 million dollars within its first month. Crazy, right?

The game at its core will provide a traditional MMORPG experience. You’ll explore, take quests, hunt monsters, gather resources, create and join guilds.
There will be functional dungeons and raids present, which.. they claimed will require teamwork and coordination to execute. Like all MMOs. And like in the majority of MMOs, I will likely fail to successfully execute mechanics and die.

DPS in a nutshell, Amirite?

Now as I’m sure you’re all aware, typically zones in MMOs carry a limit. Meaning that there can only exist a number of players concurrently on screen at any given time.
Blue Protocol is capped at 20-30, even Final Fantasy XIV is capped fairly low. Ragnarök alluded to the fact that there will in fact be a cap somewhere around 50 players per instance, or channel. Which of course means less players to compete against

One thing I found interesting was that they confirmed there will be no class system present in-game. In place of the traditional system, you’ll instead play as a Valkyrie. Both male AND female Valkyries, interestingly enough. Yeah. I had no idea male Valkyries were even a thing. Yet.. at the same time I’m oddly intrigued.

But I genuinely hope we get outfits that look just as good as female Valkyries’. So, you play as a Valkyrie, and earn something called “Einherjar,” which are, in essence, the game’s form of classes. You equip them, and once equipped, they grant you a set of abilities and traits.
These provide you with unique opportunities to play the game in a variety of ways, and fill a multitude of different roles.
Granted everyone will likely possess the same einherjar, so anyone will be able to swap to any class to fit the situation, but you should never find yourself short anything.

Now, this does open up the game to… Gacha mechanics.
I’m sure many of the classes available to players are either going to be sold within the cash shop, or will instead of rolled for like in most mobile games. Much to the dismay of.. everyone.

Oh, speaking of, I’d forgotten to mention that this is going to be a cross-platform MMORPG. Yup, a fully functional cross-platform title like Genshin Impact. However this is where things get a little.. concerning.
NetEase have confirmed that while this is going to release onto every major platform, the game specifically is being developed with a focus on mobile first. Meaning that the PC and console versions will likely suffer in some form.
NetEase went on to state that they want to focus on mobile functionality first and foremost, with the other platforms being an afterthought. Less important. Not necessary to invest too much time into.

It’s unconfirmed whether the game is going to have cross-save functionality, or cross-play functionality at present, but I wouldn’t see why not, honestly.

Player housing has been confirmed. However, they elaborated a little on that going on to state that the feature is actually not something that takes precedence for them, and instead, will be added in as an additional feature at an undisclosed time after the game successfully launches.
Ragnarök is also being built on Unreal Engine 4 as opposed to Unreal Engine 5 like some other MMOs are beginning to already convert to.

Now this is a title that has been confirmed for a Global release. NetEase stated “the game will distribute globally, but the release dates for different countries and regions may differ due to their respective policies and regulations.”
This means that there is no confirmed release date presently, either within China or any region outside of China, but their goals were to hold a Closed Beta this year.
I honestly have no idea whether or not they successfully held that Closed Beta as.. well, I’ve heard literally nothing about this game since the first quarter of this year. But if it hasn’t, then.. we’ll likely either get a Closed Beta test very soon with a 2022 release, or a 2022 Beta and… who knows when it’ll release.

✔️ Ragnarök features a unique setting that is generally untouched within the genre.

✔️ It utilizes action combat.

✔️ It has some great looking visuals.

✔️ It’s going to feature a narrative set within Norse mythology.

✔️ It will be cross-platform compatible with every major platform.

❎ Its action combat might be auto-target and auto-play. This will need to be confirmed via upcoming trailers.

❎ The FPS is horrendous.

❎ It will be cross-platform compatible with every major platform.

❎ The game is Chinese in origin.

❎ There is likely going to be a cash shop with… suggestive items.

❎ Confirmation that mobile is the focus.

Ultimately, Ragnarök could be a very fun MMO. I’ve been excited for the game since its announcement, as I have been with every MMO. Moreso for this though due to the fact that it takes place in a setting I love.
I’m not sure if the game will be dumbed down due to its mobile compatibility, it’s very likely to be, granted, but I can only hope they plan on optimizing it for every platform it launches on to.

In the first update since its announcement, the developers behind the upcoming “Project Ragnarok” MMORPG have revealed quite a bit of what we can look forward to when it approaches its release later this year.

• As of March 2021, NetEase have confirmed that the Ragnarök development team has over 60 staff members working on it.
• This is going to be a full sandbox strategy MMORPG. It will provide players several large, open worlds to explore all heavily inspired by Norse mythology.
• Players will be able to hunt monsters, gather resources, create and join guilds and everything you can find in traditional MMOs. They confirmed that player capacity per area (or, according to them “per single battle”) will be “40 – 50 players.” Whether that means each channel per area will have at maximum 50 players, or there can only ever be 50 players on screen at a given time remains to be seen.
• There will be both dungeons and raids present in-game. These will require teamwork and coordination to execute, so you know that means I’ll probably be dead a lot.
• Interestingly enough there won’t be a class system in-game. Instead, players will play as Valkyries, (both male and female Valkyries,) with players collecting “einherjar,” which are essentially classes you can equip, allowing you to take on traits and abilities from the class in question. This, unfortunately opens up the game to a lot of Gacha mechanics and pay-to-win in the form of specific einherjar being sold via the cash shop specifically.
• Players will progress in a traditional “skill-upgrading and gear-looting” fashion. You’ll be fully capable of obtaining artifacts to enhance both your stats and skills.
• While player-housing is confirmed, it’s not something they’re planning on adding until later through development.
• Even with Unreal Engine 5 being available this year, it seems as though they want to keep the game on a functional, tested version of Unreal Engine 4.
• Ragnarök is going to be fully cross-platform compatible. This means it will be available on PlayStation, XBox, PC and Mobile devices, however they confirmed “mobile is our top priority right now.” This is unfortunate, as that means the MMO will likely be developed for mobile devices first, with other platforms as a mere afterthought.

Ragnarök is scheduled for a Global release. They don’t have a 100% confirmed date currently, stating that “the game will distribute globally, but the release dates for different countries and regions may differ due to their respective policies and regulations.” The MMORPG will be holding a Beta test later this year for players interested in participating, however, which means the game is much closer to being in a fully-functional state than anyone had imagined.

This is exciting news for us as MMORPG fans, and especially console MMO fans as I feel as though you guys are often neglected in terms of releases. So often MMOs tend to release on either PC or Mobile devices, with you guys being treated as third-class citizens.
No more! NetEase has announced a brand new upcoming AAA-budget MMORPG titled “Project Ragnarok” launching completely cross-platform between PC, Consoles and Mobile devices.

Now this was actually announced a few weeks ago, but I’d neglected to discuss it for whatever reason. So here we are, today, ready to not only discuss the game, but also jump in and watch the trailer together.

Now I’m firmly of the opinion that the trailer wasn’t using the in-game engine, but rather a form of cinematic engine to show off the graphical style of the game.
This is a single trailer, and all of the footage we have released pertaining to Project Ragnarok thus far, and as such the final, in-game result will likely be quite different to what is shown here.
But considering this is also simultaneously launching on to both PC and Consoles leaves me with the hope that it could possibly look this good in-game. Project Ragnarok, which I’ll just be calling Ragnarok henceforth is a brand new upcoming cross-platform MMORPG inspired by Norse mythology.
The game is set in a large, beautiful open-world with a plethora of activities to do and real-world interaction in the form of climbing and grappling.
From what the trailer suggests and what NetEase have revealed, it looks as though the game is going to utilize full-action combat although ultimately what the final product will look like and how will it’ll play is another discussion entirely.

There was a second trailer released for Ragnarok on Twitter, albeit this one in particular was only approximately 30 seconds long.
The trailer showed what was referred to as “in-game gameplay,” providing a look at the real-world interaction we talked about just a moment ago, some of the environments you’ll see comprising the world, and the player briefly walking around the world itself.

The story of Ragnarok is simple: The destruction of Ragnarok is coming as per the doomsday prophecy, and you’re summoned as a hero to the mortal world to stop the destruction from taking place.

Supposedly, NetEase is investing quite a bit of money into Ragnarok, and I truly hope that this is reflected in the game.
Making a game, especially an MMORPG to appease gamers in today’s market is a difficult feat. Making one for every platform is something I haven’t seen done correctly yet, and I’ve been in the MMO market for over 15 years.

Project Ragnarok was announced in May 2020. At the time of its release, it did not have a confirmed release date, however, many people are anticipating Project Ragnarok to launch in 2021. Will Ragnarok end up being an MMO worth playing? Only time will tell. Regardless, I’m watching this closely.