What if you could dive into a massive full-scale MMORPG right from your browser—without any installs or downloads, just the raw fun you want? Ember Sword is the game, literally, and it is not only creating a buzz by the launch of the game but also by the storyline depicting the team’s grit, creativity, and how they kept going when things got tough for them.
At the beginning of 2018, the team of Ember Sword decided to carry out a big idea: to create an accessible, fun, and community-focused MMORPG. Along with that, they faced every possible obstacle in their path—engine refactorings, code rewrites, the FTX collapse, the SVB disaster, a ruthless bear market, and even a global pandemic. Most teams would have probably given up, but not the team of Ember Sword. In fact, they claim they have “weathered every storm possible” and are still standing, still building, and still believing in their vision.
On the core level, the game of Ember Sword is about saving the enchanted MMORPGs—the very type of games that have the power to create lifelong friendships worldwide, let players be whoever they want, and give gamers a feeling of being part of something. The developers, who are themselves experienced MMO veterans, wanted to embody the sense of belonging and the thrill that only a crowded online world can bring can be felt. To get a thorough idea of their standpoint, they even suggest watching the Netflix documentary “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” which is proof of the power of virtual relationships.
The story is told by the figures of the beta. Ember Sword had over 152,000 unique play sessions, and the total playtime was close to 41,000 hour,s i.,e. almost 5 years of gameplay in total. Day one retention was 43%, the Discord community increased to 75,000, and there were more than 151,000 messages in the beta, and social media audience engagement was more than 800,000 impressions. Almost 370,000 players pre-registered for the game that was still in development.
What is the reason for all this excitement? The game Ember Sword is not only leaning on the old times of glory. The cloud-based gaming tech used by the game removes the cloud gaming la,g and thus the gameplay is very smooth and responsive even if no big downloads are done or the hardware is not very powerful. Using a browser, you can arrive at the world of Thanabus. This model is a gateway for the whole world to play and also for those players who have been left behind so far; hence, accessibility is a vital part of the experience.
They are only available at Early Access. The release, which starts on servers located in Singapore, features a level cap of 30, new weapons, skills like alchemy and woodcutting, cosmetics (NFTs that are optional), and the very first look at the Solarwood country. The devs acknowledge the existence of bugs and that the team is small, but they are committed to fixing bugs quickly and working on the next stages of the game based on the feedback from players.
The in-game economy intends to be just as bold. The origin of the $EMBER token was modest—no big surprise in a market where almost every game token fails—but the team is not discouraged. The introduction of dual-token systems, burn operations tied to in-game revenue, staking schemes, and the grind-to-upgrade-to-trade loop are some of the things aimed at creating a fascinating and sustainable economy. New collaborations and advisers are ensuring that the system is not just a short-lived success.
One day, Ember Sword plans to unveil more zones, add more features, and prove that a browser MMORPG can be as good as the giants of the industry. The team had a hard time because they were downsizing and had limited resources, but their passion is still alive and well, and the community is already playing a significant role in shaping the future of the game.
Ember Sword is not an ordinary MMORPG. It is an experiment in terms of accessibility, technology, and community-created design—all of which can be done anywhere, anytime. If you are a fan of the next great MMO, then watch Thanabus. This underdog is not only managing to get through but also is radically changing what a browser-based MMO can do.