10 Best MMORPGs for Mac in 2022
Gaming on Mac can often be tricky because the majority of popular gaming titles out there are not properly (if at all) supported for macOS, which makes it necessary for Mac users to resort to workaround methods to run their desired games on their Mac computers. This is an almost universal obstacle for Mac gaming as a whole, and it applies to nearly all game genres. However, surprisingly, when it comes down to the MMORPG genre, it turns out that a big number of popular MMORPGs have decently-functioning native macOS versions that one can easily download, install, and play on his/her Mac without needing to employ any complex and janky workaround solutions. Of course, there are also those MMORPGs that aren't officially supported for Mac, but most of them can still be played on a Mac using cloud gaming.
Below, we will give you two lists of MMORPGs that you can play on Mac. The first list will include the best MMORPG titles that have native macOS versions and can directly be installed and played from a Mac computer. In the second list, we will give you a couple of games that, while not supported for macOS, can still be played on Mac via cloud gaming services such as Boosteroid or GeForce Now.
Best MMORPGs for Mac in 2022
Best MMORPGs for cloud gaming on Mac in 2022
The MMORPGs you listed below aren't shown in any particular order. Instead, they are games we consider to be good and very good and that you can play natively on your Mac, without needing to employ any workaround methods.
Final Fantasy XIV (a realm reborn)
Full version: $14.99/month (for single-month subscriptions)
Final Fantasy XIV is on the more accessible and approachable end of the specter when talking about MMORPG games. In it, you won't find anything that an experienced MMORPG player won't already be familiar with, or that a newcomer to this gaming genre won't be able to pick up relatively easily with only a couple of hours of gameplay. Character progression is quite linear and there aren't any skill trees, unique items, or abilities that allow for a lot of experimentation. None of that is to say that the game is dull or has uninteresting gameplay, but if you are looking for overly advanced mechanics and mechanical depth, maybe you should look elsewhere. For newcomers to the MMORPG genre, this is great news – Final Fantasy XIV is a great gateway into this gaming genre precisely due to its accessibility.
A somewhat unusual aspect of this game is its focus on the story. A lot of MMOs have bare-bones stories that are only there to provide context for the gameplay, but Final Fantasy XIV is the exact opposite in this regard. It has a rich story and lore, and it uses every opportunity to let you know about them. For some players, this may be annoying, as few people play online games for their stories, while for others, the story-rich setting of Final Fantasy XIV may come as an additional incentive to keep on playing.
Overall, it's one of the better MMORPGs out there and can be a lot of fun if you are willing to dedicate a solid portion of your time to it – a universal requirement for gaining any satisfaction from an MMORPG game.
$14.99/month (for single-month subscriptions)
Even if you've never heard about other MMORPG games, unless you've been living under a rock for the past 18 years, chances are you've heard about Blizzard's epic fantasy game – World of Warcraft. This isn't simply the most popular and influential MMORPG of all time – it's one of the most popular and influential games, period. Admittedly, WoW has been past its prime for quite some time now, and its player base isn't what it used to be at the zenith of the game's popularity. Regardless, World of Warcraft, to this day, remains among the biggest and most played MMORPGs (5,650,447 average monthly players in March 2022). The game benefits from Blizzard's continuous support and it's still receiving new updates and even new expansions. It must be pointed out that there have been mixed opinions regarding the story and gameplay elements introduced in the more recent expansions, yet, the fact that such expansions are still being made 18 years after the game's initial release is a testament to the longstanding appeal of WoW and even now the game's still playing regardless of whether you are a WoW veteran or someone who's just starting out.
An interesting note about WoW is that it's among the first games to have a native Mac M1 version, which comes to show how dedicated Blizzard is to support this game for both Windows and Mac users.
If you are among the WoW players who have, over time, grown dissatisfied with the changes introduced to the game with the release of each new expansion, since 2019, there has been a way to experience WoW in its original state. World of Warcraft Classic is basically a revamped and restored version of the original World of Warcraft game that was released back in 2004 before any of the expansions were released. WoW Classic recreates the 1.12.1 version of the game (released in 2006), which is the last update to come out before the release of the Burning Crusade expansion. Of course, there have been some quality-of-life changes and bug fixes done to the game, but the progression, hero classes, mechanics, quests, and everything else are almost identical to the way it has been all those years ago. Being a recreation of a much older game, WoW Classic isn't as feature-rich as the current World of Warcraft game, and it's also grindier compared to the current WoW expansion, meaning that leveling up and improving your gear takes more time and effort, all of which could make the game less appealing to newcomers to WoW. On the other hand, long-time World of Warcraft veterans may appreciate the opportunity to relive the early days of WoW.
Pricing: Free to play
Unlike most other games on this list, EVE Online, rather than having a more typical fantasy setting, is a sci-fi game set in space. Like WoW, it's a longstanding MMORPG game that dates all the way back all the way to 2003. Obviously, during the almost two decades of its existence, Eve has received many updates that have helped keep it relevant and up-to-date with the current gaming standards. In Eve Online, the player can take up a variety of professions and participate in a wide selection of activities, ranging from mining and trading to piracy and warfare. The scale of EVE online is massive – the game encapsulates a total of 7800 star systems that players can traverse via different space-faring vehicles. Over time, EVE Online has expanded to become a gaming phenomenon that features an overwhelming number of gameplay mechanics, player interactions, locations, types of spaceships, and more. Newcomers to EVE Online are likely to be taken aback by the sheer amount of content that the game has to offer. However, for those who are willing to spend some time learning the basics of the game, EVE Online could offer endless hours of immersive and engaging fun.
This is yet another old-school MMORPG that has made its way to the modern gaming scene thanks to a resilient community and continued support from its developers. RuneScape currently holds the world record for the largest and most updated MMORPG game of all time. The game was released all the way back in 2001, so do not expect to find anything particularly novel in it in terms of mechanics, character classes, lore, themes, or player interactions. In fact, the majority of fantasy MMORPG tropes you may have seen in other games of the same genre were likely inspired by RuneScape. However, the developers of the game have made sure to keep RuneScape up-to-date, so that, even now, in 2022, it doesn't feel obsolete even though it's an old-school MMORPG through and through. A testament to the game's continued popularity is its player base – at peak times of the day, the number of concurrent active RuneScape players can reach up to 100,000. Obviously, this is considerably fewer players compared to other, more modern MMORPGs, yet RuneScape is still very much a well-populated massive multiplayer game, so it's definitely worth trying it out now, in 2022, 21 years after the game's initial release.
Pricing: $19.99 (Standard Edition) (one-time payment; no subscription fee)
Get Elder Scrolls Online on CDKeys
Elder Scrolls Online, released in 2014, is an MMORPG that's indirectly connected to the other Elder Scrolls games. On release, the game received quite a lot of criticisms, but a lot of its issues were fixed with a re-release that came in 2015. The game still isn't perfect – users are still complaining about bugs and poor optimization, yet it has definitely improved since its shaky start. On the plus side, the general opinion is that the game is not as grindy as most other MMORPGs and that leveling up is a fun experience rather than a chore. Another aspect of the game that sets it apart from a lot of other titles in this genre is that Elder Scrolls Online actually manages to deliver an engaging and interesting story. If you have played and liked any of the other Elder Scrolls games, this one may be worth the try. Also, if you've always wanted to try an Elder Scrolls game but haven't done so because the other games from this series aren't supported for Mac, Elder Scroll Online lets you experience this fantasy world on your Mac without the need to use any complex workarounds required for the other games. Overall, it may not be the best MMORPG out there, but there are still things to be liked here.
Like many other games in this genre, Albion online has a rather typical medieval setting in which you get to create a character and choose their class, which will determine what abilities you get access to and what gear you can equip on your character. Pretty standard stuff, but there are a couple of interesting aspects in Albion that help set it apart from other similar games. For starters, the game's economy is fully player-driven, meaning that all items and equipment in the game are crafted by other players, making you feel more involved with the game's world and letting you have a bigger impact on it. Also, the game offers sandbox features, such as letting you build your own house and farm your own land on a private island that's under your control. Another interesting, if a bit divisive, aspect of Albion Online is the full loot PvP. In other words, in certain PvP regions, if a player is slain, all of their possessions can be looted by the winner, meaning that the defeated player loses all possessions gained up until this point in the game. For this reason, a big part of successfully playing Albion Online is being good at risk management.
Gameplay and mechanics aside, Albion Online, being a relatively new game (released in 2017) has quite pretty graphics that paint a colorful and immersive, yet somewhat cartoony world on your device's screen.
Although a big portion of the most popular and well-regarded MMORPGs out there are natively available for Mac systems, there are a couple of great games of this genre that are unfortunately not supported for macOS. However, through the use of cloud gaming services like Boosteroid and GeForce Now, you could still play those titles on your Mac. The games we've listed below fall into that category of MMORPGs that aren't available for Mac but can still be played on a Mac computer via cloud gaming.
Cloud gaming: Boosteroid
Lost Ark is one of the newer MMORPGs and while it still uses a lot of the same tropes found in other games of the genre, it also has some unique traits that have allowed it to become the most popular MMORPG at the current moment. The typical RPG elements in Lost Ark are a bit lackluster – it has a very linear character progression, forcing the player to go through the same main quest line in order to level up new characters, which can become tedious after a while. Also, once you reach the maximum level and want to make your character stronger, your only option is to grind for better gear, and, expectedly, the better the gear you are seeking to obtain, the more you'd need to grind for it.
Maybe the RPG elements in this MMORPG aren't anything to write home about, but the same cannot be said about its combat. Lost Ark gives its players a more hands-on approach when it comes to battle, using a "hack-and-slash" combat system that gives you real-time control over each movement, attack, block, and cast ability of your character. This makes for a very dynamic combat experience that is only further amplified by the over-the-top ability effects. Each attack, ability, and spell in Lost Ark feel powerful and impactful, making even the grindier fights enjoyable. If you are someone who enjoys WoW and RuneScape but wishes for a more dynamic and action-packed combat system, maybe you should give Lost Ark a go.
Pricing: $14.99/month (for single-month subscriptions)
If you like MMORPG and Star Wars, then this may just be the game for you. Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG set in the days of the Old Republic – a time period that takes place around 3000 years before the events in the Star Wars movies. People who have played the renowned KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic) games will find this setting familiar.
Star Wars: The Old Republic benefits from the massive lore of the Star Wars universe and lets its players experience what it would be like to adventure throughout the well-known faraway galaxy. Expectedly, you can choose to play as many different iconic Star Wars archetypes – you can play as a malevolent Sith, a valorous Jedi, a cunning Bounty Hunter, and more. There are a total of 8 classes in the game, but each of them has two advanced specializations to choose from. There are also different fighting styles – you can choose to focus on lightsaber skills, mastery with the force, use the reliability of blasters to take care of your problems, and so on. Overall, in terms of variety and character customization, Star Wars: The Old Republic certainly delivers.
Another noteworthy aspect of this game is its story. If you've played either or both of the KOTOR games, you have most likely liked their well-written and well-told stories. Well, for the most part, you will get the same level of storytelling in SWTOR. In fact, the game is often seen as a third installment in the KOTOR series, with the difference that it is now an MMORPG rather than a single-player RPG.
Any way you look at it, this is a top-tier MMORPG and though it's not as big or as popular as it used to be in its heyday, it's still very much alive and worth checking out, especially if you have any sort of liking towards the Star Wars universe as a whole.
Base Game: Free to play
Expansions: $29.99 (per expansion); $49.99 (collection)
Cloud gaming: GeForce Now
Get Guild Wars 2: Heroic Edition on CDKeys
Guild Wars 2 is a somewhat typical high fantasy MMORPG that comes with all the associated tropes you may expect. However, that is not to say that the game is dull or uninteresting. One of its main highlights is the public events system – different events occur within the world of Guild Wars 2 regardless of your current progression and the quest you are completing at the moment. Every player can participate in those events, which makes the game world feel more immersive, realistic, and alive. It also helps bring more players together, as oftentimes, such public events would require many people to join in order to tackle the task at hand.
Additionally, though we are talking about a typical high-fantasy setting, the world of Guild Wars 2 doesn't feel contrived or uninspired. Instead, it's a unique and beautiful world, and it's always a pleasure to explore its many areas.
In terms of combat, Guild Wars 2 is on the more dynamic and fast-paced end of the spectrum. Often, the difference between winning or losing is a fraction of the second. This makes this game well-suited for people who like action-packed games, but if you are looking for a more laid-back experience, Guild Wars 2 may not exactly be for you.
The last thing we wish to mention about Guild Wars 2 is that the leveling up experience doesn't feel as grindy or as tedious as it often does in MMORPGs. Everything you do in the game – from fighting to mining and crafting – awards you experience, so nothing you do in the game feels like you are wasting your time.
Warped Kart Racers on Apple Arcade
Screenshot entire webpage (Mac)