The Realm Online Comes Back To Life With Free And Subscription-Based Servers

The Realm Online has risen from the ashes once again after Norseman Games sunsetted the 27-year-old MMORPG and sold it to Virtual World Holdings in July. The British publisher, in turn, contracted Digital Alchemy to work on the long-running game.

After two months of development, the studio relaunched the Despothe’s Grove free-to-play server last week and a new “reimagined” server yesterday. The new Mabon’s Gamble server features new gameplay mechanics, rebalanced classes, and new loot but requires a $4.99 monthly subscription.

“Realm is a different thing for different people,” the studio wrote in the launch patch notes. “We believe Mabon’s Gamble is the correct long-term choice for the game we’ve loved for 30 years. Every decision we’ve made is towards the end of making this the best version of the game we can. […] If it’s just not your jam, we’ll be keeping the lights on over at Despothe’s Grove as well.”

The Realm Online first launched in 1996 and was one of the first MMORPGs to emerge from the text-based MUDs of old, alongside Everquest and Ultima Online. By 2016, the game had been largely abandoned by both the game’s developers and its players.

A group of fans led by one of the game’s original developers, who later founded indie studio Realm Worlds, took it upon themselves to relaunch the classic MMORPG. Their version operated for a good five years before it was shut down in June 2023 following the studio’s failed attempt to acquire the IP from Norseman Games.

In hindsight, Norseman was probably already sitting down with Virtual World Holdings on their own deal. Regardless, The Realm Online is back in business with both free-to-play and subscription options for fans of the classic MMORPG.