As the Internet quickly connected people the world over, it was only a matter of time before video game developers sought to redefine multiplayer games. No longer would players need to be in the same room to play a game with friends; instead, they could play the same game across countries or even continents. An MMO boom engulfed gaming in the 2000s and online play has defined gaming ever since. Most games these days have some kind of online connectivity.

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But MMOs have been drifting away from their strict multiplayer focus over the years and some MMOs have reimagined themselves into more solo-friendly games. Now that online connectivity is so ubiquitous, some gamers out there may be wondering if there are any MMOs that are fun to play alone. Most MMOs shine in multiplayer content, but several of them also facilitate solo play for less social gamers who still want to enjoy what the games have to offer.

Updated May 10, 2022 by Declan Lowthian: There are a ton of fun MMOs to solo, and the list is growing all the time. No matter what a prospective solo MMO player is looking for, there will be something that matches their preferences in terms of aesthetics, themes, or gameplay. We've updated this list with even more info about the best solo MMORPGs on the market today.

13 Neverwinter

Free to play, in-game purchases available

neverwinter the redeemed citadel artwork, the angel zariel surrounded by flames

It's possible to reach the max level in the Dungeons & Dragons MMO Neverwinter without ever grouping up, but it might take a long time to get there. Neverwinter lets players set their own pace for leveling and content. Grouping up with others can make leveling faster, but it's also not required to do group content to level up and get through the game.

Neverwinter also makes gearing up accessible with NPCs called Bounty Masters that trade in-game currency for decent equipment upgrades. But like most MMORPGs, getting the best gear requires grouping up for end-game content.

12 The Elder Scrolls Online

$19.99 base game, paid expansions available

Elder Scrolls Online Orsinium, a large medieval city

With the exception of high-level end-game content, nearly everything Elder Scrolls Online has to offer can be experienced alone. As part of the Elder Scrolls franchise, ESO has no dearth of story and lore to pick up, especially since it takes place before Oblivion and Skyrim.

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Main story quests, main faction quests, DLC quests, chapter quests, side quests, and daily missions can all be done alone as long as players have the skill and the right character build to go solo. Interestingly, it's possible to enjoy PvP and group dungeons alone as well.

11 RuneScape

Free to play, paid membership available

runescape logo against a blue sky

While it's possible to play RuneScape solo without Ironman mode, it adds a distinct challenge to the game. An MMO's player base is responsible for several features on any given server, including how healthy the economy is and helping other players clear content. But RuneScape Ironman mode is a challenge for the most hardcore of RuneScape players in that it restricts several aspects of player interaction.

In Ironman mode, there's no access to the server's economy, for example, and Ironman mode players can't trade with other players. Permadeath is another feature of Ironman mode: Once a player dies, their account is unusable. Overall, it's a challenging and fun experience for hardcore players.

10 Warframe

Free to play, in-game purchases available

An image of a huge gathering of tenno in Warframe.

Warframe eschews classic top-down MMO controls for a quick and snappy over-the-shoulder third-person shooter format with a huge emphasis on movement. The player takes on the role of a Tenno, an artificial warrior tasked with defending their people against other factions in a far-flung future.

Warframe is full of fun and engaging missions to pursue on a variety of planets, so things very rarely get stale. Like many MMOs, Warframe requires a ton of grinding to progress, but its gameplay is fun enough that it rarely feels like a drag. Plus, Warframe is free to play, so it's easy to try out and see if it's worth the time investment.

9 Star Wars: The Old Republic

Free to play, paid subscription available

star wars the old republiccover art with a varity of jedi and sith

As a successor to the popular single-player Star Wars game Knights of the Old Republic and its direct solo sequel KOTOR II: The Sith Lords, Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG that veers toward solo play.

Star Wars: TOR has a robust character-driven narrative where players have a wide amount of freedom to explore the game's universe and complete content all on their own. There's even a companion system where players can have an AI to fight by their side and make content a bit easier.

8 Guild Wars 2

Free to play, paid expansions available

Guild Wars 2 Waving emote from two characters

Outside of raiding, nearly everything in Guild Wars 2 can be experienced by solo players. It might take a lot of time and grinding, but that's the trade-off for wanting to play an MMO solo.

The entire story and base map for Guild Wars 2 is unlockable through solo play. Any Guild Wars 2 content that does need to be completed through groups doesn't necessarily need to be done through organized groups as well, since the game has features that allow random players to meet up and take on harder content.

7 Secret World Legends

Free to play, in-game purchases available

screenshot from secret world legends of lord cthulhu rising from the sea

Secret World Legends is a free-to-play action MMO that's essentially a relaunch of Funcom's other MMO, The Secret World. A lot of the content in The Secret World was simplified for Secret World Legends, allowing for a more casual and solo-friendly environment.

With the right character build and class, it's possible to solo nearly all of Secret World Legends' content and still have a blast with the game. The spooky, supernatural atmosphere is enough for any survival horror fan to take an interest, and taking that on solo is sure to enhance the experience.

6 EVE Online

Free to play, paid membership available

ships in space from eve online

One of EVE Online's more notable features is its status as a single-universe game, meaning it doesn't follow typical MMO conventions by splitting itself up into multiple servers. Basically, all players on the game always have access to each other when they're logged in.

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But despite EVE Online's insistence on multiplayer gameplay, there are ways to enjoy the game as a solo player. EVE Online is best for those who want a more casual experience since most solo play is somewhat time-consuming and not too intensive.

5 Lord Of The Rings Online

Free to play, paid membership and in-game purchases available

The Lord of the Rings Online heroes fighting around a campfire

Not only is all main story content unlockable alone, but Lord of the Rings Online also enables solo play through many of its class options. No matter which MMO someone is attempting to play alone, character build and class are key in determining survivability.

Captain, Champion, Guardian, Warden, and Hunter are all solid choices for solo builds. These classes have various solo-friendly features, such as self-healing and buffing, high defense, and varied approaches to combat. But like most MMOs, end-game content should be done in groups.

4 World Of Warcraft

Free to play up to level 20

The World of Warcraft Cataclysm Firelands with a huge tower and pillar of flames

While World of Warcraft started out as mainly multiplayer-focused, it has since added a lot of features that make it easier to enjoy alone. World of Warcraft retail version (or modern version) is tailored with tools that make solo-play more accessible.

Duty finders and raid finders make it easier to team up with random players to get content done, but a high-level player can take on dungeons alone if they're careful. Level scaling is another handy feature added that makes it possible for players to level up on nearly any map.

3 DC Universe Online

Free to play, in-game purchases available

DC universe online a scene of batman, superman, and wonder woman fighting the joker, lex luthor, and circi

The official DC Comics MMO is very fun to play with a group, but the superhero theme lends itself extremely well to solo play. Many of the missions involve teaming up with or against popular DC heroes and villains, so even solo players rarely feel like they're alone.

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DC Universe Online's two main open worlds, Metropolis and Gotham, are extremely fun to explore solo, and there is always a robber to stop or an alien invader to brawl with to fill the time. Since most of the game's back catalog of episode content is now free, there is a wealth of worlds and storylines to explore even as a lone hero.

2 Sea Of Thieves

$39.99 base game, in-game purchases available

sea of thieves trading company ships

Rare's 2018 online pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves has come a long way since its initial release. Though it is not nearly as dense in player population as a traditional MMO, Sea of Thieves is always online and running into other pirate crews is a constant possibility (or threat).

While Sea of Thieves is certainly designed with multi-pirate crews in mind, a lot of players set sail alone in the game's smallest ship, an endeavor commonly known as "solo slooping." There really isn't anything that a solo player can't do in Sea of Thieves, they will just need to be a lot more defensive and judicious when faced with a four-player galleon flying the Reaper flag.

1 Final Fantasy XIV

Free trial, $59.99 base game, paid expansions available

Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers Warrior Of Light character looking brooding on a firey background

The developers of Final Fantasy XIV have made it obvious that they want people to play the game no matter how much time they have in the day. Many of the game's features can be done quickly and easily. Beastmen quests, for example, are a great source of easy experience points that can be done within about 15 minutes.

There are also weekly turn-in quests and challenges for experience points. And with the relatively new Trust system, players can take on main story quest dungeons with NPCs as their support, meaning they won't need to group with random players.

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