Top 5 Anticipated Online Games Releasing This Year

Hades II A Mythic Return with Multiplayer Twists

Supergiant Games is back with a sequel to one of the most acclaimed indie roguelikes of the past decade: Hades II. The follow up expands the mythological universe and introduces new ways to play, including long rumored online features.

What’s New This Time Around

Expanded Lore: Dive deeper into Greek myth with a fresh protagonist and new divine powers.
Refined Mechanics: Combat feels faster and more fluid, with tightened controls and smarter enemy AI.
Multiplayer Additions: Early access reveals promising co op elements that enhance replayability without diluting the single player narrative.

Why It Matters

Hades II is poised to become more than just a worthy sequel it’s a potential blueprint for future narrative driven online roguelikes. By combining tight gameplay, rich storytelling, and social features, Supergiant may be setting a new standard for the genre.

A Game to Watch in 2024

If the early access phase is any indication, Hades II could redefine what’s possible in indie development and cooperative roguelike play. Expect this title to lead conversations around both design excellence and online innovation throughout the year.

Blue Protocol Anime Action Goes Global

Developed by Bandai Namco, Blue Protocol isn’t just another flashy MMO with cel shaded art. It’s a fully formed online action RPG that prioritizes fast, responsive combat and layered class systems over bloated menus and grindy padding. Think smooth dodges, tight combos, and a skill tree that actually rewards experimentation. It looks anime as hell but it plays like a fighter.

What helps it stand out are its group features. Co op raids are more than just bullet sponge beatdowns they require timing, strategy, and actual synergy. On top of that, cross region play means your friend in Berlin can run dungeons with your cousin in Toronto without workarounds. That global accessibility, layered with meaningful class upgrades, gives the game legs beyond launch hype.

For fans of Genshin Impact or Phantasy Star Online, this one’s pitching itself as the next big thing. If it sticks the landing on post launch content and doesn’t bog down in paywall nonsense, Blue Protocol could carve out serious space in a genre that’s long needed a fresh contender.

The Finals Chaos, Strategy, and Fully Destructible Arenas

From a team of ex Battlefield developers comes “The Finals,” a high octane competitive shooter built to challenge the genre’s expectations. It’s not just fast paced; it’s strategic by design. Squads don’t just run and gun they coordinate, flank, and exploit crumbling terrain that changes dynamically mid match. Buildings don’t just take cosmetic damage they collapse, forcing repositioning and quick thinking in the middle of combat.

This isn’t your average twitch shooter. “The Finals” leans hard into streaming integration, offering built in tools that make broadcasting to audiences smoother, smarter, and more immersive. Viewers become part of the match through reactive overlays, live in game polls, and dynamic commentary enhancing features. It’s built for creators as much as for competitors.

With its pace, polish, and production ready backbone, “The Finals” isn’t just a game it’s an esports disruptor. Expect it to make serious waves at competitive tournaments and across global online game events throughout the year.

Pax Dei Crafting Meets Medieval Fantasy Sandbox

Pax Dei isn’t just another fantasy MMO it’s trying to rewrite the rules. Built as a living, breathing medieval sandbox, it trades quests and loot grinds for community driven progression. Players shape the world not by slaying monsters, but by cooperating to build towns, form alliances, run economies, and defend territory from rivals. It’s ambitious, but grounded in a clear vision: a persistent world where player actions drive the narrative.

Old school veterans looking for shades of Ultima Online or EVE Online will get it instantly. In Pax Dei, nothing thrives without teamwork. You stake your land, construct your settlement, specialize in a craft, and rely on others to fill the gaps. Politics, trade, even social drama all of it matters here. And with regular online game events, the world refuses to stand still.

If it lands right, Pax Dei could set the tone for what community first gaming looks like in 2024: less about individual grind, more about collective storytelling.

Ark 2 Survival Reimagined (With Vin Diesel)

Ark 2 isn’t just a sequel it’s a hard reset on what survival games can be. Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, the overhaul promises smoother visuals, smarter AI, and a more immersive world that doesn’t wait for you to catch up. Survival’s always been at the heart of Ark, but now it’s wrapped in deeper RPG progression, player driven storylines, and dynamic world events that can actually reshape the map.

Combat leans more toward timing and skill now, with influences pulled from action RPGs instead of the old FPS lite formula. But what really sets Ark 2 apart is the focus on community systems. Tribes have real structure. Alliances carry risk and strategy. PvP battles over land and resources become less about who logged on first, and more about who organized better.

Add full mod support and a world driven by seasonal cycles, and Ark 2 starts to look less like just another survival game and more like a digital frontier. It’s raw, unpredictable, and built to be played for years. Whether that’s with friends or as a lone wolf carving out territory is entirely up to you.

Final Take

Online gaming in 2024 isn’t just leveling up it’s breaking into a new tier. Graphics are sharper, engines more powerful, but that’s not the whole picture. The real change is human. Games are doubling down on connection: tighter knit communities, co op first designs, worlds that thrive on participation instead of just play.

Whether you’re into sprawling sandboxes where players build from scratch or fast paced roguelikes with cinematic flair, this year’s lineup hits every angle. These aren’t just solo grinds or leaderboard chases anymore they’re shared spaces built for interaction, storytelling, and strategy. Stay sharp, stay social, and keep a second headset nearby. This year, online games don’t want you to just log in. They want you to show up.