Neverwinter MMO Potentially Receiving a "Classic" Server

Players of the Dungeons & Dragons-themed MMO, Neverwinter, have been sharing on social media that they've received a notice from the game's publisher that they're exploring the possibility of doing Neverwinter Classic. If you're in the MMO space, you're likely familiar with the popularity of these "Classic" style servers, which became a hugely popular concept with Old School RuneScape. The idea behind a Classic server is to take a long-running MMO back to how it was at launch, which can hopefully appeal to disaffected veteran players of the game or possibly interest newer players who missed the original incarnation of the game. Many MMOs change considerably as they receive expansions and updates over the years, and some games reach the point where they're almost unrecognizable.

 

 

On a personal note, I can say that I'd be there in a heartbeat for Neverwinter Classic. This was one of my favorite MMOs many years ago. I was a dedicated player on my PS4, and sunk probably hundreds of hours into the game. At some point, the game changed to the point where it didn't interest me any longer. Neverwinter had a "level squish" a few years back, where they tried to re-balance the game and change the leveling format and it killed my love for the game in an instant. It just completely butchered the sense of progression and power fantasy, which is of the utmost importance for me in a fantasy MMO like this. 

 

The same thing happened to me when World of Warcraft did a level squish back in 2020. It just ruined the game beyond saving for me. At least there's a Classic version of the game that I can go back to when I want. I hope Neverwinter receives this treatment, as I'd love nothing more than to go back to that world and enjoy it how I did. I'll be sure to share any news here if anything comes of this.