Welcome back to MassivelyOP’s annual MMORPG awards for 2025!
Today’s award is for the Best PvP MMO, which was awarded to Throne & Liberty last year. We halted this older award after 2017 since the state of PvP MMOs was pretty weak, but we brought it it back a few years ago when we knew we could crown a legitimate winner. We’ve opted to include live, fully released MMORPGs launched in any year, as long as their 2025 PvP experience is what’s being judged. Don’t forget to cast your own vote in the just-for-fun reader poll at the very end!
And the MassivelyOP staff pick for Best PvP MMO is…
Dune Awakening
“While there were a lot of contenders – more than usual, thanks to some PvP MMO launches and updates from the likes of Albion Online and EVE Online – this year’s top PvP MMO award has to go to the biggest new MMO release of the year: Dune Awakening. We haven’t had a truly impressive, new PvP MMO in a long time – and on a AAA level and with all the bells and whistles too! The sheer size and scope of Dune can’t be ignored. The game brought with it all the essence of a living, breathing world. From the visuals to the sound design, simply running or thoptering around is a really immersive experience in Dune. While hunger and thirst meters are typically just another pain players have to cope with, in Dune it’s actually thematic and the skills and abilities to mitigate it are earned at a good pace. And combat is one of the most important features of any PvP game, and Dune also brings a fresh take on it too. Incorporating the shielding device turns hand-to-hand fights into a nice dance of blocking, countering, and slashing.
“Of course, the PvP endgame hasn’t been without its controversies, but it’s the catering to both PvE and PvP players that makes it a diverse and compelling PvP MMO – and our best PvP entry of 2025.” -MOP’s Sam
That’s our take. What’s your pick?
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How does MassivelyOP choose the winner? Our team nominates and discusses candidates to (ideally) reach consensus on our whole slate of awards each year. The site’s award goes to the staff selection, but we’ll include both it and the community’s top nomination in our debrief in January (here’s last year’s, along with historical winners for every category). Poll options are not exhaustive, so feel free to write in your picks if they weren’t nominated.