Massively Multiplayer Online games come in many forms, but this year we stuck mostly to MMORPGs. Because there are just too many. Which isn't to say that other MMO games aren't worth the recognition, but when we thought of the best MMOs of 2018, we came up with a list of the most popular MMORPGs, and one space simulator.

The nominees are:

World of Warcraft

The Elder Scrolls Online

Black Desert Online

TERA

EVE Online

Final Fantasy XIV

And the winner is… World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.

World of Warcraft's Battle for Azeroth expansion this summer was set to completely alter the game world, and make some adjustments to the gameplay system. The expansion also offered the usual increased level cap, new exploration areas, and new dungeon content for players to delve into. While Battle for Azeroth is far from a perfect game, it does prove that World of Warcaft can continue to expand without continuing to up the stakes in a global way. Simply making the stakes personal for players adds all the dramatic tension necessary. A pleasant surprise like that is absolutely worth rewarding.

Second place was tied between Black Desert Online and Final Fantasy XIV which manage to be as different as MMORPGs can be while still fitting into the overall genre umbrella. Black Desert is a fresh take on the genre with a more active combat system while FFXIV is definitely an older, more numbers-style system that manages to keep players interested with wonky events and challenging content. Meanwhile, The Elder Scrolls Online came in at a solid third thanks to the Sommerset expansion which moved the game forward without having to cling to the nostalgia factor of the series the way Morrowind tried and failed to do.

The winners of these awards were voted on by the gaming staff of Bleeding Cool.