Feeling like World of Warcraft with more tension and higher stakes, this fantasy extraction "mini MMO" just hit 1.0

We’ve never really seen an actual World of Warcraft killer. We’ve seen rival MMOs come and go, with the likes of Final Fantasy 14, Old School Runescape, and Guild Wars 2 pushing their way to the front of the chasing pack, but never quite managing to topple Blizzard’s age-old goliath. But, in 2025 alone we saw various new WoW-inspired alternatives appear. Fellowship is perhaps the most prominent, followed by Eldegarde, previously known as Legacy: Steel and Sorcery. Notorious Studios’ extraction-based MMO had a lot of promise, but struggled to stick the early access landing. But that was over a year ago, and with a snazzy new name and a lot of fine-tuning, Eldegarde has officially launched in 1.0.

I discovered Eldegarde back in October 2024 during Steam Next Fest, lured in by its World of Warcraft aesthetic and impressive ambition. While it struggled a bit with performance – I do vividly remember being turned into a wand then getting booted out of the game – I was impressed by the team’s goal of creating a fantasy experience quite unlike any other.

Despite a somewhat rough early access launch, Eldegarde has clawed its way up the Steam charts into the green, sitting at 71% positive lifetime reviews. Now, it’s finally ready for 1.0, and with the Wizard and Paladin finally in the game, I’m excited for take it for a spin all over again.

But what exactly is Eldegarde? Well, it’s a blend of World of Warcraft’s MMO mechanics and the kind of extraction gameplay you’d find in Arc Raiders or Escape From Tarkov. You drop into a sprawling fantasy world, collect loads of shiny loot, and attempt to zip back to the safety of your base, ready to do it all again the next run. As someone who shies away from the realism and sharp aim of extraction shooters, it’s the perfect mix of both worlds.

With six classes to choose from (and a seventh on the way), you can drop in solo or squad up with a pal. There are five different maps to explore, 17 mainline campaign quests to complete, and over 110 daily and weekly challenges to keep you busy. As you progress, you’ll earn the admiration of various vendors and, in turn, get better gear. You can even build out your own unique homestead, and let’s be real, we MMO demons love a good housing system.

You can tailor your playstyle, too. If you’re an avid Mythic+ raider, the PvE Expeditions are likely more your speed, but if you love the tension of shooters like EFT and Arc Raiders, then the traditional PvPvE Extraction mode is for you. It’s high fantasy, high stakes: die and you’ll lose everything.

Eldegarde’s 1.0 launch has finally arrived, and you can try out all of the latest content over on Steam. Priced at $24.99 / £21.99, you can grab it right here.

While I love the sheer size of games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy, keeping up with them often feels like a chore. I’ve found myself getting lost in these smaller, more streamlined fantasy worlds, jumping in for a quick run on my lunch break without the fear that I’ll be missing some major loot drop. I’m really excited to try the fully-fledged Eldegarde; Priest mains rise up! Just make sure you don’t get turned into a wand. That doesn’t end well, trust me.