Entropia Universe: the greatest MMO you might never have heard of

MMOs come and MMOs go, but the online games that hang around are often the best of the lot. Entropia Universe was originally launched in January 2003 as Project Entropia, which makes it older than World of Warcraft, and this Swedish-developed game is going from strength to strength, with a move to Unreal Engine 5 giving a graphical update, the integration of AI providing immersive NPC conversations, and a strong virtual economy.

Entropia Universe, from Gothenburg-based studio MindArk, is a virtual sci-fi universe built around a developed planetary system through which players are free to travel, socialise, and have adventures. From initial character creation and planetside adventures to the moment you burst through the clouds to enter space and the dangers of the interplanetary void, then go on to become a dominant force in the galaxy, your time will be filled with adventures that unfold in real time, political machinations, and the pursuit of profit.

Beyond the game’s remarkable longevity, its in-universe economy is the thing that attracts new players and keeps them coming back for more. It’s arguably the truest virtual economic sandbox among MMO games, with a GDP of over $400m - more than some countries. Completely free to play, Entropia Universe uses a virtual currency (the PED, or Project Entropia Dollar) which has a fixed exchange rate with the dollar, and allows for users to transfer currency both ways. This means that every item, every transaction, has a real-world value. There is no “get rich quick” scheme or similar scam here, and no use of cryptocurrency, just a vast game with a core real cash economy that creates a unique opportunity for players who can run shops, businesses, trading empires, services and more, just like in the real world.

A galaxy of opportunity

Indeed, the game has held two Guinness World Records for the most expensive virtual world objects ever sold. The first was for a space station, a popular in-game destination, which sold for $330,000 in 2009. Then came Club Neverdie, built inside an asteroid purchased for $100,000 and sold in parts in 2010 for a total of $635,000.

Despite these headline-grabbing sales, Entropia’s economy has remained a stable platform for more than 20 years, enabling players to create their own opportunities and potentially own a part of online gaming history. As it reached the 500,000 registered user mark all the way back in 2006, there are certainly going to be plenty of people to experience the hazards of space travel with, with a broad playerbase that tends toward more experienced MMO players, and as the game exists as single shard, there's no messing around trying to find your friends across server instances.

Space to roam

The shift to Unreal Engine 5 marks a new era for the game, with planets made up of lush grasslands and forests populated by strange alien beasts, deserts pock-marked with ancient ruins, and underground caverns filled with lava and dangerous creatures standing in contrast to the samey cookie-cutter MMOs that exist alongside it. The kind of lighting effects Unreal Engine 5 brings with it enhance the game’s stylised realism, bringing the flash of reflections from a blade and the glow of sci-fi weaponry alongside sharper, more defined environments in which exploration becomes an end in itself.

With a new UI already in place, the huge graphical overhaul the game is receiving will be joined by content expansions too. As the game has been running for over 20 years, there is already plenty to do, but the developers intend to add even more before the end of the year.

An extra addition that should make Entropia Universe stand out even further in the MMO landscape is the ‘immersive NPC’. These replace the usual repetitive, scripted NPCs we’re used to in role-playing games, instead providing the realistic conversations that are the hallmark of the LLM chatbot. These NPCs can provide information about the game and its locations, and open up the possibility for personalised quests in future. They will remember who you are, and even your previous conversations, ensuring that you’ll never hear them repeating the same lines you’ve heard many times before.

Jump into the universe

The game is completely free to download and start playing. Players have the option to enhance their avatars by converting real money into its in-game currency at a fixed exchange rate. For those looking to get a head start, the Entropia Universe website offers starter packs priced between $5 and $75. Additionally, once they’ve had some success, players can withdraw in-game currency into their bank accounts at a rate of 10 PED to $1.

As it voyages toward its 25th year, the future looks bright for this ground-breaking MMO. A new generation of gamers is discovering it and exploiting the opportunities its environments and economic model provide, soon to be all wrapped in a gorgeous new Unreal Engine 5 shell. This record-breaking game remains a unique proposition in a sea of all-too-similar content, and is well worth a look for the MMO-curious.