Why Do MMORPG Fans Long For WildStar's Return!?

I recently stumbled upon a petition to bring back WildStar on GOG — and it already has more than 4,500 signatures. Now, I never played the game myself. But I know the name, because WildStar  has become a cult classic among MMORPG fans. And it has made me wonder: Why are people still holding onto this one?

For the uninitiated, WildStar was a sci-fi free-to-play MMORPG developed by Carbine Studios and published by NCSoft. Set on the vibrant and chaotic planet of Nexus, the game featured a colorful, animated art style, fast-paced action combat, deep player housing systems, customizable mounts, and massive 40-player raids. WildStar launched in June 2014 as a subscription-based game.

And initially, the game made a splash. WildStar generated $33 million in revenue in its first year. But that success did not last. By 2016, revenue had dropped sharply to just $5 million. In the game’s final year, WildStar disappeared from NCSoft’s financial reports entirely — meaning it had become financially irrelevant. Exact subscriber numbers are difficult to verify, but estimates suggest a peak of around 150,000 to 200,000 active users before the game began a steep decline. In 2015, only a year after launch, NCSoft laid off 60 employees from Carbine Studios and transitioned the game to a free-to-play model. Unfortunately, the pivot came too late to save it.

So what went wrong?

According to former players, the launch experience was rough. One of the game’s defining features — a “Path” system that was meant to offer personalized, roleplay-driven content based on a player’s chosen playstyle — was not fully implemented at release. The user interface was often described as clunky, overly busy, and difficult to navigate. Bugs went unpatched for extended periods of time. Performance issues plagued many players, particularly during intense encounters. While the raids and dungeons were a hardcore PvE dream for some, they were also punishingly difficult. Long attunement requirements and unforgiving mechanics alienated more casual players. For many, the experience was simply not accessible or polished enough to justify long-term commitment.

Still, despite all of these issues, people miss WildStar.

Some fans are clamoring for private servers to revive the game themselves. Others are hoping for an official re-release or remaster. Many openly acknowledge the game’s flaws, but still long for WildStar’s return. There was something special about this one, they say — something that modern MMOs lack. That being originality, quirkiness, and boldness. Apparently no other game has managed to replicate WildStar’s charm.

It is easy to look back on failed games and dismiss them. But in this case, the nostalgia feels earned. Players are not pretending it was perfect. They are remembering the ambition, the personality, and the fun they had in those early days. In a gaming landscape that increasingly prioritizes safe bets and broad appeal, WildStar was different. 

That’s why, almost a decade later, people are still talking about it. I say let’s bring WildStar back and see what happens. Perhaps GOG can revive the game in a financially responsible way where even if it fails they still make a profit (due to the inevitable initial influx of players at first). And then we’ll know once and for all if WildStar is worth the hype.