Bumping this thread for the new year, and hopes to see some fresh MMO's in 2018.
Here's what's currently on my radar:
Ashes of CreationThis game reminds me a lot of ArcheAge, with open-world housing and PvP resource-escorting. Honestly, my only problem with AA was the insane pay-to-win that grew exponentially worse with each patch, so if AoC can manage to reproduce the good stuff without the bad, it'll be pretty great.
The most significant way that AoC promises to distinguish itself from AA and other recent MMO's is with a robust PvE system built around the concept of classes that are both unique and essential. With 8-man parties, you can expect the holy trinity of dps/heals/tanks, as well as buffers, debuffers, and crowd control, all of which will be necessary to dive into dungeons and raid open-world bosses for precious crafting resources.
AoC is currently in early Alpha, with release expected late 2018/early 2019.
Pantheon: Rise of the FallenThis game started out looking and sounding very much like a rebuild of Everquest. Over the course of 2017, it has come a long way, with graphics now looking much more modern and gameplay systems developing well beyond it's spiritual predecessor. Still, at the core, Pantheon promises to deliver an experience very much like Everquest, with a list of races and classes that is almost identical, and a set of cities, factions, fields, and dungeons, that should all feel very familiar to anyone who was there the first time around.
Pantheon is currently in early Alpha, with release estimated for 2019.
CrowfallCrowfall looks a lot like Albion Online, in that it is an open-world pvp sandbox with entirely player-crafted weapons and armor. A couple of key differences are the fully 3D graphics, and campaigns that play out over the span of a few months at a time. AO went wrong in a lot of ways...but I'm cautiously optimistic that Crowfall will be better.
Crowfall is currently in Alpha, with full release expected for late 2018.
Ascent Infinite RealmFrom the makers of TERA and PUBG, AIR is yet another upcoming game promising a return to the holy trinity. The gimmick here is jetpacks and gliders, allowing for 3-dimensional movement and platforming gameplay mixed with traditional MMORPG dungeon raiding and grinding. The main concerns right now are performance issues, and the potential of a cash-shop, both of which we have very little information right now. Still, it could be decent.
AIR is currently in closed beta, with full release expected sometime in 2018.