Abandoned Realms

VS

Last Epoch

Abandoned Realms is a classic, persistent world text-based MUD (multi-user dungeon) that launched in 1997. While never reaching mainstream MMO popularity, such games retain small, dedicated communities even decades after launch. Its genre and age suggest a niche player base, likely under 200 daily active users. The lack of major publisher or recent updates supports this conservative estimate.

Last Epoch is an action RPG released in early 2024, developed by Eleventh Hour Games. It has received strong attention from the ARPG community, especially in the wake of Diablo IV's mixed reception. Daily player count is estimated around 70,000 based on Steam charts peaks and genre trends for new, well-received indie ARPGs. Continued post-launch content could sustain or grow this. It is not an MMO, as it does not feature a true persistent world or large-scale multiplayer environments—multiplayer is limited to smaller parties.