Anime fans are going crazy over the newest set of anime that is primarily based on an MMORPG concept, just like in most of the beloved video games we play, like League of Legends, Mobile Legends, Genshin Impact, etc. MMORPG – Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games are back in trend ever since the pandemic struck thousands of people staying at home.
MMORPG anime are animated series with plots about MMORPG games. The character’s designs and animation techniques are also heavily influenced by the MMORPG video games.
You may have heard of the Sword Art Online franchise or the Overlord series, or maybe even the recent Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Read more if you want a list of good and entertaining MMORPG-based anime series.
Also Read: Virtual Reality MMORPG Manhwa Like Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online
Set in a futuristic world, several players have signed up for the inaugural Sword Art Online, an escape from reality. Based on virtual reality as a concept, this world offers players the ability to get teleported into virtual reality and complete assigned tasks and missions, and they eventually get rewards and prizes. It seems like an amazing offer for otakus and shut-ins who only desire to play games and rot in life.
But there’s a surprise! Sadly, the 10,000 players do not have the liberty to log out of the virtual reality game because they are now trapped in it. There only seems to be one solution to this problem: to fight each other. Will friends fight each other as opponents and beat the remaining multitude? Will they be able to defeat the main antagonist, who lies somewhere amongst them?
It seems impossible to do something so drastic like this just to get back to their physical world. But our main protagonist Kirito thinks otherwise. He has always received beta-testing samples from the managing team, but now he has the golden chance to prove his worth. He takes this opportunity to go all out and complete all missions, even if it means that death in the virtual game would be reciprocated in real life too.
This is a classic survival game and has been gathering love and fame since its release in 2012. It’s still a trending anime among MMORPG fans, and the franchise has released various sequels and video games. The series has also garnered several international fans for its unique storyline and character designs. The anime and video games are loosely based on the light novel series that goes by the same name. One of its original soundtracks features 21 Guns by Green Day.
- Directed by: Tomohiko Ito
- Genre: MMORPG, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Studio: A-1 Pictures
- Release Date: July 8, 2012
- Where to Watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Also Read: 40 Interesting Sword Art Online Facts You Need To Know!
Overlord
Just like any other isekai anime, Overlord scores pretty high in terms of character designs and unique storyline. As things seem to go haywire when servers are being shut down, Momonga becomes the overpowered main character in this virtual reality game. He is eternally trapped in this reality along with his guild members.
There’s evil and mischief lurking in the dark somewhere among Momonga and his guild. Momonga is known as the Demon Lord because he has supreme power among all the other characters.
One of the other protagonists is known as Albedo. She isn’t much of a help throughout the series and only poses as a liability to Momonga.
Momonga has seen that some of the NPCs are acting off the radar, and he wants his guild members to help him take over this world. Momonga has, to a lot of extent, control over every other character as they worship him as the Demon Lord.
Each supporting character has his own tragic yet twisted story, which adds a little more depth to the whole storyline on a large scale.
Momonga is the anti-hero, some fans would say. He is the protagonist indeed, but he is unapologetically evil and has no traces of humanity left in him. All we see is him and his slaves fighting others and the ruthless extermination of those who do not obey the Demon Lord.
- Directed by: Naoyuki Ito
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Studio: Madhouse
- Release Date: July 8, 2015
- Where to Watch: Funimation, Crunchyroll
Also Read: Top 10 Best Characters From Overlord Anime
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World!
Another favorite isekai anime which is heavily influenced by MMORPG concepts, commonly known as KonoSuba. The main protagonist, who goes by the name Kazuma is a young weakling who wants to escape from reality. His whole life has been only about video games. He dies an embarrassing death and gets teleported into a new fantasy virtual reality.
The plot is simple, like any other isekai fantasy anime that has a few adventures and hurdles mixed in it. But the most interesting part is: Kazuma is shown as a perverted sly merchant with dirty tricks up his sleeves at any time throughout the series. This is because Kazuma is not like any other protagonist that you have seen before. He is unique and hilariously funny.
To add on the comedic element, Kazuma is accompanied by the useless water goddess Aqua, the short-tempered magician Megumin and the sadistic and masochistic knight in armor Darkness.
If you thought watching Kazuma alone throughout the journey would be hilarious, wait till you watch him paired with the horrendously comedic trio of female protagonists.
Another hilarious highlight of the series (as you can expect from a parody anime series) is that these superhero adventurers think they can embark on any journey, just like in video games.
They are stupendously mistaken because this is not a video game, it is reality, and they have to, sadly, earn some lumpsum amount of money so they can pay for their daily living expenses.
- Directed by: Takaomi Kanasaki, Yujiro Abe
- Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Parody
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Studio: Studio Deen, Drive
- Release Date: January 14, 2016
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also Read: KamiKatsu, Konosuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World Announces English Dub
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Commonly known as DanMachi, the anime series is a fun series of Bell Cranel going on mysterious and harmless adventures in dungeons. What he tries to achieve is a brave and genuine attempt at exterminating monsters who are trapped in the dungeons in the city of Orario.
He is a young guy, filled with high spirits, and he is determined to become one of the greatest adventurers in the history of mankind.
He happens to come across a beautiful young goddess named Hestia, who helps him in destroying and capturing monsters in the dungeon. The two embark on a dangerous journey that could lead to the death of either one, but thankfully they make a good pair and are incredible fighters.
It is believed that Bell has eyes set on becoming the greatest adventurer but what about Hestia? What about the tiny goddess? What does she have to gain from doing this?
Hestia is in desperate need of loyal followers so that she can remain on the top among gods and goddesses. Both are set on a fatal journey but are firm with their goals in mind, and who knows, they may even fall in love with each other along the way.
This is one of the best and most heartwarming fantasy anime series out there. It has a simple concept: Gods and Goddesses live in harmony with mortals, and they have to work together to defeat monsters in the dungeon.
The MMORPG concept is incorporated in the form of various mortal and god characters. It is also fun-packed series and does not delve into darker and grotesque themes.
- Directed by: Yoshiki Yamakawa, Hideki Tachibana
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Studio: J.C.Staff
- Release Date: April 4, 2015
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also Read: DanMachi – Is it wrong to try to meet girls in a Dungeon? Season 5: When Will it Come Out?
Dragon Raja
Based on a generic Chinese fantasy lore, this is a cliche example of MMORPG style blended with fantasy and supernatural. The anime series is also commonly known as Long Zu.
It does justice to the MMORPG theme as the story unfolds when a young student named Lu Mingfei finds out that Cassell College in Chicago is nowhere near the ordinary. It is filled with dragons and other mythical creatures that you only have heard of, but now you see them co-exist with mortal beings.
Lu Mingfei, unfortunately, has to participate in a war filled with rage and jealousy. The war is fought over who gets to control the dragons. The dragons are in no way harmless, but they are also not something to be tamed and played with.
The series, although heavily influenced by dangerous Chinese mythical lores, has a rather fun side, and no darker themes are involved throughout the series.
It has a simple plot. It follows the journey that the protagonist Lu Mingfei sets on and whom he befriends along the way. His ultimate aim is to find a solution to the ongoing war. Of course, he is helpless and clueless. But no worries, his allies have got his back no matter what.
As the series progresses, there are several hurdles for our hero Lu Mingfei, but he passes through each one efficiently and effectively. Being one of the brightest students in his college, he is a smart and reliable young man.
Besides all that, he is an incredible fighter, and with special regard to dragons, he has perfect aim and shot as he tries to slay the dragons. He is indeed a natural at it! Will he eventually be able to slay all dragons or keep getting distracted and lose aim? Watch the series to find out.
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Magic, Fantasy
- IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
- Studio: Garden Culture
- Release Date: August 19, 2022
- Where to Watch: N/A
Also Read: 10 Must-Watch Anime Like Dragon Raja
No Game No Life
The anime series was considered a big hit among fans, especially with such OP main characters. I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy watching two loving and super-intelligent step-siblings overthrow the entirety of the universe over simple games?
The plot isn’t simple, though. The step-siblings Sora and Shiro are complete shut-ins in their mortal world. They have no life and no ambition. But there’s a good thing about them which is that they are excellent pro gamers.
They can defeat any opponent no matter how hard the other tries. They work excellently well individually but even better and stronger as a pair.
The duo gets trapped in a fantasy reality that is based on thousands of games that they have played before. The games and the levels are all very similar to the mortal arcade games and video games which, fortunately, Sora and Shiro are experts at these.
The ultimate aim is to rule over the new world by defeating all gods. All feuds are settled over a game. The pair incredibly manages to defeat almost all gods, and eventually, they meet the Tet, the One True God. Sora and Shiro put in all their efforts so that they could beat Tet over a game of chess and bring peace to the new world.
- Directed by: Atsuko Ishizuka
- Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Ecchi, Isekai, Strategy Game
- IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
- Studio: Madhouse
- Release Date: April 9, 2014
- Where to Watch: Netflix
Also Read: 20 Best ‘No Game No Life’ Facts You Must Know
I’m Standing on a Million Lives
The main protagonist Yotsuya Yuusuke has a hard time living in the city of Tokyo, not because of the hustle and bustle culture but the selfish residents. Just as he wished, he is transported to a virtual reality along with his classmates Shindou Iu and Hakozaki Kusue.
The trio does not understand the concept of this virtual reality which is filled with ancient mythical creatures.
Completely surprised by this, the trio embarks on an enchanting journey filled with quests and missions. The journey begins as soon as a strange man called the Game Master approaches them and guides them through the games.
His friends are given the roles of Magicians and Warriors, while Yuusuke gets the role of a Farmer. Although their powers are mediocre level at the beginning of the games, their intensity and strength increase as they progress through the games.
An interesting highlight of this virtual reality is that anyone who dies and doesn’t finish completing the required quest would be revived back to the game if and only if one of their party members is alive.
The games appear simple at first sight, but as the level increases, the difficulty also increases. This could cause harm to most of the players as they have to win at all costs.
The games are designed in such a way that if anything is destroyed, it affects the real world as collateral damage. The players have to fight their way through various hurdles to save the real world from falling apart.
- Directed by: Kumiko Habara
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai, Survival
- IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
- Studio: Maho Film
- Release Date: October 2, 2020
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also Read: 30 Anime Like Parallel World Pharmacy That You Should Watch
Log Horizon
The world is filled with crazy and addictive online games. Our main protagonists, Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Akatsuki, are somewhat considered shut-ins by some. The trio is always engaged in online fantasy MMORPG on their PCs, and they seem to enjoy it as well.
Suddenly, the players seem to be facing some trouble logging out. The players are actually trapped in the game and cannot leave unless they complete quests. The players are given quests to complete, and most of these require the players to kill and destroy monsters and save the city of Akihabara.
To survive and eventually win the hazardous and life-threatening virtual game, Shiroe decides to team up with his fellow mates Naotsugu and Akatsuki. As the series progresses, they gather more members for their team. Eventually, they decided to build a guild, powerful, and they kept the name Log Horizon.
The members of the guild are powerful, kind, smart, and possess different areas of strength. The series involves a lot of strategy planning, offense and defense techniques, and a whole lot of fight scenes.
- Directed by: Shinji Ishihara, Junichi Wada
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Studio: Satelight
- Release Date: October 5, 2013
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll, Funimation
Also Read: Top 5 Anime Similar To Log Horizon That You Should Be Watching
Accel World
If you’re a massive fan of Sword Art Online, then you might like this anime series called Accel World. There are many theories relating the two, some even saying that these are based on the same universe but different timelines.
It is believed by many fans across the globe that the NerveGear from Sword Art Online was one of the founding hi-tech gears used in Accel World.
Now that the theories may seem like it’s convincing let’s have a look at the plot. Accel World follows a rather complex storyline. The world is filled with powerful people and weaklings.
Weak and shy students become the victims of bullying, and everyone seems to ignore these. Haruyuki Arita, because of his obesity, becomes a victim of school bullying too. But our main protagonist stumbles upon a secret and unique game called Brain Burst.
His classmate Kuroyukihime was the one who introduced him to this game. Because of poor self-image and constant bullying at school, Haruyuki decides to join the game without realizing that the game is a trap.
The game, which intends to be a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Fighting Game, is the type where players fight each other off to gain Burst Points which can be replenished in the real world.
To declutter his thoughts and relieve himself of stress, he continues playing the online fight game. The duo is a great match with excellent fighting skills in the game and fantastic and strong strategy planning. They are determined to win and reach Level 10 and find the secrets of the secret game.
- Directed by: Masakazu Abara
- Genre: Action, Romance, Science-fiction, Video Games
- IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
- Studio: Sunrise
- Release Date: April 7, 2012
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also Read: 90 Best Sci-fi Anime Shows Of All Time: The G.O.A.T
Btooom!
Our handsome male protagonist Ryota Sakamoto finds himself trapped in a virtual game, with lots of opponents and other incomprehensible hurdles being thrown at him on his way. The games are dangerous and fatal to death.
Set on a tropical deserted island situated in the middle of nowhere, Ryota puts a lot of effort into thinking and planning strategy but to no avail. He is a great online player at combat, but in reality, he kinda sucks!
It takes him some time to realize that the online combat fighting game that he plays all day and night in his room is the virtual world that he has been teleported to. Just like in the game Btooom!, Ryota and the other players are equipped with bombs, and the mission is straightforward: you have to collect seven gems.
Since the ultimate goal is to get out of this virtual video game world, interested players have to gather and collect the seven precious gems from each other.
This seems simple and harmless, but the truth is the players have to kill each other to gather these gems. Only then can they get back to their mortal realm. Again, any death in the game results in death in the real world too.
The series involves a lot of strategy planning and a lot of thinking. It gets too fast-paced at times, hence you might feel like you’re left behind, and you may begin to lose interest. But worry not, the short and intense chemistry between Ryota and his game companion Himiko.
- Directed by: Kotone Watanabe
- Genre: Action, Survival, High Stakes Game, Psychological, Seinen, Science-fiction
- IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
- Studio: Madhouse
- Release Date: October 4, 2012
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also Read: 12 Best Anime Produced By Madhouse Of All Time That You Should Watch Right Now
The King’s Avatar
Based on Chinese esports lore, it is also known as Quanzhi Gaoshou and is heavily influenced by the present up-and-coming esports market among the youth.
The protagonist Ye Xiu is commonly known as the Battle God because of his pro skills and excellent online presence in the esports world. He’s been dominating for years and a fearful opponent, as termed by many fans.
Things seem to get interesting when Ye Xiu is seen retiring from the game but is that the end of the esports era? Nah, he joins again at the tenth server inauguration under a new username called Lord Grim.
The game is called Glory. The game is a fast-selling online MMORPG game available to the youth. Most players fight in PvE and PvP modes. Ye Xiu has a rather sad story as to why he retired from the game Glory.
He became too successful but garnered fans as well as foes along the way. But his new friends at the cafe think otherwise. This is a journey of a man who tries to win his name and fame back, and rightfully so.
- Directed by: Ke Xiong
- Genre: Action, Video Game
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Studio: B.CMAY PICTURES
- Release Date: April 9, 2017
- Where to Watch: N/A
Also Read: 46 Anime Like Solo Leveling – The Webtoon-Based Anime
.hack//SIGN
Based on a similar MMORPG concept like most of the above-mentioned series, .hack/ /SIGN tells a story about a struggling Tsukasa who can’t seem to log out of a virtual MMORPG, and it seems like luck isn’t on his side.
Things go downhill as Tsukasa wanders around in search of answers as to why he can’t log out of the game. Is there a hacker? Is this some sort of a dream? So many questions, but Tsukasa can’t seem to put his mind to anything.
Fortunately, Tsukasa finds a way out of this mess which keeps him safe and sound from other dangers in the game. He teams up with Subaru, a fellow gamer who is also trapped in the virtual world. The pair are excellent fighters and make a good team. They fight their way together to find the secrets of this world.
- Directed by: Koichi Mashimo
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Video Game
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Studio: Bee Train
- Release Date: April 4, 2002
- Where to Watch: Hulu
Also Read: 40 Dark-Fantasy Anime To Watch If You Liked Hell’s Paradise [2023]
BOFURI: I Don’t Wanna Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense
The series is loosely based on the Virtual Reality MMO concept and includes less of fight scenes and strategy planning while capturing all possible hilarious content as a slice-of-life series. BOFURI begins like this: Honjou Kaede gets trapped in a virtual reality game and plays the role of Maple in the game.
Maple has such good defensive skills and extraordinary strength, but she is not agile, and Kaede still can’t move freely well enough in her character Maple, even though she has played this game a thousand times before. Maple faces quite a good number of adversaries until she finally begins to lose hope.
But of course, Maple can never do that. She is the hero of the series, joined by Sally and many other characters that she has befriended throughout the game. Maple and her friends embark on a fun adventure around the virtual world, completing new levels and new quests.
- Directed by: Shin Oonuma, Mirai Minato
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Video Game
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Studio: Silver Link
- Release Date: January 8, 2020
- Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Also Read: 10 Must-Watch Anime Like Dragon Raja
