Steam launch: New free-to-play MMORPG brings large-scale PvP wars, but faces mixed reviews
The free-to-play MMO landscape on Steam has seen a lot of new arrivals lately, and the latest to join is Warborne Above Ashes. It has been developed by Qooland Games, and it takes a different approach from many recent releases by focusing almost entirely on large-scale player-versus-player combat. The game officially launched this week and is already drawing attention, both positive and critical, from early players.
What the game offers
- Always-on real-time PvP: Battles available 24/7, from small teams to massive 100v100 (or more) skirmishes.
- Territory / faction war: Players pick sides, join warbands, fight for hubs on the map, and vie for control of resource points. Open world map changes over seasons.
- No fixed classes, fast entry: Over 40 "Drifters", 100+ gear pieces, tactical items, vehicles. You can create your character, and get into the action quickly without needing long quests or grind-gates.
- Free-to-play structure: Available on Steam (also Epic / other PC platforms), with in-game purchases, likely for cosmetics, passes, and premium rewards.
What people like
- The scale of battles gets a ton of praise - huge skirmishes, territory fights, being part of a guild/faction war is something that PvP players love.
- Flexibility in builds and "no fixed class" design is seen as a plus: players enjoy experimenting with Drifters, gear variation, and tactical load-outs.
- The rapid entry point: because you don’t need to invest heavily before being able to engage in PvP, it greatly lowers barrier for new players.
Common gripes and criticisms
- Balance concerns: With a good deal of equipment/Drifter/gear combinations, some builds or players (rightfully) fear mismatches in power. Players especially worry about how premium or paid elements might tilt the field.
- Performance, lag & stability: In such large-scale PvP, latency and server stability are often called out. Players report issues, especially during big faction fights or when many players are in the same zone.
- Content depth beyond PvP is thin: Players who prefer PvE, solo content or lore experience comment there's less there at launch, and the PvE parts that do exist feel less rewarding or slow.
- Grind and build commitment: Changing builds or trying new gear can be difficult; resets are limited, and players feel punished for experimenting or for early choices that later become less viable.
Player activity
The launch saw ~15,800 concurrent players around peak times. Reviews are “Mixed” on Steam, with roughly 55% positive vs 45% negative among ~440-450 reviews.
System requirements are quite modest for a large-scale PvP MMO; minimum requirements include a mid-range CPU/GPU, 16 GB RAM etc.
Warborne Above Ashes looks quite ambitious. It does a lot of things MMO-PvP fans look for: scale, open war, drama, faction conflicts. As a free-to-play launch, it provides good access and a chance for many players to test its systems. If you enjoy large-scale PvP and are forgiving of bumps early on, it’s worth jumping in now. Otherwise, you might want to wait for a patch or two, especially if you care more about PvE, polish or solo content. You can check it out here.
