Fast-Track to the Endgame: What Happened to the MMORPG Journey?

mmorpg.com:

In the early days of MMORPGs, leveling was an integral part of the adventure. Dungeons or PvP encountered along the way were meaningful; questioning this would not even have crossed our minds. Players didn't just rush through levels but treated the game as if it started at level 1.

Nowadays, however, this has shifted. Players are now rushing into the endgame, and many MMORPGs are now designed around this fact. Often, leveling has become a routine exercise that players want to complete as fast as possible. Sometimes, the experience that used to be rich has even become an on-rails extended tutorial. 

A meaningless progression

This paradigm shift reflects a misunderstanding of what made MMORPGs popular in the early stages of the genre. Players weren't just interested in reaching the maximum level; instead, they were invested in the promise of being an actor in a persistent world, which was possible from any level. 

The more structured progression helped us to see leveling as a genuine experience. For example, with every tier, not only did the stats improve, but also our character developed. Each class's new skills and abilities were reshuffling the cards, preventing us from perceiving leveling as a temporary moment during which our character is only a diminished version of its ultimate potential.

Modern MMOs tend to make leveling a mere formality, with low-level zones rarely being more than a scenery to speed through. Heirloom items from World of Warcraft prove to be a good testament of this change. Still, a few years ago, this equipment was prized for its ability to support alt-character leveling. Now, their bonuses are almost irrelevant..

The rise of efficiency

Obviously, these changes are likely not necessarily instigated by the developers, but are instead a concrete answer to the community's expectations. The example of World of Warcraft Classic in 2019 illustrates this phenomenon very well. Although the Vanilla experience was repurposed almost identically, it has