Although a respectable figure, this total is miniscule when compared to the estimated 11 million subscribers hooked on World of Warcraft. With that said, EA’s title is well-ahead of competitive rivals Lord of the Rings Online and EverQuest II, confirming the Warhammer brand as a profitable and therefore worthwhile addition into the MMO genre as it sits nicely alongside the figures of EVE Online.
Launched last September, Warhammer Online quickly became home to over 750,000 subscribers, of whom many left when WOW expansion Wrath of the Lich King was released in November.
Mythic recently announced plans to update the franchise with a substantial expansion, starting with the free Call to Arms update which included two new character classes and a new realm-versus-realm mode type. With Warhammer Online, EA have their first MMO franchise since Ultima Online, meaning their moves in the coming months will be vital to the success of the series where they will no doubt strive to gain a larger mass audience of regular players.
Also, the patch introducing the “Night of Murder” Valentine’s event has recently been released, which marks players on opposing sides as targets to kill, as well as launching the game in Russian territory.
More on Night of Murder can be found here.
