Brighter Shores Launch Announcement Trailer

A new free-to-play fantasy MMORPG from Fen Research is set to hit PCs and Macs later this year, promising a “relaxing respite from daily life.”.  The studio was founded by RuneScape designer Andrew Gower. Dubbed Brighter Shores, the game is labeled as a “cosy” fantasy MMORPG.

A ten-year-old game, Brighter Shores transports players to the peaceful coastal town of Hopeport, where they take the role of a town guard. Together, they attempt to face a greater threat in the fantastical world of Adothria.

As players explore the world, they will encounter “quirky characters, fascinating foes, and captivating locations,” as they take on one of three classes: cryoknight, hammermage, or guardian.

“Creating this game has been a real labor of love,” lead designer Andrew Garfield explains in Brighter Shores’ official announcement. “At times it has felt like an insurmountably ambitious task, so it’s amazing to finally see it coming together in the way I hoped. I can’t wait to see the world full of players enjoying what we have created.”

There’ll also be a deliberate shift away from ‘grindy’ gameplay, which was once a hallmark of MMORPGs. Fen Research promises a “new and exciting twist” on the MMORPG genre.

Despite being free-to-play, Brighter Shores will avoid microtransactions in favor of an “all-inclusive premium pass”. This will offer “extra quests, adventures, stories”, on top of the “hundreds of hours” of free content provided by the base game.

However, after ten years of development, Brighter Shores has a Steam listing/ it’s set to offer “something new around every corner” with an “ongoing story” and “hundreds of hours of gameplay.”

Brighter Shores has no release date beyond “Q3 2024” at this point, but it will be available on PC and Mac via Steam when it arrives. Yhe video shows and brags of a new world and new gameplay art.