After 8 years in early access, a fantasy MMO created by a husband-and-wife team behind classics like EverQuest and Asheron’s Call officially launches: “Let the next chapter begin.”

Project: Gorgon, the classic fantasy MMO that entered Steam Early Access in 2018, has finally rolled out its significant 1.0 update.

Having grown up playing Ultima Online and EverQuest, I’ve been intrigued by Project: Gorgon for quite some time. This game was brought to life by the husband-and-wife team of Eric Heimburg and Sandra Power, who were key developers on iconic MMOs like Asheron’s Call and the EverQuest series. Tragically, Power passed away in 2025 after a courageous three-year battle with cancer. It’s especially moving to see Heimburg continue their vision and launch this ambitious and distinctive MMO into its full release.

What sets Project: Gorgon apart from many other MMOs is its unwavering commitment to the core principles that shaped the genre before the era of World of Warcraft: minimal guidance, extensive player freedom and consequences, skill-based progression without rigid classes, a heavy emphasis on grinding, and a strong sense of community supported by tools for player-created quests, a player-driven economy, and housing options.

Remarkably, it’s one of the few games of its kind with an active community that wasn’t developed in the late ’90s. While its graphics may not be the most polished, it seems that Power and Heimburg, under Elder Game, LLC, prioritized creating a hardcore, old-school MMO over visual aesthetics. The dedicated, albeit small, community has plenty of positive feedback to share, and Steam reviews reflect this sentiment, with 85% of its 2,200 reviews being favorable at the time of writing.

The 1.0 update introduces completely revamped character models, an overhaul of vendor stalls, performance enhancements, and the new capital city of Statehelm, which features over 200 new quests and unlocks additional skills and abilities for players who choose to make it their base. For those interested, the full patch notes detail all the new content.

The complete game is available for a reasonable $25, and there’s also a substantial free demo that I highly recommend, allowing you to progress up to level 15. As with any worthwhile demo, your character and progress will transfer to the full game if you decide to purchase it.

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