The grind has always been at the heart of MMORPGs. From slaying countless low-level mobs to farming gear for hours, many players see it as the price of entry before the “real” game begins. Chief Rebel’s upcoming title, Fellowship, takes a bold approach: cutting out the grind entirely and putting players straight into the action.
Instead of weeks of leveling, Fellowship offers dungeon-running as the core experience. The result is a streamlined, session-based RPG that feels familiar to MMO veterans but accessible to anyone who just wants to jump into a raid with friends.
Fellowship Creates a New Genre with MODA Gameplay
Fellowship is described as the first Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure (MODA). Unlike traditional MMOs, there are no sprawling open worlds to wander or endless questlines to slog through. Instead, you dive into four-player dungeons built around the classic tank, healer, and DPS trinity.
This design philosophy turns dungeon-running—the part many MMO players consider the true highlight—into the entire game. Players select from a roster of ready-made heroes rather than building characters from scratch, making it easy to learn a class and focus on teamwork.
Why Fellowship Skips the MMO Grind
The developers see grind as a barrier rather than a feature. Game designer Will Maiden compared it to being told a TV show only “gets good” by season two. For MMOs, the late-game raids are often the best content, but many players never reach them. Fellowship’s mission is to deliver that endgame experience from the very start.
By removing subscriptions, offering fixed pricing, and making characters instantly playable, Fellowship lowers the entry point for players who might otherwise be discouraged by time or money commitments.
Quickplay and Matchmaking
Accessibility is at the core of Fellowship’s design. The Quickplay system means you won’t spend time begging to join groups or sitting in endless queues. Instead, one click puts you in a dungeon within minutes.
Whether you’re forming your own party or using matchmaking, Fellowship emphasizes ease of entry—making it as pick-up-and-play as popular session-based games like MOBAs or hero shooters.
Combat That Feels Familiar
While the grind is gone, the combat feels right at home for MMO players. Fellowship uses a tab-target action combat system reminiscent of World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. Each hero has a unique toolkit designed around tanking, healing, or damage dealing.
For example, Helena, one of the tank heroes, builds combo points to strengthen her shield-based abilities while using taunts, interrupts, and charges to control enemies. Boss encounters mix classic MMO mechanics—like managing aggro and dodging AoEs—with creative twists, such as tether mechanics and environmental hazards.
Endless Progression
To replace leveling, Fellowship introduces Leagues and an Endless Mode. Players climb through leagues that gradually introduce tougher enemies and mechanics, preparing them for the endless scaling challenges at the top.
In Endless, loot progression caps out, meaning survival comes down to player skill, mastery of mechanics, and team coordination. Curses and modifiers keep dungeons fresh, pushing groups to adapt strategies and refine their playstyles.
Quality-of-Life Features
Fellowship doesn’t just replicate MMO dungeons—it improves them. The developers added clever quality-of-life systems that solve long-standing MMO frustrations.
- Tanks see enemy health bars change color when they lose aggro.
- Players can mark interrupts with a single key, showing teammates who is handling which ability and when the cooldown resets.
These small but impactful features show how much the team understands the pain points of MMO dungeon runs.
Why Skipping the MMO Grind Changes Everything
By taking the “best part” of MMOs—the dungeons—and making it the whole game, Fellowship feels both innovative and nostalgic. It borrows the tight hero design of MOBAs, the session-based accessibility of online shooters, and the cooperative depth of MMORPGs.
For players who love raiding but don’t have time for the grind, Fellowship could be a dream come true. And for MMO veterans, it’s a chance to focus on what they already love: the thrill of teamwork, loot, and boss fights.
See also: Crystal of Atlan Guide: Best Classes, Builds, Leveling & Combat Tips
Chief Rebel’s Fellowship is more than just another dungeon crawler. It’s a rethinking of what MMORPGs can be if you strip away the grind and dive straight into the action. With its Quickplay system, class-based heroes, and endlessly scaling dungeons, Fellowship delivers the endgame first—and invites everyone to join.
If you’ve ever wished you could skip the leveling and get straight to raiding, Fellowship might be the MMO-inspired game you’ve been waiting for. Play Now!
