Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen Interview - Talking Seasons, 24/7 Extraction Mode, and More

Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is now a decade removed from its initial Kickstarter in 2014, but even in 2024, its core development team is still doing its darndest to see late MMO luminary Brad McQuaid’s original vision through to the bitter end – with a modern take on the old-school, EverQuest-style MMORPG.

As those who’ve followed its lengthy development cycle can tell you, it hasn’t exactly been a stroll through the Faydark. The infamously short-lived 247 Extraction mode represents both a contributing cause and catastrophic result of a cyclical series of major erosions in trust between the Pantheon team and its loyal fanbase in the wake of McQuaid’s tragic and untimely passing in November 2019. 

But Pantheon developer Visionary Realms – still largely made up of venerated disciples, friends, and colleagues of McQuaid himself – hasn’t given up. Instead, with renewed resolve, the team has carefully begun the piecemeal process of making the game promised to longtime fans available. The team plans to gradually inject new content into regular updates via Pantheon’s recently-announced Seasons progression format, starting with one zone and a handful of playable classes.

I couldn’t help but wonder: even if the final product is exactly what long-time EverQuest retrophiles invested over ten years of time, money, and emotional energy into, could a finished version of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen survive on its own two legs without sacrificing some of its old-school appeal to please a broader denomination in today’s gaming market? I wanted some additional perspective from the developers working tirelessly to bring Pantheon to life, so I sat down with the top brass at Visionary Realms for a one-hour conference call. There, I got a chance to ask the most pressing questions that have been on my – and, hopefully – many other players’ minds as Pantheon ramps up its Seasons rollout.

“I think it would do very well [in today’s market]. But it depends on how you define that,” says