Playing Wizard101 in 2025 for the First Time

Recently, I ended up getting engrossed in a 20-year-old discontinued Disney MMORPG called Toontown that sent me into a frenzy that ended up in me jumping in to try Wizard101. Unlike the former, the latter released in the early 2000s and is still alive today; in fact, it just launched on consoles and is getting a new expansion soon, called Darkmoor.

Although I hadn't ever booted the game before, I had downloaded it to my Steam library because I had crossed paths with it occasionally. Since I left World of Warcraft back in 2013ish, I've been looking for a replacement with no luck; by the time I heard of Wizard101, I was a non-believer.

For those who aren't familiar with it, Wizard101 is a turn-based deckbuilding MMORPG by KingIsle Entertainment and gamigo group, where players can create their very own wizard character. The journey includes choosing their school of magic and setting off on a classic MMORPG journey: full of dungeons and quests.

Considering how late I am to the party, what with the game's release dating back to 2008, I thought it would be too aged or too complex; after all, titles like League of Legends and World of Warcraft have struggled to stay "noob friendly". Thankfully, this wasn't the case at all.

After creating my character and getting the school of Life in the exam, I headed off on my new wizarding adventure. I can't say I would have assumed that it released when it did: it feels like a AA title that knows how to budget its money.

Wizard101 has a lot of personality, and it shines through almost immediately. There are many, many, many references throughout the world and characters (unfortunately, a lot of them are Harry Potter, because who could have predicted J.K. Rowling would be a disappointment?), and they're neatly wrapped in lighthearted humour.

KingIsle's approach to their MMORPG reminded me of what was so charming about World of Warcraft back in the day. Sure, the latter took itself more seriously story-wise, but Blizzard's title was still full of comedy, hijinks, and fun... all of which I found in Wizard101.

Despite playing for 22 hours, I don't feel like I've made that much progress: it is the most noob I have felt in years. My character is barely past level 10 because there is so much to do and discover, such as the pet derby and player housing, but I haven't felt overwhelmed.

While a lot is locked behind the subscription or paying for content, I'll be the first to say it's not a crazy notion. Unlike the other MMORPGs I've played throughout the years, Wizard101 doesn't limit itself in any way, and that freedom is coded into the core concept.

In Ravenwood, basically the centre of Wizard City, there's a tree that can connect to other realms. In total, there's a whopping 16 different worlds to explore, and due to the lighthearted themes and magical world, there's nothing they can't do.

This opens up a fun adventure to anyone willing to pay. Even going from Wizard City to Krokotopia is an instantaneous whiplash, as the first one is a mediaeval town and the latter an Egyptian landscape.

This creative freedom is evident even in simple things, such as the mounts you can see in the game — there are cool bone dragons, silly mugs (literally, you're just in a mug), or oddly imaginative ones like massive rubber duckies. Everything can be canonical in a world that doesn't give itself limitations.

For those who have played World of Warcraft, the graphics and style will be like home because Wizard101 evidently took a lot of inspiration from the biggest MMORPG of all time. Unfortunately, what sets it apart from Blizzard's triumphant (and now declining) behemoth is also what might scare away potential fans: its "childlike" appeal.

Every quest is lighthearted, and every character, from the Headmaster to some of the foes I've encountered, is downright cartoony in their way of thinking and talking. It's been refreshing to experience a more wholesome and simple narrative in an MMORPG; it feels like a subtle reminder to have fun because it's just a game. And that's a good thing!

I didn't expect to enjoy Wizard101 as much as I did because I made the mistake of judging it for its age, graphics, and simplicity. It took me about 15 hours to start getting hit by the gated content, so if you're even slightly interested in trying it out, I'd say it's worth a shot.