Durango
Durango was a mobile survival MMO that dropped players into a hostile prehistoric wilderness via a time-warp premise, then asked them to carve out a life alongside (and sometimes against) other survivors. The hook was simple and effective: gather resources, craft what you need, and decide whether your next big step is building up a settlement with a tribe or heading out to hunt, capture, and train dinosaurs that can change how you explore and fight.
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Publisher: Nexon Type: Mobile Survival PvP: Clan Wars Release Date: May 15, 2019 (Global) Shut Down Date: December 18, 2019 Pros: +Dinosaur capture and taming that meaningfully supports play. +Versatile crafting and building options. +Impressive visuals for a mobile MMO. Cons: -Hard to recommend today due to the shutdown. -A lot of players wanted more long-term support and content. |
Durango Overview
Durango is a survival-focused MMORPG built for mobile devices, set in an alternate “lost world” where modern humans are scattered across dinosaur-filled islands after a mysterious temporal incident. Instead of pushing you through a narrow sequence of quests, the game leans into open-ended progression: you gather, craft, hunt, build, and cooperate, with the environment and its creatures acting as constant pressure. The presentation uses a detailed 2.5D viewpoint that helps readability on a small screen while still delivering dense environments and surprisingly rich animations for its platform.
A big part of the appeal is the social layer. Survivors can group up to establish villages, specialize into roles (gatherers, crafters, builders, hunters), and create defensive structures that matter when dangerous predators roam nearby. The sandbox framing also extends to PvP and territory conflict, where organized groups can contest space and resources. Nexon and What!Studio positioned it as a “Pioneering Open World MMORPG”, and in practice that meant the core loop was less about theme-park dungeons and more about building a functioning community out of what you can harvest.
Crafting sits at the center of almost everything. Tools, weapons, clothing, meals, storage, and fortifications all come from collected materials, and experimentation is encouraged through the variety of resources available in different biomes. On top of that, dinosaurs are not only threats, they are also assets. With the right preparation you can capture and tame certain species, then use them for travel, combat support, and utility as your settlement grows.
Durango Key Features:
- Survival Gameplay on Mobile – a rare attempt to deliver a full survival sandbox loop on phones and tablets.
- Prehistoric Game World – a dangerous wilderness filled with dinosaurs, varied terrain, and valuable materials to scavenge.
- Build a Community – form tribes, develop villages, and construct defenses that help your group endure both wildlife and rival players.
- Catch and Tame Dinosaurs – capture certain dinosaurs and turn them into mounts or allies, shifting the balance of exploration and fights.
- Flexible Crafting System – crafting supports many playstyles, from practical survival tools to more ambitious settlement projects.
Durango Screenshots
Durango Featured Video
Durango Review
Durango aimed to do something mobile MMOs rarely attempt: deliver a true survival sandbox where the world feels like it would keep moving whether you logged in or not. The early game sells that premise quickly. You start by learning the fundamentals of gathering and crafting, but before long you are juggling food, equipment durability, storage, and the risk of wandering too far without a plan. The pacing works well on mobile because sessions can be short, yet the long-term goals, like building up a village and refining your crafting, give you reasons to return.
Moment-to-moment gameplay is built around resource runs and creature encounters. Combat is readable and functional for a touch interface, and the real tension comes from how fights fit into survival priorities. Taking on a predator is not just about winning, it is about whether you brought the right gear, whether you can afford to spend healing supplies, and whether the trip back to safety is secure. That framing makes the world feel threatening without needing constant scripted events.
Where Durango differentiates itself is in how strongly it ties progression to community infrastructure. Settlements are not just cosmetic hubs, they are practical solutions to survival problems. A well-organized tribe can divide labor, maintain defenses, and create a safer baseline for members to explore farther afield. That same structure also supports competition, since valuable areas and productive bases naturally attract conflict. “Clan Wars” PvP fits the theme, even if it can be intimidating for solo players who prefer to avoid organized group pressure.
Dinosaur taming is another standout. It is not treated as a simple collectible system, it feeds back into traversal, utility, and combat options. Capturing and raising creatures adds a satisfying mid-game objective, and it helps the prehistoric setting feel mechanically relevant rather than just a visual theme.
The main drawback, viewed today, is that Durango’s strengths are tied to a live-service ecosystem that no longer exists. The global release on May 15, 2019 showed real potential, but the shutdown on December 18, 2019 cut short the chance for long-term iteration and expansion. As a concept and as a mobile implementation of survival MMO ideas, it remains a memorable project, but it is difficult to recommend beyond historical interest due to its closure.
Durango System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Android 4.0 or later / iOS 6.1 or later
Official requirements have not yet been released for Durango. The requirements above are based on our experience and will be updated when official numbers are released.
Durango Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon…
Durango Additional Information
Developer: What!Studio
Publisher: Nexon
Announcement Date: May 23, 2014
Limited Beta Test Date (KR): December 09, 2016
Release Date: May 15, 2019 (Global)
Shut Down Date: December 18, 2019
Development History / Background:
Durango was developed by What!Studio, a team operating under Nexon. The studio included developers with experience on Mabinogi Heroes (released as Vindictus in North America), and that background shows in the game’s ambition for a mobile title, especially in its production values and the breadth of its systems. Nexon first revealed the project in 2014, then highlighted it again around G-Star 2015 with early footage and images that emphasized its dinosaur survival theme and open-world structure. A limited beta test for the Korean audience followed on December 09, 2016.
After years of anticipation, Durango released globally in English on May 15, 2019. Despite the strong premise and a dedicated community, the service ended the same year, and the game shut down on December 18, 2019.