Shroud of the Avatar
Shroud of the Avatar is a fantasy sandbox MMORPG led by Richard Garriott (Lord British) that mixes classic Ultima-inspired design ideas with contemporary online features. It offers a solo-capable experience alongside multiplayer modes, supports character growth without rigid classes, and puts a big focus on exploration, crafting, player housing, and optional PvP for those seeking battles.
| Publisher: Portalarium Playerbase: Low Type: Sandbox MMORPG PvP: Open flag/Zones/Guild Warfare Release Date: November 24, 2014 Pros: +Playable as single-player or online. +Classless progression with lots of build freedom. +Housing and vendors in the shared world. +Combat uses a reactive, skill-draw style system. Cons: -Visuals are an acquired taste for some. -Not as strongly guided as theme-park MMOs. |
Shroud of the Avatar Overview
Shroud of the Avatar is a fantasy sandbox MMORPG framed as a spiritual successor to the Ultima tradition. Overseen by Richard Garriott (Lord British), it’s built around adaptable ways to play—whether you want an offline-feeling solo run, a friends-only instance, or a fully connected online environment shared with other players.
Progression steers clear of standard MMO roles. Rather than selecting a fixed class, you piece together your own setup using abilities and magic pulled from more than twenty skill trees. Combat is shaped by a deck-style UI where skills appear during fights in a dynamic, card-like format. The upside is variety; the downside is that spreading into too many options can make it harder to draw the exact ability you want in the moment, so specialized builds often feel distinct from broad, generalist ones.
Beyond combat, the game emphasizes ownership and persistence through housing and trade. Homes exist in the shared, non-instanced world, and you can set up a vendor to sell loot or crafted goods. For those who prefer social play, player-run towns and alliances are central to the community, with collaboration frequently revolving around crafting, commerce, and group projects.
Crafting is treated as a core pillar rather than a side activity. Gathering and refining resources feeds into a player-driven economy where crafted items can be genuinely important, with top-tier gear intended to come from investment and know-how—not only random drops. On the adventure side, quests and NPC interactions use a typed-keyword conversation approach, aiming to feel more flexible than purely menu-based dialogue. Overall, Shroud of the Avatar caters to players who enjoy choosing their own path—questing, trading, dueling, or establishing a home and workshop.
Shroud of the Avatar Key Features:
- Single-Player or Multiplayer – pick between an offline-style solo experience, friends-only play, or the full online world.
- No classes – customize your build by mixing skills and spells across 20+ trees.
- Player Housing – secure property in the persistent world and operate a vendor to sell what you make or find.
- Dynamic combat – skills surface during battles via a randomized, deck-like presentation.
- Crafting Economy – collect and process materials to create valuable player-made equipment and goods.
Shroud of the Avatar Screenshots
Shroud of the Avatar Featured Video
Shroud of the Avatar Review
A complete Shroud of the Avatar Online review will be added soon, including impressions on progression, combat pacing, housing, and how well the sandbox elements hold up over extended play.
Shroud of the Avatar Links
Official website for Shroud of the Avatar
Shroud of the Avatar on Steam
Shroud of the Avatar on Wikipedia
Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter campaign page
Community wiki for Shroud of the Avatar [Database/Guides]
Shroud of the Avatar Gamepedia hub [Database/Guides]
Shroud of the Avatar on Twitter (official)
Shroud of the Avatar System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer
CPU: Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 integrated graphics
RAM: 6 GB
Hard Disk Space: 7 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 (64-bit) or newer
CPU: Quad-core processor 2.4GHz or faster
Video Card: DirectX 10 compatible AMD Radeon HD 6850 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550
RAM: 8 GB
Hard Disk Space: 7 GB
In addition to Windows, Shroud of the Avatar can be played on OS X and Linux.
Portalarium has not published finalized official PC specs yet. The figures listed here reflect our hands-on experience and will be revised if/when the developer releases confirmed requirements.
Shroud of the Avatar Music & Soundtrack
Shroud of the Avatar Additional Information
Developer: Portalarium
Game Engine: Unity
Creative Director: Richard Garriott
Executive Producer: Starr Long
Technical Designer: Chris Spears
Lead Story Designer: Tracy Hickman
Kickstarter Posting: March 08, 2013
Kickstarter End Date: April 07, 2013
Steam Greenlight Posting: September 19, 2014
Steam Greenlit: September 22, 2014
Reveal Date: March 08, 2013
Release Date (Early Access): November 24, 2014
Development History / Background:
Portalarium, a Texas-based studio founded in September 2009 by Richard Garriott, is the team behind Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues. The project launched on Kickstarter on March 08, 2013 and closed on April 07, 2013, bringing in close to $2 million with support from more than 22,000 backers. Later, it went through Steam Greenlight, appearing there on September 19, 2014 and being approved on September 22, 2014.
The game is built using the Unity engine. Shroud of the Avatar entered Early Access as a pre-alpha on Novemeber 24, 2014, with a beta target planned for near the end of 2015.

