While games like Meridian 59 and Ultima Online are considered the first graphical MMOG's, it was EverQuest's 1999 release and subsequent 400,000 subscribers that truly launched the genre. Given its successes, it was a matter of when, not if, there would be a sequel.

For those who are expecting EverQuest 2 to be a true continuation of what made the first one great will be in for a shock, as the only things EverQuest 2 shares with EverQuest is the name of the home planet, most of the races and most of the classes; the meat and potatoes of the game has been completely gutted and rebuilt from the ground up, making EverQuest 2 its own game, and not a true sequel.