Dragon Empires

On September 20, 2001, Codemasters unveiled development of Dragon Empires; it was initially slated for launch in October 2002. The game received enthusiastic response from gamers, with 120,000 signing up to beta-test the game. Reviewers also appreciated the game for its graphics and gameplay. One reviewer said:Boasting amazing graphics with a deep player-influenced world that promises to become more addictive as content is added, Dragon Empires looks promising.

… if the words "amazing graphics" and "incredible game" were synonymous, Dragon Empires would be one of the greatest games to hit the MMORPG scene thus far. At the 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, Codemasters demonstrated a prototype of the game engine and awed critics with breathtaking renderings of the game environment. As development progressed, the release date was pushed back multiple times, to October 2003 and then to spring 2004.