What's next for Everquest? Not Everquest Next, but more current-gen expansions

You know, Sony, you really impressed me with your unveiling of Everquest Next . How did you know I was sick of level-based progression? You're so considerate. I don't know how you could be any nicer. Wait, what's that? Two more expansions? One each for EQ and EQ2 ? Gosh, I don't know what to say.

Sony Online Entertainment yesterday announced that, while we wait for EQ Next to become EQ Now Dammit , we'll still be getting content for the existing EQ games. Both of them. And they've both got milestone numbers, making me wonder how SOE have managed to plan this without having existed, you know, before the beginning of time. (Well, I guess 1995 is close enough.)

The original Everquest gets its 20th expansion pack, Call of the Forsaken. Cataclysmic happenings are afoot in Norrath, forcing players to scramble through newly discovered regions of Norrath for powerful artifacts to keep a dragon-lady at bay. Two new shared bank slots make an appearance, as well as a new heroic adventure system, lava, and this whimsical honeycomb world.

Everquest 2, meanwhile, introduces 10th expansion Tears of Veeshan. It's also full of dragons, necessitating some pretty huge new features. For instance: nine new dungeons, a new "Channeler" class, and a mouthful of new quests.

There's no word on how much these expansions will cost or when they'll be out, other than SOE's non-committal "later this year." Asides from the above information, little is known about about either expansion's features, though keep an eye on the Everquest and Everquest 2 website s in the meantime.