Battle of the Immortals is a 2.5D fantasy MMORPG developed by Beijing Perfect World and published in North America by Perfect World Entertainment, with its open beta in May 2010. It took the familiar Asian MMO formula - quests, dungeons, mounts and PvP zones - and built it around pets that you catch, breed up and gear like a second character. The official servers closed on January 8, 2018, so fan-run private servers are now the only place to play it.

Pets, Fate Cards and Soul Gear

Many of the monsters you fight can become companions. Pets are caught in the field or bought, each with five stats and up to six skills, and melding pets pushes them into higher generations, up to Generation 3. Boosting raises a pet's growth, which decides how much HP and MP it gains as it levels, and fortifying it past +10 unlocks extra exalted skills. Later updates gave pets their own gear, so a top pet takes as much work as your own character.

The Guardians of Realms update added Fate Cards - stat cards earned from events and monster kills, sorted by type, grade and energy - along with the Exaltation system. The Titan update raised the ceiling again with level 115 Soul Gear from the Titan's Trial. Around that progression sit mounts with their own upgrade system, guilds, territory war and PvP zones where much of the open-world fighting happens.

What to Look For in a Battle of the Immortals Private Server

Which update it is built on

BOI changed a great deal between its launch and the end of official service. A server based on an early version keeps progression simple and the gear chase short. One built on Guardians of Fate or the Titan update stacks Fate Cards, pet gear and level 115 Soul Gear on top. Check the level cap and which systems are switched on before you start, so the server matches how deep you want to go.

Pet catch, meld and boost odds

Pet melding and boosting are where BOI players spend the most time and gold. Private servers often adjust these odds. A sensible boost makes a top pet a goal you can actually reach in a few weeks, while a server that hands out Generation 3 pets on the first day removes the best long-term chase the game has.

Pets in the shop

On the official servers pets could be bought from the cash shop as well as caught. On a private server, check whether pets, pet upgrade items and Fate Cards can be earned in play or only bought, because pet power carries straight into PvP and territory war.

PvP rules and balance

With open PvP zones and guild wars over territory, any stat edge from the shop, or a pet only donors can get, shows up fast. Look for clear PvP rules, staff who enforce them, and events that pull casual and hardcore players into the same fights instead of leaving new players as targets.

Who is online when you are

With official service gone, every BOI player is on a fan-run server, and populations are modest. Make sure the server has people online when you play. An active Discord and a regular event schedule tell you more than a long feature list.

Getting Started

Pick a server on the update you want, then put early effort into a good pet - in BOI it carries you through leveling as much as your own skills do. Learn how melding works on that server before you spend rare materials, and join a guild before the territory wars start. Vote for the server you play on; rankings here start again every month, so the list below shows where players are now.