Cosmetic Pets vs Combat Pets
Not all MMORPG pets are the same. Cosmetic companion pets follow you around purely for show and collection — think Final Fantasy XIV minions or Old School RuneScape's skilling pets. Combat pets actually fight alongside you, like World of Warcraft battle pets or Wizard101's pets. This guide is upfront about which is which, because if you just want adorable companions to collect and show off, that's a different goal than wanting pets in your rotation. Mirage's pets are cosmetic companions — collectible critters that follow you, not fighters.
Mirage Online Classic
Mirage Online Classic lets you collect cosmetic companion pets that follow you around the world as you adventure. These are charming pixel-art companions for collection and personalisation — they're not battle pets and there's no monster taming, just delightful critters to show off as you explore. Because Mirage has zero pay-to-win, pets are about style and collection, never power.
Best of all, you collect your companions inside a full browser MMORPG with no download and no cost. Alongside pets you get 11 classes, 50+ dungeons, guilds, PvP, and player housing to show off your collection. For players who want adorable companion pets without a gear grind or paywall — playable instantly in a browser tab — Mirage is the standout pick.
- Cosmetic companion pets that follow you as you adventure
- Collectible pixel-art critters — pure style, never pay-to-win
- Zero download — collect and show off pets in any browser tab
- Full MMORPG: 11 classes, 50+ dungeons, guilds, player housing
- 100% free with no cash shop of any kind
Final Fantasy XIV
FFXIV's minions are the gold standard for cosmetic companion pets. There are hundreds to collect — earned from dungeons, achievements, crafting, events, and rare drops — and they purely follow you around with no combat function. The variety is enormous, from tiny chocobos to iconic Final Fantasy creatures, and minion collecting is a deeply satisfying long-term goal. A free trial covers a huge chunk of content, but the full game requires purchase and a download.
- Hundreds of cosmetic minions to collect
- Earned from dungeons, achievements, crafting, and events
- Iconic Final Fantasy designs throughout
- Generous free trial covers a large amount of content
Old School RuneScape
OSRS's skilling pets are among the most prestigious cosmetic rewards in any MMORPG. Each skill has an ultra-rare pet that can drop while you train it, and bosses have their own pet drops too — they're purely cosmetic companions that follow you, but their rarity makes them coveted status symbols. OSRS runs in a browser with no download, and the free tier gives access to several skills (and their pets) before membership.
- Rare cosmetic skilling and boss pets — true status symbols
- A pet to chase for nearly every skill and major boss
- Runs in-browser with no download required
- Free tier includes some skills and their pets
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 offers a large collection of mini-pets — small cosmetic companions that follow your character with no combat role. They're earned from achievements, events, crafting, and the gem store, and the collection runs into the hundreds, with seasonal and holiday minis adding variety over time. The base game is free to play, making GW2 an accessible way to start a cosmetic pet collection. (Note: GW2 Rangers also have combat pets as a class mechanic, separate from these cosmetic minis.)
- Hundreds of cosmetic mini-pets to collect
- Earned from achievements, events, and seasonal content
- Base game free to play with no subscription
- Regular new minis keep the collection growing
RuneScape 3
RuneScape 3 has one of the largest pet libraries in any MMORPG, with hundreds of companions spanning cosmetic skilling pets, boss pets, holiday pets, and reward-shop pets. The vast majority are cosmetic followers, giving collectors an enormous range to chase. RS3 runs in a browser without a download and has a free tier, though many pets are tied to members' content. The sheer pet variety here is hard to match.
- One of the largest pet collections in any MMORPG
- Skilling, boss, holiday, and reward pets — mostly cosmetic
- Runs in-browser with no download required
- Free tier available; members' content adds far more pets
MapleStory
MapleStory's pets are famously cute companions that toddle along beside your character. They're primarily cosmetic, but with equips they can offer quality-of-life utility like auto-looting items. There's a wide range of adorable pet designs, many tied to events and the cash shop, and pets are a long-running fan favourite of the game's charming 2D side-scrolling world. Free to play with a download.
- Cute companion pets that walk beside your character
- Optional equips add quality-of-life like auto-loot
- Wide variety of adorable seasonal designs
- Free to play in a charming 2D world
World of Warcraft
WoW's companion pets started as cosmetic followers but evolved into battle pets — a full Pokémon-style mini-game where you collect, level, and fight pets in turn-based battles against other tamers. With hundreds to capture and a deep battle system, WoW offers both pure cosmetic collecting and genuine pet combat. Unlike Mirage's cosmetic-only companions, WoW's pets can fight. It requires a subscription and a download.
- Hundreds of collectible companion and battle pets
- Full pet battle system — pets that actually fight
- Both cosmetic collecting and combat goals
- Deep, long-running pet collection metagame
Trove
Trove is a voxel sandbox MMORPG with a big collection of allies — companion creatures that follow you and, in Trove's case, provide small buffs. They're collectible and customisable, fitting the game's blocky, build-everything aesthetic, with plenty of variety to chase across events and content. Trove is free to play with a download, and its allies sit somewhere between pure cosmetic and light utility companions.
- Collectible voxel allies that follow you
- Plenty of variety across events and content
- Allies provide small buffs alongside the cosmetic appeal
- Free to play in a creative voxel sandbox
AdventureQuest Worlds
AdventureQuest Worlds offers a wide range of pets you can collect over its 15+ years of seasonal content — entirely in a browser tab with no download. Most pets are cosmetic companions that follow your character, with plenty of holiday and event-themed designs to chase. With such a long content history, the variety of collectible pets is impressive for a fully browser-based MMO, and it's free to play.
- Wide range of cosmetic pets from 15+ years of content
- Seasonal and holiday-themed designs to collect
- Entirely browser-based — no download required
- Free to play with optional membership perks
Wizard101
Wizard101 is a family-friendly MMORPG with a deep pet system — and here pets genuinely matter in combat. You hatch, train, and level pets that grant stats and cast spells in battle, plus a hatching mechanic for breeding new variations. Unlike Mirage's cosmetic companions, Wizard101's pets are combat-focused, making the system a core progression feature. It's free to start with a download, with content unlocked by area.
- Deep combat pet system — pets cast spells and grant stats
- Hatching mechanic to breed new pet variations
- Family-friendly design ideal for younger players
- Free to start, with content unlocked by area
Quick Comparison: Best MMORPGs with Pets 2026
| Game | Cosmetic Pets | Collectible | Browser | Free | Pet Variety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirage Online Classic | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ 100% | ★ Growing |
| Final Fantasy XIV | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ★ Trial | ✔ Hundreds |
| Old School RuneScape | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ★ Free tier | ✔ |
| Guild Wars 2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ Base | ✔ Hundreds |
| RuneScape 3 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ★ Free tier | ✔ Hundreds |
| MapleStory | ★ Mostly | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| World of Warcraft | ★ + Battle | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ Sub | ✔ Hundreds |
| Trove | ★ + Buffs | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AdventureQuest Worlds | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wizard101 | ✘ Combat | ✔ | ✘ | ★ Free start | ✔ |
Collect Cosmetic Companion Pets Right Now — No Download
Mirage Online Classic lets you collect charming cosmetic companion pets inside a full browser MMORPG. Open a tab, create a free account, and start your collection in under two minutes — no download, no pay-to-win.