Sneers
Not any kind of evidence but it does seem I am not the only one citing those numbers. Here for instance is chatgpts answer to the following question:
"What is the average number of hours to max level (for an untwinked character that is not being power leveled) in both leveling p1999 or monsters and memories, which is faster":
Yes — with the condition untwinked, no power leveling, normal play, Monsters & Memories is currently faster, but the gap is smaller than I implied earlier.
The tricky part is that neither game has a clean published “average hours to 60” statistic, so the best comparison comes from player reports and XP requirements.
| | Project 1999 | Monsters & Memories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Max level | 60 | 60 |
| Untwinked / normal grouping | ~350–500+ hours | ~200–400 hours |
| Very efficient player | ~250–350 h | ~120–200 h |
| Casual/inefficient | 500–700+ h | 300–500+ h |
| Overall speed | 🐌 Slower | ⚡ Faster |
My best estimate for a normal untwinked player
P99: ~400–500 hours /played to 60
There is a particularly useful P99 community calculation that estimated 375 hours of actual XP grinding for a reasonably efficient grouping character, but then estimated roughly 25 days /played (~600 hours) once you account for downtime, finding groups, traveling, etc. Another player reported getting a ranger to 60 in 29 days /played (~696 hours). Project 1999+1
So I'd personally use ~500–600 hours as a realistic untwinked P99 target for an ordinary player, rather than the theoretical 375-hour figure.
MnM is much less certain because its XP tuning has been changing during beta/Early Access. Current player reports range dramatically. One February 2026 player estimated roughly 500 hours to approach 60, while current Early Access reports include someone reaching 40 in 60 hours and estimating another 60+ to 60. Other players are estimating 300–500 hours for most players. Reddit+1
So which is actually faster?
I'd put it approximately:
MnM: ~250–400 hours\
P99: ~450–600 hours
So MnM is probably around 30–45% faster to max level for the kind of character you're describing.
The interesting thing is that MnM's first 40 levels are dramatically faster, while the upper levels slow down considerably. Current EA players are reporting huge numbers of people reaching the high 30s within the first week, but the developers/community expect 50–60 to take substantially longer. Monsters & Memories
If your goal is specifically “I want P99/EQ-style progression, but I don't want 500–600 hours just to see max level,” MnM is probably the better fit.
If you want, I can also give you a level-by-level estimate (1–10, 10–20, 20–30, etc.) for P99 vs MnM, which makes the difference much easier to visualize.
