Every MMORPG is uniquely vulnerable to a final shutdown. While it is more common than ever for video games to have multiplayer components, MMORPGs literally cannot function without the official servers being available. Sadly for fans, this does mean that there are many cases where beloved games that often enjoy several years of success get turned off and become unavailable to play in any official capacity.
For some of these games, there are emulated servers available in which fans can still enjoy the title in some way. However, the official servers have still shut down, including all the original player character data. No matter how much you or others may have loved these games, they are gone and have sadly been relegated to preservation efforts rather than remaining online normally.
10/10 Defiance/Defiance 2050: An Ambitious Science-Fiction Project
The original Defiance was part of an elaborate and novel project, a cooperation between a television show and an MMORPG in which a player’s actions could have an impact on the show and vice versa. The combination between the two and the unified setting, with both game and the TV show taking place in the same world but different locales, promised an interesting and novel experience for players.
Unfortunately for fans, the television series only lasted for three seasons and attempts to keep Defiance going with a reboot, and major update in the form of Defiance 2050 did not bring in new audience. Both versions of the game shut down in April 2021 following an eight-year run.
9/10 Landmark: The Creative Part Of An Unrealized Game
Originally, Landmark was meant to serve as a creative player sandbox service for the upcoming EverQuest Next, with players showing off their creativity in Landmark and potentially being featured as a foundational part of EverQuest Next. It was an interesting concept, albeit one that was poorly explained by the developers.
This also meant that when EverQuest Next was officially canceled, the writing was on the wall for Landmark even though the game was still in beta testing at the time. After launch, it failed to gain sufficient traction and was shut down only eight months after its full release.
8/10 Final Fantasy XIV Version 1.0: The Original Version Of A Major Hit
The popularity and success of Final Fantasy XIV are well-known at this point. However, very few fans know that the version of the game available to play now is the rebooted version brought into being after the original failed to capture players’ enthusiasm. While many elements of the original version are present FFXIV, the original featured an entirely separate set of areas and content not available in the current version, such as the Hamlet Defense system.
When asked about the possibility of the classic version’s return, producer and director Naoki Yoshida described the possibility as a nightmare. So, it seems unlikely that players will ever regain access to this particular bit of MMORPG history.
7/10 Marvel Heroes: ARPG Gameplay With Marvel Characters
A unique title, Marvel Heroes, combined the click-based hack-and-slash gameplay of titles like Path of Exile and Diablo with one of the most popular IPs on the planet, the Marvel universe. As readers can imagine, the game benefitted from the popularity of the MCU during its run.
The elements that ultimately sank this particular title were entirely separate from its financial success. The CEO behind Gazillion, the developer of the game, faced ongoing harassment charges that ultimately led Disney terminate its relationship with the studio. The game shut down after a four-year run in December 2017.
6/10 Star Wars Galaxies: Sandbox Gameplay For A Beloved Franchise
For Star Wars fans who wished that Luke Skywalker had stayed on Tatooine and leaned in on being a moisture farmer, Star Wars Galaxies was the game for you. The game’s freeform structure prioritized a plethora of options for players. It had crafting and dancing, emphasizing non-combat gameplay as a core ideal while allowing players access a wide variety of Star Wars races.
The game had (and has) numerous fans, and it was successful enough to run for eight years. However, prior to Star Wars: The Old Republic’s release (a very different sort of game, although still notable for fans of BioWare), it was announced that the license on the game would not be extended and would shut down in December 2011.
5/10 WildStar: Colorful Space Western Adventure
Boasting an original aesthetic, a sharp sense of humor, and a lovely soundtrack, WildStar released to immediate success and a great deal of enthusiasm. Unfortunately for the game, that enthusiasm cooled quickly as players reached the level cap, and punishingly hard dungeons and even more intensely difficult raids drove them off.
Attempts to ease up the endgame requirements and salvage the game through a free-to-play shift were ultimately unsuccessful. Despite its promising launch, WildStar shut down in November 2018, four and a half years after its initial arrival.
4/10 Vanguard: A Spiritual Sequel That Didn’t Get Over
This game was the product of Brad McQuaid, the same designer behind the early hit MMO EverQuest, and it had big ambitions from its early concept onward. Unfortunately for the game, it suffered from a troubled chain of publishers and low budget for an ambitious title.
While the game had a pre-release buzz, it struggled attracting and retaining players even when it shifted to a free-to-play model. The title ultimately shut down altogether in July 2014.
3/10 The Matrix Online: The Sequel We Never Got Finished
Even before The Matrix Resurrections, there was a sequel planned for The Matrix films; in the form of a video game. The Matrix Online was an ambitious project marrying players to an ongoing story developed in the wake of the sequels to the original films. It let players choose sides and play out the aftermath of the armistice between humans and machines.
Design struggles and a saturated MMO market made The Matrix Online struggle establishing its footing, and it ultimately never finished its story arcs and shut down in August 2009, with fewer than 500 active players. And if you were curious, No! The Matrix Resurrections does not make any references to its story.
2/10 Asheron’s Call: An Original Sprawling Adventure
One of the earliest major MMORPGs, Asheron’s Call, was an expansive game with a diverse skill system, a unique setting, and no hard zone lines across the world, even back in 1999. While perhaps not as well known as Ultima Online or EverQuest, it carved out a decisive niche and became a well-loved title over its lengthy run.
Indeed, what ultimately killed the game was a shift in business. Turbine, the studio that developed the game, split into two studios. Turbine and the IP rights to the game remained under WB Interactive. On the other hand, the ownership of Turbine’s other MMORPGs (Lord of the Rings Online, one of the best games set in that world, and Dungeons & Dragons Online) moved to the new Standing Stone Games. After 18 years, the game ultimately shuttered in January 2017.
1/10 City Of Heroes: Superheroic Roleplaying
Who doesn’t want to be a superhero? City of Heroes launched in 2005 and developed a welcoming community and fans eager to have superheroic adventures across Paragon City (and villainous adventures across the Rogue Isles). After a rough initial launch, the game settled into a welcomed cadence and had a steady stream of updates, improvements, and new missions for heroes and villains alike.
Alas, the game ultimately fell afoul of the sinister villain Dr. Financial Restructuring, which led to the game shutting down after eight and a half years in November 2012. Fan protests were numerous and outspoken, and to this day, whispers emerge of the servers coming back once again.
