In the latest hit for Turbine Studios, it's finally time for the players to bear the weight of their transition to mobile-only developer. One of the longest running MMOs is shutting down.
Following the transfer of rights to Daybreak Games' newest studio 'Standing Stone Games', both Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online will continue to receive updates - but two others games weren't so lucky.
Asheron's Call and its sequel are both approaching the end of their life. Announced just one day after news broke of Daybreak Games acquiring both the license and staff behind most of the Turbine Studio's current MMORPG projects, Asheron's Call was notably absent.
Going homeless once Asheron's Call closes? A potential level boost coming to Final Fantasy XIV might make it a viable new home.
Being 17 years old and releasing just before the turn of the millennium, it's worth noting that the classic MMORPG has lived a long, fruitful life. It's difficult to gauge potential player numbers at this point, but combined with the game's age, it likely boils down to a mix of the two issues when it comes to keeping the games online. It stands to reason that Daybreak Games may have been unwilling to take the work of the hands of Turbine during their transition, leaving just the single option to unplug the virtual life support.
Both Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2 have just over a month of juice left in them. Going offline come January 31, 2017, Turbine said "This decision did not come easy". You can read the full announcement on Facebook.
