That’s right, folks. Developer, purchaser of the intellectual property and then publisher Turbine Entertainment will be putting its first gem, one of the oldest MMORPGs alive, into maintenance mode in the very near future. The news comes on the back of repeated layoffs at the company and at least one development team focusing its efforts elsewhere, the MOBA genre with Infinite Crisis.
But let’s not get too crazy. Or too upset. First off, Asheron’s Call has had an amazing fourteen year run, including a “recent” patch, outliving its sequel by a long shot only to see it resurrected and the rapid growth of its creator. Announced by producer Severlin, Asheron’s Call will be receiving its intended final patch – bugs and crucial updates not included – on March 4.
What this means is that the community play will continue with servers remaining open but should not expect major changes after March 4, 2014. Please, read on.
What’s more is the long-term plan; free-to-play AC and community run servers with the authentic tools that will enable the community to live on and, potentially, the game able to grow!
I can’t help but wonder what this announcements and recent layoffs mean for the rumored Asheron’s Call 3.