Summary
Online games can be a brilliant thing. The sense of community that can be found in MMOs such asFinal Fantasy14, orthe competitive spirit of fighting games such asTekken 8,is unmatched. People have become friends with, fell in love with, and even started families with those they’ve met through online gaming. These virtual environments can hold a lot of fond memories for many.
But the truth is harsh.Online games need to make at least some moneyto remain online and operational. If they don’t, then servers don’t stay up. Many games have managed to stay afloat for years or, in some cases, decades after they were first released, but others aren’t so lucky. These next games are all dead now, but they deserve to be remembered for what they brought to the medium.
Shut Down
February 2019
For those who want to command their own ship in the depths of the void,Fractured Spacewould have been a treat. Unlike many of the space combat games out there,Fractured Spacelet players take direct control of a capital ship and battle their way across the depths of space in PVP and co-op.
The game saw players duking it out over a series of control pointsin MOBA-esque arenas.Players needed to decide everything about their ship, down to the size, manufacturer, and crew, all while making sure they had a balanced team composition. While the game was innovative and unique it was sadly shut down in 2019.
November 2018
A colossal science fiction MMO.WildStarwas certainly a unique property in a genre dominated by fantasy IPs. The narrative saw players caught in a war between the Dominion and the Exiles on the planet Nexus. Players could choose from four races depending on which side they picked in the war. From the statuesque Granok, made of living rocks, to the miniature, rodent-like Chua.
Depending on the race picked, players might have their choice of class limited; unless they were human, of course. The game even let players pick from four paths to have missions tailored to them. Despite its innovative features, the game never really took off, and was officially shut down in 2018.
August 2021
An unconventional and pretty fun shooter,Gotham City Imposterswas a blast to play. Featuring comical weapons and entertaining gunplay, the game was free-to-play on all major platforms and had a decent player base at one point.Players could play six-versus-sixin all manner of modes and had a massive slapstick arsenal with which to dispatch their foes.
With character customization for their avatars, and a variety of roles and playstyles from skate shoes to freeze rays, there were a lot of innovative ideas inGotham City Imposters. The game coveted a loyal, if comparatively small, following. However, it was not to last. The game’s last surviving PC servers were shut down in 2021.
Unofficial
An indie shooter that unfortunately seemed doomed from the start,Due Processwas a unique take on the competitive tactical shooter genre. Deviating heavily from the formula established in games likeRainbow Six SiegeandCounter-Strike 2,Due Processfocused much more on the planning aspect of each round.
Rather than focusing on training flicks and grenade throws, the game forced players to constantly be aware of their surroundings on procedurally generated maps. Players needed to monitor their team’s resources across three rounds. Taking an assault rifle might give players an edge, but if they lost it, their team wouldn’t have it in the next round. Unfortunately, the game couldn’t compete in such a huge market and has virtually no active players today, although it is technically still active.
March 2019
Ace Of Spadeswas a free-to-play darling of the early 2010s. The game was hot on the coattails ofMinecraftandTerraria,but solidly kept to its own theme. Players could pick from one of three weapons and would be given grenades and a spade as a standard loadout.The entire environment was destructible,meaning players could dig their own trenches and blow apart enemy cover.
Shortly after the creation of a prototype, the game was acquired by Jagexand made the move to Steam, now coming with classes and new ways to play. Unfortunately, the game began to taper off in popularity over the next few years, before finally going offline in 2019.
May 2022
TheTotal Warfranchise is one of the most famous strategy series out there and even has licensed dealswith massive IPs such asWarhammer.Total War: Arenawas a free-to-play alternative to the mainline games in the series.
Focusing on what-if scenarios where some of history’s greatest generals faced off in massive PVP battles, the game was a history nerd’s dream come true. Alexander the Great could face off against Julius Caesar and players could fight in massive ten-versus-ten PVP wars. Sadly, it was not to last, and the game would cease operations in 2019. It was initially suggested that NetEase would be resurrecting the game, but the developers permanently shut it down in 2022.
September 2018
Evolvewas an unconventional asymmetrical shooter from 2015 that saw players divided into a four-versus-one scenario. One player would take their pick of a monster that could then evolve as the game went on, becoming more and more dangerous until they could overwhelm the enemy team. The others would try to hunt that player down as one of the game’s many hunters.
While the game was initially a success, the meta quickly became stagnant, andEvolvewould eventually go free-to-play in the hopes of attracting a larger player base. Despite the developer’s best efforts, the game was be shuttered in 2018.
December 2011
Before the massively popularStar Wars: The Old Republic, there wasStar Wars Galaxies, a massive MMO that encompassed iconic planets, species, and weapons from theStar Warsgalaxy. Set soon after the destruction of the first Death Star, players could encounter many beloved characters from the original films.
The game was unique in letting players set up their own communities and economies. Players could create cities and hold democratic elections for their mayors. While the game was a huge success, it was announced that it would be shut down in 2011, with players given a send-off by the Force ghost of Obi-Wan himself. Several private emulator projects have tried to revive the game in various states of its lifespan, but the game itself is now long gone.
July 2014
While it has been referenced in previousBattlefieldtitles,Battlefield 2142is well and truly dead, but it was certainly worth a look when it was available to play. The game featured everything that people have come to expect from aBattlefieldtitle but with a sci-fi twist.
Technically, the game had a prequel in the recentBattlefield 2042, which depicted an apocalyptic look at global warming running amok, something that also happens in the original game. It was also referenced in theFinal StandDLC forBattlefield 4. Unfortunately, official servers were shut down following the shuttering of GameSpy in 2014. Thankfully, those truly passionate aboutBattlefield 2142have started community projects such as the 2142 Reclamation Project to revive the game’s multiplayer aspect.
March 2017
A classic that most members of Gen Z and probably some Gen Alpha will remember,Club Penguinwas an MMO with a huge following of kids from across the globe. Players could take part in minigames, create their own homes and hangouts, and even attend parties and visit other players.
Unfortunately, the player base began to dwindle, and after several years of layoffs and issues, the game was shut down in 2017. In the last few months of its life, people flocked to the game to say their goodbyes and took part in challenges tosee how fast they could get bannedbefore the game shut down forever.
