While many MMOs simply fade away in silence, others go out with a bang. Here are the 5 most interesting final moments of MMOs.
Even MMOs have a shelf life, even if it’s rarely written on their imaginary forehead. Sometimes it’s a lack of money, sometimes a lack of players, and sometimes the air just runs out completely. Whatever the reasons: shutting down the servers and the final end of a game is rarely pleasant for the players.
Nevertheless, there have been developers in the past who made the best of the situation and made the last moments memorable!
This is also shown by the following five examples!
The Matrix Online (†2009)
The Matrix Online was active between 2005 and 2009 but had to shut down due to weak sales and subscriber numbers: in the end, it had less than 500 active players.
On the last night, players were allowed to use the strongest spells and abilities, which they gladly did. The result of the massive use of excessively powerful abilities? Massive graphic and interface errors that made the game rather dubious. It ultimately culminated in the destruction of the avatars by crushing them into … chunks. Incredibly fitting for the Matrix.
Tabula Rasa (†2009)
The science fiction MMORPG Tabula Rasa faced significant endgame challenges – however, behind the scenes. The news of lead developer Richard Garriott wanting to leave the developer studio NCsoft turned out to be false. Garriott sued the studio. In the end, he was awarded $28 million.
The shutdown of the servers was justified by insufficient player numbers. Tabula Rasa ultimately ended in 2009 when a large-scale assault by the Alliance was organized to retake Earth, which had been conquered by the Bane. The Alliance eventually succeeded in freeing Earth with their combined efforts. Thus, the game ended with an epic battle that every player could enjoy taking part in.
Asheron’s Call (†2017)
One of the first 3D MMORPGs finally threw in the towel last year after 17 years. In 2016, the MMO developer team left the studio Turbine and took The Lord of the Rings Online with them. However, Asheron’s Call was not taken and subsequently shut down.
While the other game endings on this list involved bigger events or at least crazy situations, Asheron’s Call ended peacefully. The players were simply logged out and the servers were shut down. However, it became something significant when you consider the mood of the video. There is something almost meditative about how the players gathered, stood silently, and waited for the end – only to dissolve into pink air at the end. Divine.
Glitch (†2012)
The experimental browser MMO from the developer studio Tiny Speck (who later released the tool Slack as Slack Technology) didn’t have it easy from the start and was even sent back into beta phase after release since it ultimately did not meet the developers’ expectations.
In the end, it completely folded in 2012. Unlike other dying MMOs, however, not in apocalypse or mourning, but with the humor corresponding to the game. Just before the end, a dancing horse appeared, shouting “The end is near!” and ringing a bell. Later, God himself appeared in the general chat. The game could hardly have ended more aptly!
Bonus: Final Fantasy XIV (†2012)
Not the end of an entire MMO, but rather the end of a version marked the video titled “The End of an Era” from Final Fantasy 14. The last minutes were marked by a large red moon and ominous thunder before the screen went black and soon after a long cutscene played.
This showed the decisive battle between the Eorzean Alliance and the Garlean Empire just before the end of the world. It then continued five years into the future with Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn. The video was definitely a great idea to close a chapter.
Which endings have particularly stuck in your memory?
