The superhero MMORPG City of Heroes was shut down in 2021 by developer NCSoft. Some fans did not give up on the game and opened private servers where the MMORPG continued to run. They feared serious consequences, but now there is a positive message for them.
What led to the closure of City of Heroes?
- The MMORPG City of Heroes was released in 2004. Players could take on the role of superheroes who protected the city from villains.
- The title was particularly appreciated for its special character editor, its vibrant world, and the dream of living as a superhero. It is among the best MMORPGs according to Metacritic.
- Although the game was so popular, it was discontinued in December 2012. According to NCSoft, it was no longer worth running the servers. Revenue plummeted, and NCSoft had three other MMORPGs that were in the wings.
How did fans react to the closure? Some fan groups did not accept the closure and decided to open their own private servers. For example, there was a server that only fans could access who received a private invitation.
In the following trailer, you can see what kind of game City of Heroes was:
Fans open private servers, developer gives the green light
Over time, more and more private servers opened. The “Homecoming” server, with around 100,000 players, is no longer based on the original version of NCSoft, but has even developed its own content.
What was the problem? The servers were operated without permission from NCSoft. Therefore, there was a risk that the servers could be shut down and the operators could be sued. The operators collected donations to be financially secure.
For years, the developer team at NCSoft did not react and accepted the private servers as they were. However, the fans behind the unofficial project announced that NCSoft had contacted them yesterday.
How has NCSoft reacted now? The team behind the largest server “Homecoming” announced that NCSoft has no plans to kill the fan project (via Homecoming forum). Even more: The company even granted the official license to continue operating private servers. NCSoft remains the owner of the IP.
This means:
- All characters and accounts are secure
- New content is being worked on
- The Homecoming server remains completely free
- The developers still continue to accept donations
However, these regulations apply only to Homecoming. Other private servers are not affected by this permission and could be shut down. The Homecoming team hopes that this will lead players to switch to their server and that the community will centralize.
As part of the deal, the developers behind the fan project must provide an “internal installation and patching solution.” Therefore, the team has developed its own Homecoming launcher.
Could the servers still be shut down in the future? Theoretically, it is possible that NCSoft could shut down the private servers. They still possess the right to do so. But the fans remain optimistic and made it clear that there is a positive and productive relationship between them and NCSoft.
If you are into superhero MMOs, MeinMMO has more content for you:
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