The MMORPG Astellia launched in January 2020 on Steam and even received a Free2Play version in 2021. However, it now has hardly any players left. The creators announced that: Astellia will be discontinued.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Astellia is a traditional Buy2Play MMORPG and is among the best MMORPGs of 2019. As one of 5 classes, you fight through dungeons, the open world, or directly face monsters and bosses in the Coliseum.
The special feature of Astellia are the named Astels, magical companions who fight for you. Astels fulfill the role of a tank, healer, or DPS and can be collected and leveled up.
After the release in September 2019, Astellia appeared on Steam in January 2020 and initially received a fairly good reception there. Players regarded it as a solid, if not exceptionally good MMORPG – it was ‘not too bad at all.’
However, it is now being discontinued.
What has now happened? In January 2021, Astellia Royal was released, a Free2Play version of the MMORPG. However, on August 10, the developers announced that the servers would be shut down. On October 29, Astellia will be officially discontinued (via Steam).
Hardly any players left, no longer for sale
Here’s the latest status of Astellia: The player numbers and the ratings of both versions have significantly decreased over time. Most recently, the numbers looked quite poor for an MMORPG on Steam in July:
- Astellia had a peak of 42 players in July and an average of 22.3 players (via steamcharts.com)
- The Free2Play version peaked at 52 players and averaged 28.1 players (via steamcharts.com)
- Currently, both versions are neither for sale nor can they be downloaded on Steam
The YouTuber TheLazyPeon shows in a new Let’s Play from July 2021 the empty servers. He plays for several hours and encounters hardly any other players:
As early as the end of 2019, shortly after the launch in Europe, Astellia was discontinued in its home country Korea. At that time, it was said that the closure would not negatively affect the western version. No reason was given.
Why is the game closing? Upon the release of Astellia Royal the MMORPG was completely torn apart on Steam. Recent reviews are somewhat sparse, but existing players criticize the performance.
User LordFugi also finds the balance problematic: ‘I am constantly dying in the dungeon and just can’t get any further. What’s the deal? I’m level 20, the boss is level 16, and I keep dying. I’ve died 350 times now – that should be a record’ (via Steam).
The lack of players is particularly affecting the MMORPG since you can’t trade with anyone when no one is left. The decline is likely related to previous Pay2Win accusations – for instance, top gear was supposedly too easily purchasable and new Astels were available through a controversial gacha system.
After a true flood of new MMORPGs, Astellia is now among the games that will be buried in 2021 – and it doesn’t even appear on the list by MMORPG expert Alexander Leitsch:
