So many on-line video games have shut down to date in 2023 that we’ve already needed to do a roundup, and it’s solely February. Which suggests hundreds extra are going to satisfy comparable fates over the subsequent 10 months, and the subsequent two to satisfy their demise are Pure Choice 2 and Spellbreak.
The builders of Pure Choice 2, which has been operating for 10 years, introduced earlier right now they might be ceasing “energetic improvement” on the sport, however not absolutely shutting down. As an alternative, whereas they transfer onto different initiatives they’ll be leaving the lights on (emphasis mine):
10 years since its official launch and over 117 updates later, energetic improvement of Pure Choice 2 has ended.
Our staff and this group have offered a few years of ardour and assist for this recreation. Through the years we had the chance to satisfy and collaborate with so a lot of you whether or not at an expo, dwell match, Discord or taking part in on a server. We thanks on your assist and dedication to NS2 and know that this recreation wouldn’t have been the identical with out you. Now it’s time to look to the long run and proceed on to different initiatives inside the firm.
Whereas we gained’t be actively engaged on NS2, we are going to nonetheless proceed to host matched play servers in order that group members will have the ability to play video games on-demand with different gamers or bots.
Though this isn’t goodbye, we nonetheless wish to say a really heartfelt thanks to you, our group and to all of those who labored with us on Pure Choice 2 over time.
A lot love and appreciation,
The UWE NS2 Staff
Whereas it’s at all times unhappy for followers when a recreation winds up like this, a number of them simply need to have the ability to nonetheless play the factor, so it’s good to see builders Unknown Worlds leaving some servers up for folks to take pleasure in.
As for Spellbreak, we knew its finish had been coming way back to June 2022, but it surely lastly got here right now, with the sport being delisted on Steam. That’s the unhealthy information, although; the excellent news is that the sport will dwell on, because the builders have “created a standalone model the place gamers can host their very own servers, play with their pals, and discover the game-space at their very own tempo.”
That’s nice! That’s even higher than leaving some servers up, as a result of as John Carmack stated final week, it’s the best possible case situation for when official assist for a web-based recreation winds up. By releasing the sport into the winds, and liberating it from the constraints of shopfronts and on-line platforms, followers can hold taking part in it for so long as there are followers, and even when there aren’t anymore, the sport can nonetheless be preserved for future generations.