3 shuttered online multiplayer games that we miss

by

As someone who has been playing online multiplayer games since the days of Diablo II and World of Warcraft, it’s always bittersweet to see a game that I’ve grown fond of shut down. The sense of community, camaraderie, and shared memories created within these virtual worlds are irreplaceable.

Over time, the evolution of the internet has allowed for the emergence of cooperative or competitive gaming experiences among multiple players. As the internet advanced, people discovered ways to unite in playing their preferred games. With each leap forward, older games would be replaced by newer ones, forcing developers to adapt and work on different projects. When online multiplayer games cease operation, they often leave behind dedicated fanbases who cherished a game that has now ended. Here are three recently closed games whose absence is still felt by their devoted followers.

Knockout City

Back in school days, dodgeball was a game everyone recalls, whether you adored it or loathed it. Today, some might categorize it as bullying, however, the unexpected “whack” of getting hit remains etched in memory. This echo was revived, even for a brief while, by Velan Studios’ Knockout City. Launched on May 21, 2021, this free-to-play, team-oriented dodgeball game gained instant popularity upon release. The game garnered positive reviews and high player counts, but this momentum didn’t persist. Two years later, Knockout City was gearing up for its ninth season, but the servers were slated to be turned off on June 6, 2023.

Rumbleverse

The wild world of professional wrestling seems perfect for video game madness. That’s exactly what Rumbleverse was meant to be. This was a free-to-play battle royale game that featured professional wrestling as its main gameplay mechanic. Melee combat was the weapon of choice and each character had their own set of special moves. Rumbleverse featured both in-game purchases and a battle pass model. While this game did get some strong praise when it was initially released on August 11, 2022, it lasted only six months as the servers were shut down on February 28 that next year.

Dreams

Dreams is an interesting addition to this list. While it wasn’t a single or multiplayer game, Dreams was more of a creation suite that allowed aspiring creators to take a crack at making their own games. Released on February 14, 2020, it was a highly anticipated game from Media Molecule. It was awarded several different accolades for the product and received strong reviews. But it never truly picked up as a game that was played as frequently as some of the better-known online multiplayer games. Live support ended in September of 2023, even though online server support continued. Additional changes were intended to come, severely limiting what players were able to achieve in the game.

Read More

2024-09-14 22:27