Official License Granted for Fan-Resurrected MMO to Proceed
- NCSoftCity of Heroes MMORPG launched in 2004, now officially approved for private server.
- City of Heroes officially ceased in 2012, unofficial servers continued.
- Homecoming, a fan-run project, officially licensed by NCSoft to run server.
- Homecoming to keep all player accounts, create new content, remain free, funded by fans.
- Development highlights potential for fan-led continuation of MMOs post-official shutdown.
NCSoftCity of Heroes: An MMORPG Legacy
NCSoftCity of Heroes, a highly popular MMORPG, first launched in April 2004 and enjoyed a successful run for over eight years. The game won the hearts of a dedicated community of players who continued to engage with the game even after its official lifespan, through private servers that existed in a somewhat ambiguous legal territory.
However, the developers behind City of Heroes have now given an official approval for one such private server to continue its operations.
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The Legacy of City of Heroes
In 2012, the superhero MMO City of Heroes officially ceased operations. This led to widespread disappointment among its loyal player base. However, not all players stopped their adventures in the game's universe.
In 2019, it was revealed that a secret, unofficial private server had been running the game in the years following its shut down. Despite initial fears of a potential shutdown by NCSoft, the developers eventually released the game's code online, leading to the emergence of other private servers.
Homecoming: A New Hope for City of Heroes
On January 4, the developers behind the unofficial fan-run project Homecoming announced that NCSoft had no plans to shut down the most popular City of Heroes private server. Instead, the company took an unexpected step and provided the developers with an official license to maintain a City of Heroes server.
In a recent post on the Homecoming forums, the team behind the private server expressed gratitude to fans for their patience over the last few years. They also teased that they were in talks with NCSoft regarding the project.
The Future of Homecoming
The developers confirmed that all player accounts and characters are safe and won't be deleted. Moreover, they announced that new content will continue to be created for Homecoming, access to the server will remain free, and the project will continue to be funded entirely through fan donations.
As part of the new agreement, it seems that other private servers might not continue their operations. The team hopes players will migrate to Homecoming, thus centralizing the community more.
A Rare Victory for Fans
This development is a surprising and rare example of fans being allowed to officially keep a game alive. It also highlights the potential for preserving and continuing MMOs after their official shutdown, given there is sufficient fan interest and support for the game.
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