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Two Free-To-Play Ubisoft Games Are Shutting Down
Two free-to-play games from Ubisoft, Ghost Recon Phantoms and The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, are closing down later this year after both games weren't as successful as expected. Ghost Recon Phantoms will go offline on December 1 and The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot will close on October 25.
"After more than four years of battles, fights, deaths and a lot of fun, we have made the difficult decision to close Ghost Recon Phantoms. It’s a tough day for our studio and indeed the team, some of whom have been working on this project since its inception some 7 years ago," writes Ubisoft in a statement on the game's website.
Ghost Recon Phantoms, originally titled Ghost Recon Online, was in beta for two years then launched on Steam in 2014. Up until its closure, the game will continue to be playable, and the in-game shop will remain available, however it will no longer be possible to purchase Ghost Coins. In Ubisoft's FAQ about the shut down, it stated that no refunds will be issued for users' purchases and that no developers are being laid off as they move on to new projects.
Ubisoft also mentions that player data will continue to be stored, but not shared outside of Ubisoft. Players can contact customer support should they want their data deleted.
The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, another Ubisoft free-to-play title, is also shutting down for the same reasons. Ubisoft writes in an FAQ, "Unfortunately, Mighty Quest for Epic Loot was not as successful as we had hoped for, so we had to make the decision to close the game," the developer said. "This decision wasn't easy for us and we tried to find other ways. But in the end we decided to close the game and focus on other projects."
For more on Ghost Recon Phantoms, watch a couple developer diaries here.
[Source: Ghost Recon Phantoms, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot]
Our Take
Usually, layoffs occur when shutdowns like these happen, so it's good to hear that Ubisoft developers committed to these projects are moving on to work on other games within the company. What's most disappointing is how these closures affect fans and players. Spending both time and money in these worlds only for them to disappear can be a huge bummer, especially for MMOs and online games. However, it was thoughtful that Ubisoft put together such detailed FAQs explaining the shut downs, why they're happening, and how they affects users.
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