Don't count on "Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes" ever getting out of its beta phase. The game let out a death rattle late this afternoon, with EA announcing that they're pulling the plug on the battle arena:
"On March 29th, 2013, Mythic Entertainment will be shutting down all online services associated with Play 4 Free Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes (WOH)." The reason given for the shutdown was simple enough, evidently "the project could not meet its financial goals to be sustained."
The game entered its open beta phase April last year, giving players just under a year's worth of play time before EA shuffles the game loose from its mortal coil.
Producer James Casey was proud of his work on the project, and like any other employee, was glad players were able to enjoy it while it lasted. "I think we created something special and I would not trade the time creating it or playing it (on all those Friday Fight Fests and anonymously almost every day) for anything. I hope that those who have played it at any time in the past will stick through to the end, enjoy the special pricing so you can try out everything before it goes, and try out a few of the special things that were still in our pipeline."
If you're still rich with gems, make sure you spend them while you can. According to the player FAQ EA has provided, there won't be any refunds issued for remaining player gems. The company is at least offering loyal players with promotional codes for "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning."