After 5 years, EA's time with the Warhammer brand is no more. As promised back in September, the publisher closed the door on its MMO, Age of Reckoning.
EA gained the Warhammer brand, albeit temporarily, with the purchase of Mythic Entertainment in 2006. The developer had a licensing deal with Games Workshop at the time, but the time has since expired, leading to the end of the game.
Informing the fans of the news, Warhammer Online's producer, Carrie Gouskos penned a hefty post when the news broke, commenting on her time with the company, and history of developing the game. You can read some highlights from the post below:
"Warhammer despite its flaws was a valiant effort into the MMO space. I don't think any of its critics would ever call it boring. It struck out boldly, and some of the game's novel features are now considered industry standard for MMOs. The credit goes to far too many to list it out here, and it's almost irrelevant. The point is that some of the most talented people in gaming made Warhammer possible. They worked insanely long hours, and they put their heart and soul into trying to make this beautiful IP a living and breathing universe. World class artists. Genius engineers. Designers and content implementers who would put in 100 hours a week and not complain. Hard-ass producers who you would follow into battle anywhere. Writers that truly transported you. QA that wouldn't let us get away with a thing. And so many others. For those that are still with Mythic and those that have since moved on, we couldn't have asked for a more driven team dedicated to bringing this amazing franchise to life."
"Games Workshop has cultivated a world class IP. We were lucky enough to play in their universe for nearly a decade, with five great long years live. However, like all things - our contract has come to an end. Both Games Workshop and Mythic agreed to part ways, despite how hard it is emotionally on us to let the game go. It has been a tremendous honor to work with Games Workshop and even though we may be parting ways, our relationship with them remains strong. And now, hopefully, because this may be the last thing I ever write about Warhammer, I'll be allowed to acknowledge the existence of Chaos Dwarves. Or maybe not. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield... at least until the war is over... and once again, we thank you humbly for five amazing years."
At its peak, Age of Reckoning had 800,000 subscribers in when the game released in September of 2008, but the number would slowly decline over the next few months and years. The game was favorably received by most outlets, and maintains a score of 86 from Metacritic.
Customers seeking a refund for unused Game Time would do well to consult the F.A.Q.
