MMORPG Asheron's Call to close servers after 16 year run

Asheron's Call, one of the first MMORPG's, is shutting down its servers at the end of January 2017.

As recently reporter, developer Turbine is moving away from MMORPG's, and today they and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that they are calling time on 1999 release Asheron's Call and its sequel, Asheron's Call 2. Both servers will go offline indefinitely on January 31, 2017.

As the servers go offline, so too will a part of gaming history. Asheron's Call was one of the very first MMORPG's on the internet, coming out around the same time as the original Everquest. It's continued success lead Turbine to developing Lord of the Rings online, and work with several other MMO titles, and is a strong example of how a small but dedicated community can keep a game alive. The game went free to play in 2014. 

The announcement came from the Asheron's Call facebook page. “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the end of our support for Asheron’s Call and Asheron’s Call 2. This decision did not come easy, and we know this is disappointing for many of you. This game is a labor of love, and it’s not easy for us to bring it to an end.”