"Millions" Played It, But Ratchet & Clank Dev's Outernauts Is Shutting Down

Having already shut down the Facebook version of Outernauts, Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games today announced that it's also closing the game's iOS and Android versions.

Beginning immediately, all microtransactions in Outernauts have been removed. In addition, Insomniac is "dramatically" increasing the number of free Star Gems (the game's virtual currency) people receive "so everyone should have a healthy supply of them," the developer explained.

On February 1, 2016, Outernauts for iOS and Android will officially shut down for good. At that time, the game's servers will be closed, meaning even if you have the game installed, it will no longer be playable. That's because the game requires a server connection.

Insomniac is also removing the game from both marketplaces on February 1. If you have any built up currency, you'll want to spend it while you still can, as Insomniac will not provide refunds. Instead, refund requests can be taken up with Apple and Google.

According to Insomniac, "millions" of people have played Outernauts across its Facebook and iOS/Android versions since the game originally debuted in 2012. However, this wasn't enough to sustain the project.

"Unfortunately, the current player count cannot keep up with the ongoing server costs," Insomniac said in a blog post. "We hope you understand and it will be very hard to say goodbye. We realize there are still passionate fans playing the game daily who invested a lot into it."

Insomniac's next game is a Ratchet & Clank remastered version for PlayStation 4, which is expected to launch in 2016. The studio, which has offices in California and North Carolina, is also working on an Oculus Rift game called Edge of Nowhere.