These Two Ubisoft Games Are Shutting Down, Here's When and Why

Ghost Recon Phantoms, a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that initially launched in 2012, is coming to an end. Ubisoft announced this week that the PC game is shutting down, with servers going offline on December 1.

In a statement on the game's website, developer Ubisoft Singapore said the game represented a "tremendous undertaking" and the team was happy to release a "different take" on the franchise. The studio also thanked fans for their support over the years.

The official shutdown will take place on December 1. Though the game will remain playable until then, Ubisoft has disabled the in-game shop, so you can no longer buy virtual currency.

Unfortunately for fans, Ubisoft is not offering refunds for players who still have a balance of credits when the game shuts down. The developer also will not offer any kind of conversion of Phantoms credits to another Ubisoft game. All of this is in line with the game's terms of service, Ubisoft said.

There don't appear to be layoffs happening at Ubisoft Singapore as a result of the forthcoming shutdown, as Ubisoft explained in a surprisingly frank FAQ that employees have already moved to new projects at the company.

As for why Ubisoft is closing Phantoms, the developer said it simply didn't reach a wide enough audience.

"Unfortunately, GRP 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."

As for what Ubisoft Singapore is making next, the studio announced in March that it's making a big new PC and console game, though it has not yet been announced. This won't be Phantoms 2, as neither Ubisoft Singapore nor any other studios is likely working on a follow-up, the developer said in the FAQ.

The FAQ also contains a question that asks if Ubisoft cares about PC players and if they are considered "secondary" to console users.

"Our goal is to provide players with the best possible experience of our gamers on whichever platform they chose," the developer said. "That means our teams take the time to optimize each game for each respective platform on which the game will be released, and that’s something we're committed to continuing to improve."

A version of Phantoms was announced for Wii U, when it was known as Ghost Recon Online, but it never came out. The next Ghost Recon game is 2017's Ghost Recon: Wildlands, while a movie based on the franchise is also in the works and will be produced by Michael Bay.

Ubisoft Singapore studio also created Assassin's Creed III's naval battles, which went on to become a key pillar of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed Rogue's gameplay.

Ubisoft is also shutting down another free-to-play game, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. All service will close down on October 25, 2016, Ubisoft said in its forums. The publisher used the same exact statement as Phantoms to explain why the game is shutting down. "

"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."

You can learn more about the shutdown in this FAQ.

In other news about free-to-play games shutting down, Microsoft confirmed this week that Russia's Halo Online is coming to an end.

Via: Gamasutra