Sony to unplug Matrix Online July 31
After seven years of delays, controversy, and problems, the Monolith-developed, movie-inspired sci-fi MMORPG will shut its doors this summer.
When the Matrix Online was first announced back at E3 2002, few could have foreseen the delays the massively multiplayer online role-playing game would face in the run up to release. The game was to be originally copublished by Ubisoft in conjunction with Warner Bros.; however the deal fell through in 2004 for undisclosed reasons. Ironically, Warner bought the game's developer, Monolith Productions (F.E.A.R.), that same year.
Work on the title continued, however, and at E3 2004 Sega announced that it would take over copublishing duties for the title before it was finally released in 2005. The story was far from over though because later that year, Ubisoft announced that it was leaving the MMO business and sold all rights to the game to Sony Online Entertainment.
Controversy continued to dog the game when Sony added in-game advertising, much to the lamentation of users, downsized the game world by two-thirds because of "a sparse population," and then finally tried to entice users back into the game with improved combat.
Now the long journey of the Matrix Online has come to an end. A post on the game’s forums yesterday evening has revealed the title is to be unplugged on July 31, after four years online. The cancellation of the game echoes the fate of many other MMOGs, including the six-years-in development Tabula Rasa, which launched in 2007 after several delays and barely made it 13 months. Namco Bandai and EA's single-player/persistent premium MMOG hybrid Hellgate: London also closed its doors after a year following technical difficulties and a weak public reception.
The Matrix Online team has promised an "end-of-the-world event" before the game closes shop, allowing players to "revisit all the things that make MxO the memorable experience it is."
Hades 2 Is Already An Exciting Sequel With Confident Changes | Technical Test Impressions Firearms Expert Reacts to Fallout 76's Guns Fallout 4 Next Gen Update Comparison Why Are Video Game Adaptations Good Now? | Spot On Fallout 4 Steam Deck Verified Gameplay ALIEN: Rogue Incursion - Announcement Teaser Trailer Stellar Blade - 13 Things I Wish I Knew S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — Official "Not a Paradise" Trailer Honkai: Star Rail - "Then Wake to Weep" | Version 2.2 Trailer Devil May Cry: Peak Of Combat | Dante: Blazing Tempest Gameplay Trailer SAND LAND — Official Launch Trailer Sea of Thieves Season 12: Official Content Update Video
Please enter your date of birth to view this video
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Join the conversation