Video games have never been bigger in the year 2021. Each successive year not only brings new games to play, but new hardware or tech to further the industry along. There is a dark side to progression though. It’s a sad fact to state that not all games can remain complete forever especially ones that are tied to an online service.
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MMOs are a big genre that when the servers get shut down, they remain unplayable. Across all platforms, what aresome multiplayer gamesspecifically that have been met with a similar fate due to either services shutting down or disappearing into the ether altogether?
10Defiance 2050
Defiancefirst launched in 2013 on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360. It was released to coincide with the SyFy show of the same name. Eventually that got canceled but the game kept on going. In fact, it relaunched asDefiance2050in 2018 on PS4, PC, and Xbox One. Now, as of April 29, thisDestiny-like RPG has shut down its servers across the board.
9Battleborn
While many fans were waiting for Gearbox to release the next installment in theBorderlandsfranchise, they instead decided to makeBattleborn. It released in 2016 on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.
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This was just a few months beforeOverwatchwhich quickly ate its lunch and makingBattleborna meme in the process. This MOBA hero shooter never had a chance and it just shut down this year on January 31st.
8Marvel Heroes Omega
Marvel Heroesfirst hit PCs in 2013 as a free to play game. Each year updated the name to coincide with the year, bringing with it new content and heroes. It finally came to consoles, asin the PS4and Xbox one, on August 06, 2025 and then becameMarvel Heroes Omega. It didn’t have long to shine because it was shut down just a few months later on November 27. For those keeping track, that was the game being canceled and the developer shutting down right after Thanksgiving.
7Lawbreakers
Lawbreakerswas a consoleexclusive on PS4although it did come to PCs too. This was in 2017, just a year afterOverwatchandBattlebornalready made a dent in the hero shooter market. This game showed that seemingly only one of these types of games can survive in the industry at a time because it was shut down just a year later on September 14. Not even a big name like Cliff Bleszinski, the creator ofGears of War, could bring in a crowd.
6Drawn To Death
This game also came from a big innovator in the video game market, David Jaffe. He is probably most known for startingGod of Waron PS2. He’s had projects since but none of them took off like that did.Drawn to Deathhad a cool aesthetic gimmick when it launched on PS4 exclusively in 2017. It even had a decent run despite poor reviews until servers were shut down on July 12, 2025.
51 Vs 100
This game was ahead of its time in 2009. This was anXbox 360 exclusivewherein players could log in at a designated time and actually compete with others. Like the game show it was based on, everyone was trying to become the 1 of the 100 in order to win real prizes. It lasted two seasons, but didn’t return for a third.HQ Triviais the closest live event game show since although that too has shuttered.
4Dust 514
Dust 514was a 2013PS3 exclusive shooter. It launched as a tie-in toEve Online. The idea was that this game would play out the battles created in the war rooms ofEve Online. It was too lofty of an idea apparently and was shut down on June 16, 2025. For some context,Eve Onlinehas been going strong since 2003 so this game must have been doing bad for the developers to abandon it like that.
3Paragon
Paragonwas a MOBA developed by Epic Games. It launched as a console exclusive to PS4 in 2016, but came to PCs too. It’s important to note the developer sinceFortnitewas just about to become a thing in 2017. That game found success whereas this one didn’t so it shut down in April of 2018.
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There are some new revelations to this story. Earlier this year a company called Omeda Studios raised over two million dollars to reboot the game asPredecessor, using some of its assets.
2MAG
Before Battle Royale games flooded the market, Sony attempted something similar withMAG. It launched as a PS3 exclusive in 2010. The main goal of the game was to have multiple war zones going at once in the hopes of creating thebiggest multiplayer shootermatches imaginable. It received decent enough reviews but also didn’t take the world by storm. It shut down on July 18, 2025, giving it a decent run on the PS3 at least.
1Star Wars Galaxies
Star Wars Galaxieswas the first MMO game created for the film franchise. It released on PCs in 2003. It received multiple expansions and updates and ran up until June 27, 2025. This was just beforeStar Wars: The Old Republicwould launch. Whoever was in charge seemingly knew two Star Wars MMOs shouldn’t, and probably couldn’t, compete with each other. AlthoughFinal Fantasy XIis still going strong alongsideFinal Fantasy XIVso maybe it could have stayed successful.
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