SOE Producer Steve George had this to say about Free Realms shutting down.
Hi everyone,
Usually I’m in here telling you about cool new developments in the Realms. Today is a much different day for me. I’m deeply saddened to announce that we will sunset Free Realms on March 31, 2014.
Free Realms has truly been a labor of love for SOE (even our own president’s kids are huge fans and active players of the game!). In a nutshell, the game has reached a stage in its life cycle where players are growing up and moving on to other games.
When we first released the game in 2009, it was one of the very first free-to-play MMO for kids and teens, and we couldn’t be prouder of everything we have accomplished together in the game. While today’s news might be a disappointment, we’re sincerely excited about what’s to come for the game before we say goodbye, including player celebration in-game events and more!
We will share details on the upcoming activities and sunset soon, but we wanted to give you plenty of notice so you can truly enjoy your remaining time left in the game. We thank you for all of the memories we have made together in the Realms!
About Clone Wars Adventures:
Dear CWA Players,
It is with sadness that I announce the news that Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures will end March 31, 2014. We’ve had many incredible experiences with you over the years. We’ve fought epic battles and made unbelievable memories. It was a very difficult decision to make, but we knew this day would come eventually.
Most importantly, I want to thank all of the players for their time and commitment to the game. You have made this Star Wars experience truly unforgettable. Stay tuned here for more details on what the next two months will look like.
SOE's President John Smedley address the Vanguard player base:
Dear Vanguard players,
I'm sad to announce that on July 31, 2014 we will sunset one of our longest-running games, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. This decision was not easy -- we took much time and consideration before deciding to move forward with this plan.
But here's the deal...player population numbers have decreased making it difficult to justify the resources needed to support and update this game. This is an older game and we're experiencing more and more technical challenges to continue running and updating it in a way you deserve. Simply put, these are issues that cannot be fixed in the long term and as a player, we would be doing you a disservice and going against our company commitment to provide the best gameplay experiences. So given this information, sunsetting the game later this year is the inevitable conclusion.
Again, this is not a decision that we approached lightly or without serious thought and examination. We've grown with you and the community throughout the years and shutting down the game is certainly not ideal, but necessary regardless.
I also want to let current Vanguard members know that we will be upgrading your membership to SOE's new All Access membership. Basically under this new All Access plan, you can continue to enjoy membership benefits in Vanguard until it sunsets, only now, you’ll also have top tier access in our other membership games. It is my hope that by upgrading your membership to All Access, you’ll have an opportunity to explore our other games to see if one is a fit for you. For more info, visit the FAQ here.
Vanguard has had an exceptional legacy over the last seven years and I cannot thank you enough for your commitment, support and enthusiasm through the years. We will be providing more information on the game's sunset soon. In the meantime, I will be doing an AMA on Reddit at 3 p.m. today so I encourage you to join in on the conversation with any of your questions.
SOE Senior Producer Todd Carson addressed the Wizardry Online community:
Dear Wizardry Online Players,
It is with sadness that I share the unfortunate news that we have mutually agreed with our partners at Gamepot to sunset Wizardry Online on July 31, 2014. The opportunity to bring a new hardcore fantasy MMORPG based on the Wizardry franchise to players across North America was a great honor, and we’ve had some fantastic battles and experiences together in the game.
We will provide details on upcoming sunset activities soon, but wanted to alert you of the sunset now so you could maximize your experiences during the remaining time left in the game.
For current Wizardry Online members, we will be upgrading your membership to SOE’s new All Access membership. Under this new All Access plan, you will be able to continue to enjoy membership benefits in Wizardry Online until it sunsets, in addition to having top tier access in SOE’s other membership games. We sincerely hope that by upgrading your membership, you’ll be able to explore our other games to see if one is a fit for you moving forward. For more info, visit the FAQ here.
Thank you again for the memories and your support!