The Realm Online’s Fan-Run Relaunched Version Will Be Shutting Down On June 30
After a commendable five-year run, the fan-run relaunch of The Realm Online will unfortunately be sunsetting on June 30th. Negotiations with the IP owners, Norseman Games, has reportedly broken down, leaving indie studio Realm Worlds with no choice but to shut the game down.
According to Realm Worlds, Norseman Games rejected their offer to purchase the IP even though they’ve been running the game on a volunteer basis since its relaunch. “The current agreement we have with Norseman Games gives us no path to acquiring the IP,” said the devs. “This impedes our ability to direct more money into developing content for the game.”
“As revenue from the game decreases year over year, the effective percentage of revenue that goes to Norseman increases, making it harder still,” added the indie studio. “None of the LLC members have been compensated for over a year. We had full intention of exploring every possibility to grow the player base, but without a way to acquire the IP this isn’t a workable arrangement.”
There might just be a sliver of hope for fans of the game though with Realm Worlds’ assurance that their data won’t be lost. The game servers, however, will become inaccessible at the end of the month.
The news comes as a big disappointment to both the dedicated team that worked tirelessly to keep the game running and the loyal fans who supported the relaunched version, although there’s still hope that both parties will be able to resolve their differences, and that Norseman Games will eventually allow Realm Worlds to acquire the IP and continue operating the classic MMORPG.
