Online games can be a brilliant thing. The sense of community that can be found in MMOs such as Final Fantasy 14, or the competitive spirit of fighting games such as Tekken 8, is unmatched. People have become friends with, fell in love with, and even started families with those they’ve met through online gaming. These virtual environments can hold a lot of fond memories for many.

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But the truth is harsh. Online games need to make at least some money to remain online and operational. If they don’t, then servers don’t stay up. Many games have managed to stay afloat for years or, in some cases, decades after they were first released, but others aren’t so lucky. These next games are all dead now, but they deserve to be remembered for what they brought to the medium.

10

Fractured Space

Capital Ship MOBA

For those who want to command their own ship in the depths of the void, Fractured Space would have been a treat. Unlike many of the space combat games out there, Fractured Space let players take direct control of a capital ship and battle their way across the depths of space in PVP and co-op.

The game saw players duking it out over a series of control points in MOBA-esque arenas. Players needed to decide everything about their ship, down to the size, manufacturer, and crew, all while making sure they had a balanced team composition. While the game was innovative and unique it was sadly shut down in 2019.

9

WildStar

Ambitious Sci-Fi MMO

Systems

Released

June 3, 2014

ESRB

t

A colossal science fiction MMO. WildStar was certainly a unique property in a genre dominated by fantasy IPs. The narrative saw players caught in a war between the Dominion and the Exiles on the planet Nexus. Players could choose from four races depending on which side they picked in the war. From the statuesque Granok, made of living rocks, to the miniature, rodent-like Chua.

Depending on the race picked, players might have their choice of class limited; unless they were human, of course. The game even let players pick from four paths to have missions tailored to them. Despite its innovative features, the game never really took off, and was officially shut down in 2018.

8

Gotham City Imposters

Wacky Multiplayer Shooter

Systems

Released

February 7, 2012

An unconventional and pretty fun shooter, Gotham City Imposters was a blast to play. Featuring comical weapons and entertaining gunplay, the game was free-to-play on all major platforms and had a decent player base at one point. Players could play six-versus-six in all manner of modes and had a massive slapstick arsenal with which to dispatch their foes.

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With character customization for their avatars, and a variety of roles and playstyles from skate shoes to freeze rays, there were a lot of innovative ideas in Gotham City Imposters. The game coveted a loyal, if comparatively small, following. However, it was not to last. The game’s last surviving PC servers were shut down in 2021.

7

Due Process

Unique Tactical Shooter

An indie shooter that unfortunately seemed doomed from the start, Due Process was a unique take on the competitive tactical shooter genre. Deviating heavily from the formula established in games like Rainbow Six Siege and Counter-Strike 2, Due Process focused much more on the planning aspect of each round.

Rather than focusing on training flicks and grenade throws, the game forced players to constantly be aware of their surroundings on procedurally generated maps. Players needed to monitor their team’s resources across three rounds. Taking an assault rifle might give players an edge, but if they lost it, their team wouldn’t have it in the next round. Unfortunately, the game couldn’t compete in such a huge market and has virtually no active players today, although it is technically still active.

6

Ace Of Spades

Voxel-Based Battles

Ace Of Spades was a free-to-play darling of the early 2010s. The game was hot on the coattails of Minecraft and Terraria, but solidly kept to its own theme. Players could pick from one of three weapons and would be given grenades and a spade as a standard loadout. The entire environment was destructible, meaning players could dig their own trenches and blow apart enemy cover.

Shortly after the creation of a prototype, the game was acquired by Jagex and made the move to Steam, now coming with classes and new ways to play. Unfortunately, the game began to taper off in popularity over the next few years, before finally going offline in 2019.

5

Total War: Arena

Historical Multiplayer Strategy

The Total War franchise is one of the most famous strategy series out there and even has licensed deals with massive IPs such as Warhammer. Total War: Arena was a free-to-play alternative to the mainline games in the series.

Focusing on what-if scenarios where some of history’s greatest generals faced off in massive PVP battles, the game was a history nerd’s dream come true. Alexander the Great could face off against Julius Caesar and players could fight in massive ten-versus-ten PVP wars. Sadly, it was not to last, and the game would cease operations in 2019. It was initially suggested that NetEase would be resurrecting the game, but the developers permanently shut it down in 2022.

4

Evolve

Asymmetric Boss Battles

Evolve was an unconventional asymmetrical shooter from 2015 that saw players divided into a four-versus-one scenario. One player would take their pick of a monster that could then evolve as the game went on, becoming more and more dangerous until they could overwhelm the enemy team. The others would try to hunt that player down as one of the game’s many hunters.

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While the game was initially a success, the meta quickly became stagnant, and Evolve would eventually go free-to-play in the hopes of attracting a larger player base. Despite the developer’s best efforts, the game was be shuttered in 2018.

3

Star Wars Galaxies

An MMO In A Galaxy Far Far Away

Star Wars Galaxies

Systems

Released

June 25, 2003

ESRB

t

Before the massively popular Star Wars: The Old Republic, there was Star Wars Galaxies, a massive MMO that encompassed iconic planets, species, and weapons from the Star Wars galaxy. Set soon after the destruction of the first Death Star, players could encounter many beloved characters from the original films.

The game was unique in letting players set up their own communities and economies. Players could create cities and hold democratic elections for their mayors. While the game was a huge success, it was announced that it would be shut down in 2011, with players given a send-off by the Force ghost of Obi-Wan himself. Several private emulator projects have tried to revive the game in various states of its lifespan, but the game itself is now long gone.

2

Battlefield 2142

Futuristic Warfare

Systems

Released

October 17, 2006

ESRB

T // Violence

While it has been referenced in previous Battlefield titles, Battlefield 2142 is well and truly dead, but it was certainly worth a look when it was available to play. The game featured everything that people have come to expect from a Battlefield title but with a sci-fi twist.

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Technically, the game had a prequel in the recent Battlefield 2042, which depicted an apocalyptic look at global warming running amok, something that also happens in the original game. It was also referenced in the Final Stand DLC for Battlefield 4. Unfortunately, official servers were shut down following the shuttering of GameSpy in 2014. Thankfully, those truly passionate about Battlefield 2142 have started community projects such as the 2142 Reclamation Project to revive the game’s multiplayer aspect.

1

Club Penguin

A Childhood Classic

Systems

Released

October 24, 2005

A classic that most members of Gen Z and probably some Gen Alpha will remember, Club Penguin was an MMO with a huge following of kids from across the globe. Players could take part in minigames, create their own homes and hangouts, and even attend parties and visit other players.

Unfortunately, the player base began to dwindle, and after several years of layoffs and issues, the game was shut down in 2017. In the last few months of its life, people flocked to the game to say their goodbyes and took part in challenges to see how fast they could get banned before the game shut down forever.

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