Summary
Korean game studio Netmarble has announced thatParagon: The Overprimewill be shutting down on Monday, April 22. In spite of a dedicated community and variety ofcharacters inParagon: The Overprime, the game will be officially ending service less than two years after its initial launch. This comes as a number of online multiplayer games have announced closures over the past several months, adding to the unfortunate trends in the industry from 2023.
A popular MOBA for PC andPS5,Paragon: The Overprimefirst released in early access in December 2022. The game features a number of powerful heroes for players to choose from and utilize as they work with teammates to conquer the Prime battlefield. Unfortunately, just a year and three months after launch, the game has already announced its upcoming closure.
First revealed on theofficialParagon: The Overprimeweb page, the MOBA will be ending game service on April 22, with the termination of its social media and customer service to follow shortly after. The game caught the attention of action arena players during its early access, with many praising the variety ofheroes inParagon: The Overprimeand the eye-catching battlefield design. However, the game has been a “work in progress” since its launch, and Netmarble has concluded that it will not be able to complete development on the game. The studio stated that it has explored various ways to meet player expectations but cannot provide a satisfying conclusion. Netmarble will work to help players experience a seamless transition towards the game’s end.
“After careful consideration, we concluded that we will not be able to provide a stable and satisfying service moving forward. We deeply cherish the encouragement and support you have given us until now despite our shortcomings.”
- Netmarble, Paragon: The Overprime developer
When Is Paragon: The Overprime Ending Service?
Though purchases have already ended as of February 22, players will still be able to enjoyParagon: The Overprimeuntil servers close on April 22. The official brand site, Discord, and all social media pages will be terminated on April 29, though customer service will remain active until August 22. Players are encouraged to save anything from the Discord and social posts prior to their deletion at the end of April.
This shutdown follows suit with a number of online multiplayer games to end service this year. Major AAA studios like PlatinumGames and FromSoftware have announced game closures, and evenEA is ending eight games in 2024. Indie studios have also had to shut down games, withDread Hungerending service earlier this year. Game closures and industry layoffs have been impacting the video game industry since last year, andParagon: The Overprimeis yet another title to get the ax.
The sheer variety of titles available to gamers can sometimes result in certain releases failing to keep pace with competitors.Popular MOBAs losing playersis nothing new, andParagon: The Overprimestruggling to maintain interest reflects a common issue among a number of online multiplayer releases. Whether the unfortunate trends in the industry will continue remains to be seen, butParagon: The Overprimewill soon be added to the list of games that failed to overcome its challenges.
