I’m sorry to report that Turbine announced today that it will be sunsetting Asheron’s Call and Asheron’s Call 2 as part of the transition revealed yesterday that will see Turbine’s other MMORPGs migrated to the new independent studio.

“It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the end of our support for Asheron’s Call and Asheron’s Call 2, and will close both services on January 31st, 2017. This decision did not come easy, and we know this is disappointing for many of you. This game is a labor of love, and it’s not easy for us to bring it to an end. We have had a phenomenally long run; one of the longest in the world of MMORPGs, and that in and of itself is a spectacular feat. We are proud of our legacy, and the entire Asheron’s Call team has been honored to adventure with you for nearly twenty years. We thank you very much for being a part of it. It’s been an amazing run. You’ve done Asheron Realaidain proud. Between now and January 31st, 2017, the game will remain available to play, completely free, for any player currently with an account. New account creation will be disabled.”

Players will recall that this is not the first time Asheron’s Call 2 has sunsetted; Turbine originally closed it in 2003 due to poor reception but reopened it in 2012. Classic Asheron’s Call has been in maintenance mode alongside its younger sibling since 2014.

Our sympathies extend to everyone affected by the sunset. AC, you were one of the greats.