When I first joined the Massively crew back in 2010, the very first long-form piece I did was on Super Hero Squad Online, a Marvel-themed kiddie game out of this cute rookie studio, The Amazing Society, which was nestled under Gazillion itself. The game was actually pretty good, and I remember thinking it would be a great game to play with my kids if I ever had any.
It did turn out to be a great game to play with my kids. My son loves it. And this week, I’m going to have to tell him it’s coming to an end, as Gazillion has announced it’s sunsetting SHSO next year.
“The game will be available until January 2017, and there’s likely still plenty of content for you to unlock over hours and hours of gameplay,” the devs wrote yesterday. “We are cutting Gold and Fractal prices of all Characters by 20%, so you can try out all of it! All Jr. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent benefits remain in force, and everything remains available. We will no longer sell Gold, but we are upping the fractal drop rate, so you should be able to unlock and play everything.”
In between thank-yous, Gazillion reminds players who’ve grown up along with the game that Marvel Heroes is indeed alive and thriving. Our condolences to the families who are affected by this sunset.
