Oh, Global Agenda. This multiplayer MMO-lite seems destined to be one of those ghost games that not enough people remember – but those who do loved it. The last time we covered the original Hi-Rez game was over a year ago, when we recapped what had happened to it: The company had taken it off Steam but left the servers up, “marooning” the die-hards in their game alone. “[Global Agenda’s] server did not survive a multi-game internet center move/upgrade,” Todd Harris admitted. “Unlikely to be recovered […] Sorry… wish it could last forever.”
Well, maybe it can. As first reported on MMO Fallout, the trademark for the game apparently lapsed in 2019 because it wasn’t being actively used, prompting Hi-Rez to petition for an exception, which the trademark office denied specifically because Hi-Rez had not adequately explained why the game could not be repaired or why it deserved that exception when it appeared the trademark wasn’t in use. Undaunted, Hi-Rez began an attempt to file a new trademark, this time – wait for it – declaring to the trademark office that it planned to use the name for a new game.
“Concrete steps to resume use of the mark, including development and marketing discussions as to a new game, using the trademark GLOBAL AGENDA, for publication to new and former purchasers and players of the prior GLOBAL AGENDA game have taken place,” Hi-Rez wrote in its latest 2021 filing. “Additionally, meetings have taken place to discuss storylines and player formats. […] Registrant expects to resume commercial use of the mark by fourth quarter 2022.”
Now, longtime MMO players already know that Hi-Rez has teased Global Agenda 2 before. It was announced in 2012 and supposed to hit beta in 2014, but obviously that never happened. Four years ago when we spoke to the studio at its 2017 expo, the company message was that it was still a possibility but that it wasn’t working on anything specific. “I do think there’s something there in terms of a game that can be done again and still have success,” Hi-Rez’s Stew Chisam told our own MJ. But that’s almost ancient history in the MMO business. Either way, we’ll know whether this is just another tease or really happening by at least the end of next year.
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