Some former Asheron’s Call fans might find wan solace in the fact that a former Turbine exec regrets the cult MMO’s closure just as much as they. Standing Stone Games’ Rob Ciccolini said he was still kind of “angry” that the title couldn’t be salvaged when SSG split off from Turbine in 2017.
“I saw an ad for a Warhammer game called Darktide and realized I am still sort of low-key angry I couldn’t save/continue Asheron’s Call,” Ciccolini said in a tweet last week. Darktide, of course, was Asheron’s Call’s PvP server.
While Dungeons and Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online made the transition to SSG in the split, it’s always been somewhat of a mystery to players why the fledgling MMO studio couldn’t have taken Asheron’s Call and its sequel along for the ride as well.
“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,” the studio said in 2016.
Asheron’s Call and Asheron’s Call 2 were sunsetted in January 2017. Happily, the story of those titles don’t end there; a strong emulation community sprouted in its wake that now offers several ways to re-engage with these titles.
