The Unexpected Comeback of City of Heroes: A Victory for Fan Servers

The History of City of Heroes

Years after an official end of service, fans of the MMO superhero game City of Heroes receive news of an unexpected comeback. Over a decade since the game's original shutdown, the fan-supported Homecoming server for superhero MMO City of Heroes has received an official license from publisher NCSoft. The South Korean company, perhaps best known for the Guild Wars games, ended support for City of Heroes in 2012 and has surprised players with its newfound support for the Homecoming fan server.

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First launched in April 2004, City of Heroes is an MMO that lets players take on the role of custom superheroes as they battle through the many Zones of Paragon City and level up to become the ultimate hero. The game was well-reviewed but was officially shutdown with the closure of NCSoft's subsidiary Paragon Studios in late 2012. However, after a years-long effort by fans to maintain a community server, players have received surprisingly good news from NCSoft and the fan server administrators.

The Official License and Future Plans

In a forum post from the City of Heroes Homecoming admin team, it was revealed that the game's original publisher, NCSoft, has granted an official license to the fan server. In the announcement, it was confirmed that the Homecoming server license will allow the current admin team to continue development on the game. Fans have been reassured that the game will remain free-to-play, with any necessary financial support being funded through donations. Players who currently have accounts and characters on the Homecoming server do not need to worry about their saves or files being affected, though they can look forward to new content being added in the future. It was noted that some information cannot yet be shared publicly, but more details on the now official Homecoming server for City of Heroes will be shared in the future.

Fans have already begun celebrating, with many sharing their shock at the announcement. Previously, the server faced litigation threats back in 2019. The fact that NCSoft has chosen to embrace the Homecoming server for City of Heroes shows a massive shift in sentiment that has surprised gaming audiences. Community shutdowns are not uncommon in most video game communities, with fan-run servers and tournaments often getting axed by studios' legal teams. However, this recent action by NCSoft has left some players hopeful that such a trend will continue across the industry. The developers behind the recently shut down social deduction game Dread Hunger have also promised to support fan servers, so many players across various fandoms are keeping a keen eye on the future of community content.

The Impact on the Gaming Community

With 2023 showcasing a string of ups and downs for the video game industry, 2024 is continuing with a curious start. Some games have already faced termination, while City of Heroes and horror game The Sinking City have seen surprising revivals. Whether the positive momentum of game resurrections will prove hopeful for this year remains to be seen, but it has given 2024 a positive note to build upon.