Thanks to the internet, nothing is ever really lost forever now, particularly with the rise of community-led preservation efforts. The exception would seem to be MMOs, after all, once the developers turn the servers off the game is shut down permanently, right? Maybe not.
Fans rebuilding entire games and private servers mean that even when an MMO shuts down, you may still be able to play it if you’re determined enough. Read below to find a list of just a few of the MMOs which were officially shut down, but can still be played today. We can’t point you to how each one can be played, that would take an entire guide for some of them, but they’re out there.
Updated June 06, 2025 by Jon Eakin:Almost the day this article was first published, some major news dropped about one of the games discussed within it. It’s always our intent to give you the most up-to-date information we can, so we’ve made sure to include the new information in the City of Heroes entry.
10The Matrix Online
You Stay In Wonderland
The Matrix Online was ultimately a game of style over substance, but style was exactly what players were looking for. Dressing your character in sharp threads and performing impossible kung fu moves was what we all wanted, and ultimately what we got.
9Pirates Of The Caribbean Online
Set Sail
There is no shortage ofgames that let you play as a pirate, but for many that love of the high seas was sparked by the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The MMO for that franchise was closed in 2013, but two years later an unofficial fan revival popped up named The Legend Of Pirates Online.
It’s an interesting game to look back on and compare to games likeSea of Thieves, how much of their blueprint do they owe to Pirates of the Caribbean, either the game or the films for tone? Thanks to dedicated fans you can contrast and compare anytime you like.
8Toontown Online
That’s Not All, Folks
Disneyclosed Toontown Online in 2013, and the most famous fan preservation effort was publicly available only one year later, Toontown Rewritten. Considering that it officially launched in 2003, having such a dedicated community ten years later speaks to the quality of this award-winning game.
Toontown Online was ahead of its time, offering player housing as a base feature, something many MMOs today still either don’t have or only offer as paid DLC. It being ahead of its time was part of the reason why it closed down, Disney wanted to port it to mobile as a live service game, but the technology wasn’t ready.
7Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning
Chaos Can’t Be Stopped
An MMO based on the popularWarhammerfantasy setting would seem like a guaranteed hit, especially when developed by Mythic Entertainment. It was liked by fans and received favourable reviews, so how did it become so unpopular that it was shut down? Funny thing, it didn’t.
Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning was shut down because the licensing agreement expired, seeing the game come to a close in December 2013. Fans don’t let something like that get in the way of worshipping the Chaos Gods though, so a version of the game called Return Of Reckoning still exists.
6Asheron’s Call
One Of The First
Asheron’s Call was actually the third-ever MMO, breaking ground along withUltimaOnline andEverQuest, but is the only one of the three to have been closed down. It remained online for an impressive 17 years, but couldn’t compete with the new features and updates seen among competitors.
There are several private servers and emulation efforts for Asheron’s Call, showing that it still holds a fond place in the hearts of many players. For a whole generation, it was their first MMO and can never be replaced.
5Earth & Beyond
Westwood’s Last Game
There was a time when Westwood Studios was one of the biggest game developers around, best known for theCommand & Conquerseries. Earth & Beyond was their final game, launched in 2002 and closed down only two years later in 2004.
Despite this, Earth & Beyond was a fantastic space-faring MMO that provided the blueprints for future games likeEve Online, focusing on exploration and trade just as much as combat. Emulation efforts exist, allowing you to take to the stars once again.
4Star Wars Galaxies
Hello There
Star WarsGalaxies was a beloved MMO to many, launching in 2003. The graphics were impressive for the time, including the movie soundtracks, and the game was pleasantly complex. It even had the fun feature that playing as a Jedi was something that had to be unlocked through gameplay, making it feel special.
As the game progressed not all updates were well received by players. It shut down in 2011, spawning multiple fan emulation projects. They seek to recreate the game at different points of its life cycle, so you can find whichever version of the game you were most fond of.
3Wildstar
The Best Of Everything
Wildstar wasn’t an MMO that broke new ground but instead cherry-picked the best elements from other games to make something almost perfect. The combat, raids, and player housing systems in particular were all worthy of praise.
Efforts by the community to recreate Wildstar, which officially shut down in 2018, are still ongoing. They’re available to play but it’s worth keeping in mind that they aren’t complete yet, the complexity of some of Wildstar’s systems means it could be some time before the game exists exactly as it once did.
2The Sims Online
Sul Sul
The Sims is one of the most popular game series of all time, withThe Sims 4enjoying dedicated fans waiting eagerly for every expansion. The idea of a Sims MMO seems like it would be a slam dunk forElectronic Arts, but the game never saw the critical or commercial success that was expected of it.
It still had its fans and continues to do so to this day, evidenced by the fact that free versions of The Sims Online are available to download and play. Even if you’re more interested in modern iterations of The Sims, it’s worth checking out to see how they tried to translate it into an online experience.
1City Of Heroes
Super Strong Gameplay, Reborn
It’s bizarre that a superhero MMO has never had true, breakout success. The genre is more popular than ever, but evenDC Universe Onlinehasn’t managed tocrack the code. The game that did it best was City of Heroes, allowing you to play as the superhero or villain of your dreams. The character creator was one of the most robust ever made, and the gameplay loop was deeply satisfying.
It was so beloved that, when the shutdown was announced, the players made an offer to the studio to outright buy the game from them. This didn’t come to fruition, but City of Heroes now has a variety of servers provided by fans to play on, each offering their own take on the game.
In groundbreaking news, the most popular of these fan servers has officially been granted a license for the game from NCSoft. The server in question, called City of Heroes Homecoming, was one of the first fan servers available. Providing regular updates to the game, the intent has always been to preserve the original spirit of City of Heroes. They spent several years courting NCSoft executives, proving that they could be trusted to handle a license the company no longer intended to use. This is proof that there are real heroes in gaming, and that, thanks to them, you’re able to be one again too.
