20-year-old browser sport to shut down as outcomes of UK’s new on-line safety regulation

Free-to-play textual content material MMO browser sport, Metropolis Lifeless, will shut merely shy of its twentieth anniversary because of the introduction of the UK’s On-line Safety Act.

In a statement seen by GameDeveloper, developer Kevan Davis talked about that as a result of the regulation applies to “all social and gaming internet sites the place prospects work collectively” and “heavy corporate-sized fines [apply] even for solo web initiatives,” it was not “attainable” to take care of the browser sport on-line.

“Sad to should announce that Metropolis Lifeless may be closing down on Friday 14 March 2025, ensuing from an upcoming change in UK website legal guidelines,” Davis wrote.

“The On-line Safety Act comes into drive later this month, making use of to all social and gaming internet sites the place prospects work collectively, and significantly these with out sturdy age restrictions. With the chance of heavy corporate-sized fines even for solo web initiatives like this one, I’ve reluctantly concluded that it doesn’t look attainable for Metropolis Lifeless to have the power to proceed working.

“So a full 19 years, 8 months and 11 days after its quarantine began, Metropolis Lifeless may be shut down. No grand finale. No remaining catastrophe. No helicopter evac. Make your peace or your remaining stand in whichever part of Malton you known as home, and the game may be switched off at noon UTC on 14 March.”

On that date, the game’s wiki may be set to read-only, nonetheless Davis did inform avid gamers “if Metropolis Lifeless is ever revivified or spun off in any method eventually, it will likely be launched on this website.”

The developer closed by offering to refund any IP unlock donations made thus far six months “on request,” given that shutdown was “shocking.”

“Must you’re glad that the game stayed up as long as it did, you can scavenge me a freeze-dried espresso,” Davis added.

Ultimate month, the UK authorities declined tightening consumer laws to better protect UK gamers aggrieved at the sunsetting or “disabling” of live service games.