Asheron's Call developer ceasing development on MMO after 15 years

Developer Turbine is ceasing development on the pioneering massively multiplayer game Asheron's Call after 15 years of ongoing production since its launch, the company announced today on its official forums.

Players can still expect occasional updates to the game limited to maintenance, bug fixes and potentially additional balance patches. Despite bringing a conclusion to its development, Turbine will continue to keep the game's servers open, with plans to work alongside community members to teach users how to run their own servers later this year.

Last month, the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment-owned studio Turbine, Inc. was hit with an undisclosed number of staff layoffs.

"As part of our normal business process, we're routinely looking at the strategic alignment of our company," the publisher said in its statement. "Unfortunately, in order for us to invest in growth areas at Turbine, we have to eliminate some positions. These are always tough decisions, which we don't approach lightly, but it's crucial that Turbine is structured in a way that reflects the current and coming marketplace."