In an effort to focus on server upkeeping for games only using Epic Online Services, Epic Games is shuttering support for a collection of older titles. There's only a limited time left to play these 17 games with online features, until their servers get the axe on January 24, 2023, after which they'll only be available to play single or local multiplayer. This list includes the classic Unreal Tournament games, and the prequel to Rocket League, with the full lineup as follows:

• 1000 Tiny Claws
• Dance Central 1-3
  • Note: Dance Central VR online multiplayer will remain available
• Green Day: Rock Band
• Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
• Rock Band 1-3
  • Note: Rock Band 4 online multiplayer will remain available
• The Beatles: Rock Band
• Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars
• Unreal Gold
• Unreal II: The Awakening
• Unreal Tournament 2003
• Unreal Tournament 2004
• Unreal Tournament 3
  • Note: We have plans to bring back online features via Epic Online Services in the future.
• Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition

Epic states that of those games, only Unreal Tournament 3 will be moved to Epic Online Services, with a server relaunch for the game coming sometime in the future. These games are also getting delisted from digital storefronts, and DLC purchases in them will be disabled after today. Other games will also be delisted or shut down, noted below.

We also removed the Mac and Linux versions of Hatoful Boyfriend and Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star from storefronts today, as well as the mobile title DropMix. Players who already own these titles will still be able to play.

Battle Breakers will shut down and no longer be accessible to players on December 30. We will automatically refund players for any in-game purchases made via Epic direct payment 180 days prior to today. Unreal Tournament (Alpha), Rock Band Blitz, Rock Band Companion app and SingSpace will be shut down and no longer accessible to players on January 24.

Following this announcement, Unreal Tournament 3 X appeared on Steam shortly, before being removed from the storefront. The Steam page, prior to its removal, claimed that the game would be free to play, with no microtransactions.

Source

 

[ZeroFX]

damn i read "Epic is shutting down its servers" and smiled for a bit.

 

[SylverReZ]

Epic is always making dumb decisions.

 

[Xzi]

Can't have some functional legacy netcode lying around, gotta switch to EOS which breaks everything. Classic Epic.

 

[Noctosphere]

Please shut down Fortnite's servers

 

[SylverReZ]

Please shut down Fortnite's servers

These kids need to go outside and touch grass.

 

[x65943]

I can understand shutting down old servers, but delisting them doesn't make a lot of sense to me - just anti consumer

 

[Noctosphere]

These kids need to go outside and touch grass.

They're getting sued apparently for getting kids addicted

 

[SylverReZ]

They're getting sued apparently for getting kids addicted

Is there a news article anywhere about it?

 

[Noctosphere]

Is there a news article anywhere about it?

https://deadline.com/2022/12/fortni...ames-alleged-addictive-properties-1235195679/

 

[The Catboy]

Turns out having your entire business model be, “fuck Steam,” isn’t very sustainable

 

[emmanu888]

I'm pretty sure there's still some players that still play Rock Band 3 online, that's not gonna go well at all

 

[SylverReZ]

damn i read "Epic is shutting down its servers" and smiled for a bit.

Wouldn't that be great.

 

[kcajjones]

Are they really shutting down servers and delisting the Unreal games? I mean, I presumed most of the servers were random dedicated servers nothing to do with epic but will the master server not be available for getting the server list after this?
Also, I presume these games will still be on GOG?

 

[godreborn]

every time I open a news article with one+ person doing the HaHa emoji, it brings a smile to my face. lmao...

 

[Bladexdsl]

These kids need to go outside and touch grass.

they what? oh you said grass

 

[godreborn]

they what? oh you said grass

I'd be locked on if the person had said @ss.

 

[guily6669]

This is clearly what happens when you don't have money to maintain stuff.......................(NOT).

 

[Bladexdsl]

so epic is copying nintendo now?

 

[RHOPKINS13]

I'm surprised they're taking down Unreal Tournament servers. These "master servers" did little more than keep an updated list of active servers being run by other people.
There are third party sites running their own "master servers." At least for playing old unreal tournament games, playing online after this "shutdown" will only require some small config changes.
https://www.oldunreal.com/wiki/index.php?title=Masterserver_Guide