Why Did Ragnarok Online Ultimately Come to an End in the Philippines?
For fans in the Philippines, March 30, 2015 marked a somber day – the servers for Ragnarok Online (pRO), one of the most influential and groundbreaking MMORPGs of its era, were being shut down after 12 years of operations. Seemingly out of the blue, the local publisher Level Up! Games announced the game would cease service. This abrupt closure left the passionate pRO community reeling for answers. Why would Level Up! abandon one of its flagship titles, a game with such a dedicated player base?
The Licensing & Royalty Payments Behind Ragnarok Online‘s Downfall
To understand why pRO met such an unexpected demise requires looking behind the scenes at Ragnarok Online‘s business model and licensing structure.
Ragnarok Online is developed and owned by South Korea‘s Gravity Co., who handles IP rights and licensing. Gravity relies heavily on international publishers to localize, market, and operate Ragnarok Online in overseas regions. These third-party publishers must provide ongoing royalty payments back to Gravity tied to earnings from their version of pRO.
By 2015, Level Up! Games was struggling to generate the required royalties amidst declining revenue. They likely violated contractual obligations in their licensing deal, forcing Gravity’s hand in revoking the license. Without Gravity’s permission and game assets, Level Up! couldn’t continue running pRO, resulting in the total shutdown.
Intensifying Industry Trends Put a Strain on Ragnarok Online‘s Business
In many ways, Ragnarok Online was a victim of the times – industry trends that jeopardized aging MMORPGs despite the enduring passion from loyal player bases.
The early to mid-2000s were Ragnarok Online‘s heyday. As one of the first successful free-to-play MMORPGs in the West, it cornered the market during the genre’s rapid growth phase. However, by 2015 the MMO landscape had evolved and new titles were splintering the player base.
Revenue models also began to shift. While Ragnarok Online initially monetized through in-game item sales, free-to-play games were now leveraging tactics like loot boxes and battle passes instead of direct transactions. Ragnarok Online struggled to adapt quickly enough.
All these mounting pressures squeezed profits over time despite pRO‘s popularity. Maintaining the aging game proved too troublesome even for devoted fans.
The Fallout – Emotional Players & New Opportunities
The abrupt end of service announcement was a bombshell that infuriated Ragnarok Online devotees in the region. The game fostered intensely loyal communities over 12 years filled with cherished memories and relationships.
But there’s still hope amongst players that Ragnarok Online may one day return under a new publisher, as rumors swirl regarding re-licensing efforts. Major fan sites like Ragnainfo haveENERGY fueled speculation by reporting on a 2022 pRO revival.
While the dedicated fans continue their patient wait, some gamers have moved on – not to other mainstream MMOs, but to the myriad private servers that emulate Ragnarok Online in its glory days. For them, Ragnarok will never truly come to an end even if Gravity’s official version doesn’t return. Their passion keeps the spirit of pRO very much alive in the hearts of players past and present even today.
