[UPDATE: Reports indicate that the servers have been brought back online. Original story follows.]
It seems like a safe bet that many PlayStation fans are looking forward to the future of the brand, with the PS5 reveal finally set for this coming week. In the meantime, though, many are enjoying some of their favorite PS4 exclusives in hopes of sequels being announced, while at the same time, others are enjoying games nearly a decade old. As such, many were still shocked when Sony quietly shut down the servers to Killzone: Mercenary.
A PlayStation Vita exclusive, Killzone: Mercenary first released in 2013 but has maintained a small, active fan base over the years. It's not surprising to see a 7-year-old game on a mostly defunct handheld get shut down, but at the same time, gamers are typically given a warning. Yet, Sony did no such thing before shutting down the servers, simply confirming that it did after the fact.
Reports began earlier today after many signed on to play an online match of Killzone: Mercenary to find that they simply couldn't, and it's hard to fully understand why no warning was given. For example, Sony shut down Driveclub's servers not too long ago, a 2014 racing game, but issued an official announcement ahead of time. Sony has not yet commented on why it shut down the servers or why it gave no warning.
Interestingly enough, Killzone: Mercenary is still available on the PlayStation Store, which isn't surprising given its campaign mode, but it currently still promotes "robust multiplayer." There could be any number of reasons, then, that the change came so suddenly, leaving many with more questions than answers.
Killzone: Mercenary is the fifth entry in the franchise, one with a dedicated following overall, and was developed by Guerrila Cambridge. It was shut down about three years ago now, and so again, not necessarily a surprising move by Sony. But how quietly it took place is curious, as with enough forewarning, some players may have decided to enjoy its multiplayer experience just a few more times before saying farewell. After all, many think it's time for a new Killzone game.
Killzone: Mercenary is available on the PS Vita.
Source: WWG