Warhammer: Wrath of Heroes will go down as a game that never actually left beta, as EA and Mythic have announced that the free-to-play title will be shut down on 29 March. All real-money purchases of the in-game ‘gems’ currency have ceased as of 27 February; however, the FAQ about the shut-down says there will be no refunds for any gems purchased prior to this announcement.
“Whether you just tried it out or have played it from the start of Beta, we thank you all for your patronage. I hope you will all join us and celebrate the final moments of WOH,” says producer James Casey in a farewell statement.
The reason being given for the shut-down is “a paradigm shift” being undertaken by Mythic as they shift attention to being a developer for mobile titles. As a result of resources being reallocated to new areas, “we decided not to continue [WOH] past its Beta and instead concentrate those resources on our new endeavors.”
That may well be the case, but I suspect that if the MOBA-esque title had been profitable (or perhaps profitable enough,) EA would have found a way to continue the game through to launch.
