NCSoft, the original publisher of the MMO city of heroeshas officially granted a license to the fan-run project Homecoming, allowing the team to legally host and further develop the game.
This marks the triumphant return of Paragon City, a once vibrant and player-filled metropolis that closed in 2012.
Homecoming, known for its dedication to the City of Heroes community, can now operate without legal restrictions. Homecoming is the brainchild of passionate fans, keeping the spirit of the MMO alive by hosting unlicensed servers that provide a haven for the game’s loyal community. Despite growing uncertainty surrounding the server’s legal status, everything changed on January 4th.
While the license gives Homecoming the right to host and develop new content, the intellectual property remains with NCSoft. This means that there may be certain limitations, and the future of the game will depend on continued cooperation between the two parties.
The game will remain completely free, and Homecoming will continue to fund the MMO entirely through donations.
City of Heroes was developed by Cryptic Studios and launched in 2004, and published by NCSoft. In the game, players create super-powered characters and team up with others to complete missions and fight criminals in Paragon City.
The game received 23 free major updates over the years before being shut down three months after the release of its final update, Where Shadows Lie, in 2012.
In April 2019, the source code that runs the City of Heroes server was leaked and widely circulated. This makes it possible to create servers that are not directly affected by NCSoft.
