Shut Down. Ascent Protocol is set to end its service on November 22, 2024, just four months after its initial launch in July. The game’s official channels, including YouTube and Twitter, have been notably inactive for some time, signaling what many players suspected was an early shutdown. A lack of marketing efforts and restrictions like IP blocks contributed to the game’s struggles to attract and retain a player base.
In a statement in their website, the Ascent Protocol management team thanked players for their support and apologized for the closure, acknowledging the difficulty of meeting user satisfaction with the current service. In preparation for the shutdown, Ascent Protocol has suspended in-game purchases as of November 15. Players with remaining in-game currency can use it until the final day of service. The site will close permanently on November 30, marking the end of access to game information and player account data.
For players who invested time and resources, this abrupt closure is disappointing. The short-lived journey of Ascent Protocol highlights the challenges of launching and sustaining live-service games in an increasingly competitive market. What now? Well, studios can rework with what they have and re-release or design another game. It never went outside Japan.
