Killzone Games No Longer Support Online Multiplayer Features

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It's odd to consider that Killzone used to be one of Sony's biggest PlayStation game franchises. Killzone Shadow Fall released in 2013 as a PlayStation 4 launch game, but nearly nine years later Killzone has disappeared from PlayStation's priorities. Fans of the franchise have been able to hold onto their experiences due to the continued support of Killzone Shadow Fall's multiplayer servers, at least. That's now ended, unfortunately, with Sony pulling the plug on the last online-enabled Killzone game servers.

It's now confirmed that multiplayer servers for Killzone Shadow Fall, as well as the PS Vita title Killzone Mercenary, have been taken offline. That includes Killzone Shadow Fall's cooperative Intercept game mode. Since Killzone Intercept was available standalone, the app is now entirely defunct. It's also being removed from the PlayStation Plus Extra game catalog, where it was previously made available to subscribers. There are no plans to bring the servers back online in an official capacity.

Those worried that these changes might impact their single-player Killzone experiences don't have to worry. Killzone Shadow Fall and Killzone Mercenary's campaigns are entirely offline. Players, regardless of whether they own the games physically or digitally, will be able to play the entire single-player experience without issue. Given the modern wave of online DRM leading to some single-player games becoming nonfunctioning, worries regarding Killzone are fair. Luckily, there's no such issue here.

On 12 August 2022, online servers for Killzone: Mercenary, Killzone Shadow Fall (including Intercept Mode) and RIGS: Mechanized Combat League will shut down. Online features (including online multiplayer modes) will cease on that date. Single player offline modes remain available
— Guerrilla (@Guerrilla) July 22, 2022

The decision to shut down Killzone Shadow Fall and Killzone Mercenary's multiplayer servers did not come abruptly. Developer Guerrilla Games made an announcement that servers would be going down on July 22. Just three weeks of advance notice isn't necessarily much, but those who were hoping to try to Killzone multiplayer one last time before servers went down definitely had plenty of time to do so.

What's especially sad about the situation is that there is no modern Killzone release to take the place of those now going offline. There's no older Killzone multiplayer experience still available, either. This is the last of Killzone multiplayer, for better or worse. Fans will have to hope Guerrilla Games or PlayStation decides to bring the franchise back in the future.

Killzone isn't the only series impacted by recent the Sony decision to shut down online multiplayer servers. Also going offline today is RIGS: Mechanized Combat League's servers. Other games that have gone offline include Everybody's Golf, Freedom Wars, LittleBigPlanet, and Soul Sacrifice. Odds are, Sony's only going to continue taking PlayStation games offline going forward, though it's unclear which games might be next.

Killzone Shadow Fall is available now on PS4.