Transformers Universe, the free-to-play online battle game from the creators of RuneScape, will shut down without ever leaving beta. Jagex says it will go offline on January 31, 2015, though account creation and microtransactions will be disabled before then.
The game, which lets players assemble huge collections of Transformers and send them out in squads for third-person battles, entered open beta in July. Though players could unlock more characters simply by playing the game, 'Founders Packs' and in-game microtransactions let players unlock special Transformers and otherwise boost their progression.
Fortunately, Jagex isn't leaving its loyal customers with no recourse; all purchases made in Transformers Universe should be refunded over the next 30 days. Make sure you contact customer support if you don't see your cash back by then, because the whole operation will be taken offline and all user accounts will be deleted on March 31.
Jagex says it and Transformers owner Hasbro made a mutual decision to take the game offline. Even so, it's always sad to see an online-exclusive game discontinued. Barring any fan preservation efforts, all the work that the Transformers Universe team put in over the years will simply disappear.
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