© 2015 Level Up! & Asiasoft. Trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved.
© 2015 Gravity Corp. & Lee Myoungjin. All Rights Reserved

“Unfortunately, it seems our journey has now come to its end.”

This was the message imparted by top Philippine game publisher Level-Up! Games to all of the fans and players of the hit online game Ragnarok Online as the publisher announced that it will end its Philippine service on March 31, 2015.

 

In a statement published over their website, the Asiasoft-led online game publisher expressed its utmost regret in closing down the Philippine server.

“We find it difficult to share the heartbreaking news that Ragnarok Online will be concluding its local PH service on March 31, 2015. Please know that if we had any other choice, we would have wanted to keep going.”  The statement said.

The post also narrated on how Philippine Ragnarok Online (pRO) changed the lives of the Filipino youth since it was launched in 2003.

“Together, we’ve accomplished countless milestones and overcame hurdles. We weren’t just a random group of gamers, we are family and friends.” The statement said.

They further added that the game, created by Korean game developer Gravity Corp, “was never just a game – it was our second home; a place where we discovered many things about ourselves and about the friends we met and have come to love.”

 

Level-Up! also announced that for those who would want to continue their adventures in the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard, they are offering a migration plan to the International Ragnarok Online (iRO) server in cooperation with Warpportal.

“Coming soon in April 2015, iRO will open a new server where accounts of PH gamers who opt-in to the program will be transferred.”

The statement added, further saying that they will be “working hard” to make the migration smooth and easy for everyone. A URL for the server migration will be announced soon.

 

The game, based on the Ragnarok manwha (Korean comic) created by Lee Myung-jin, became the most popular Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) in the country, spawning a revolution in the gaming industry and paved the way for gaming events and cosplay as well.

Due to its popularity, it even spawned an anime adaptation, Ragnarok The Animation, produced by Gravity Corp. and G&G Entertainment. Level-Up! partnered with ABS-CBN to air the series on prime time in October 2004, with later airings on the now-defunct Studio 23 and was one of the charter shows of the Filipino-language anime channel HERO in 2005.

 

“Once again, thank you for all the memories you shared with us. And though we will miss you, we’ll eagerly look forward to cross paths with you again – someday soon, in another world, in yet another awesome game. Marami pong salamat sa inyong lahat. ROK ON!” The statement ended.