It’s only been a few days since Gumi announced it would be ceasing operations and support for Chain Chronicle in late February, and fans throughout the world are still shocked over the sudden announcement.
If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it was a fantastic tower defense RPG that was developed by SEGA and published by Gumi outside of Japan and a few other countries in Asia. To say it had a dedicated fanbase is an understatement as there’s already been a petition launched to save the game that’s garnered more than 1,300 signatures.
It’s truly a somber time for these dedicated players, and on Chain Chronicle’s subreddit, players are sharing their fondest memories of the game.
We talked to Gumi and SEGA about the game’s closure to get some answers.
1) First off, can you explain the reasoning behind the game’s closure? Seeing that it reached over 1 million users last year, the game appeared to have been quite popular and enjoyed an active user base.
[gumi] Although Chain Chronicle was a success among fans, achieving well over a million downloads last year, we at gumi are focusing more of our resources in 2016 on upcoming titles, such as Phantom of the Kill, bringing fantasy role playing action that Chain Chronicle fans will enjoy.We recognize the popularity of Chain Chronicle, and we thank and appreciate our fans in North America. Current and active players can continue to experience Chain Chronicle with some fun changes until the game shuts down on February 29, 2016. We hope that players will enjoy these changes and, in the process, make some fond memories of the game. Specific information can be found here: http://chainchronicle.gumi.sg/main/.
For questions or concerns, players can contact https://www.gumisupport.com/hc/en-us.
2) Was this decision made by SEGA or Gumi?
In a refocusing of resources in 2016, gumi has decided to end publishing duties for Chain Chronicle in North America.
3) Will the game close worldwide, including Japan?
[gumi/SEGA] Territories where the game is not published by gumi are not affected. This includes Japan (SEGA of Japan), Korea, China and Taiwan (local publishers).4) Will Chain Chronicle’s shuttering have any impact on the the announced Chain Chronicle anime?
[SEGA] The Chain Chronicle anime is being overseen by SEGA of Japan. The Western closure of the title does not affect it.5) Are there plans for any new Chain Chronicle games down the line?
[SEGA] We have no announcements at this time.6) Does Chain Chronicle’s closure have any impact on the rest of SEGA’s mobile games in the West?
[SEGA] While gumi has made the decision to close down Chain Chronicle, SEGA remains dedicated to their Western publishing unit SEGA Networks, SEGA’s mobile division in the West. Recent releases include: Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom, and published the indie hit, Heroki, developed by Picomy.Chain Chronicle has already been removed from app stores and will remain in operation until Feb. 28, when Gumi will shut down its servers, making the game unplayable.
