Controversial US army FPS shutting down after 20 years
America's Army game used as recruitment tool.
The controversial US government-backed shooter America's Army is shutting down.
The game has seen multiple iterations since its initial release in the U.S. in 2002, all developed on the Unreal Engine.
But on 5th May, the latest version America's Army: Proving Grounds will shut down.
According to an official blog post, the game "represented the first large-scale use of game technology by the U.S. government as a platform for strategic communication and recruitment, and the first use of game technology in support of U.S. Army recruiting."
Over 20 million players have taken part in 180 million successful missions.
"As time has passed and AA has fulfilled its mission, it is time to shift our focus to other new and innovative ways to assist the Army with comms and recruitment," reads the post.
"None of this would have been possible without our players, so thank you for your dedication and continued support throughout these years."
A further blog post provides more information on the shut down.
For players on PlayStation, the store page is set to be removed and the game will no longer be available to purchase. Online play will cease to function, though existing players should be able to play offline.
For PC players via Steam, privately owned servers will continue to be accessible, but official servers and player stats will be shut down.
The game was seen as controversial by many for its use as a recruitment tool, in addition to its original timely release post 9/11 and ahead of the war in Iraq.