Atlus Shuts Down Shin Megami Tensei MMO Fan Servers, Sues Owners

thegamer.com:

ReImagine, a fan project that resurrected the defunct free-to-play MMORPG Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine, has been shut down. Atlus issued several court summons this month leading ReImagine's team to cease development of their fan-made re-release and take down both its website and server.

Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine was Atlus's take on a Shin Megami Tensei MMO. Players would create avatars, wander around a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, and contract demons to fight for them. The game first appeared way back in 2007 and would go on to become one of Japan's leading online games. The game was less successful on the worldwide stage, and the Western version of the game ceased operations in 2014. The Japanese game would continue for a few more years, but traditional MMORPGs are very expensive to run without money coming from outside the country.

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As with many MMOs, however, Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine's fans wouldn't let it die. A fan project started a few years after the final Japanese closure under the title "ReImagine," and in 2020, both a launcher and servers were created mimicking the original game. Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine was back.

Unfortunately, Atlus wasn't supportive. As spotted by Twitter user Marsh, Atlus sued in New York District Court to shut ReImagine down. Atlus argued that ReImagine has "caused and will continue to cause irreparable damage to Atlus unless restrained by this Court." In the suit, Atlus sought to bring down the site and its servers, as well as receive damages of $25,000 per violation.

And as noted by VGC, Atlus is already at least partially successful in its endeavor. ReImagine released a statement on its Discord earlier