After more than 10 years, NCsoft just announced that the North American Lineage servers will shut down on June 29 because it is no longer financially viable in its Western markets. As of today, no new accounts can be created, but all existing accounts in good stand have been reactivated and everyone can play for free until the servers shut down.

If you had an active and paid Lineage subscription at any point this year between Jan. 1 and May 11, you'll receive a Player Appreciation Reward that will give you activation and two months of game time for all four current NCsoft US games, plus some additional special items depending on the game title. Check out the rewards and refunds page for a list of the indivual gifts you'll receive in Lineage II, Aion, Guild Wars and City of Heroes.

For more details on the closure of the NA Lineage servers, read the FAQ after the jump. All game data will no longer be available after June 29, and your characters will not be transferred to other territories' servers.

Lineage FAQ

Why is Lineage shutting down?

The decision to discontinue the Lineage service was a business decision. We know that many players loved this game and were loyal subscribers. NCsoft® has many titles, both live and in production, and we had to make a hard decision based on the business performance to focus our resources to make those games provide the best play experience as possible for our customers.

I paid for more time than I used. How do I get a refund?

We will refund payment automatically back to the original method of payment in most instances. If you used a credit card to pay, your money will be refunded to the credit card. If you paid through PayPal, your PayPal account will be credited. If you paid through a Game Time Card, you will receive a game tme serial code to use for other NCsoft titles equivalent to the paid time remaining in your account. We encourage you to review the complete refund details.

On my NCsoft Master Account, it says that my account is inactive, or that it will expire before June 29. Does that mean that I won't be able to play for free?

On May 11, all active and inactive, nonbanned Lineage accounts will be reactivated and remain activated until June 29, 2011, when the game servers shut down. If in the Game Account Details section of your logged in NCsoft Master Account it states that the Account Status is not playable, or the Playable Until date lists a date before June 29, you should still be able to log in and play for free.

What will happen to my game characters and their items once the servers shut down? Can I play on other territories' servers with the same characters?

On June 29, 2011, the North American Lineage servers will shut down. This shutdown means that all the game data will no longer be available, including, without limitation, characters, items, and so on. We will not be transferring character information to other territories' servers, so they will not be playable in other territories' servers.

What is the Player Appreciation Reward?

We are giving any Lineage subscriber who had an active, paid subscription at any time during 2011 a Player Appreciation Reward. To qualify, your account must have been active and paid for at any point between January 1, 2011 and May 11, 2011. In addition, your account must be in good standing (in other words, not banned). The account does not have to have been active continuously, but rather active and paid at any time during that timeframe. Accounts that were activated as part of the final celebration, but did not pay during this calendar year, do not qualify.

The Player Appreciation Reward is a sincere gesture of our thanks for being a loyal Lineage customer. It includes activation and two months of game time (when applicable) of all four current NCsoft US games: City of Heroes®, Aion®, Guild Wars®, and Lineage II. The activation, game time (when applicable), and any special game items will placed on the NCsoft Master Account that you used to play Lineage. The Player Appreciation Reward activations, game time, and items are not transferable between accounts. The Player Appreciation Reward will be placed on your NCsoft Master Account by the end of May.

I think I should have received a Player Appreciation Reward, but I didn't. What should I do?

The Player Appreciation Rewards will be placed directly on the NCsoft Master Account that you used to play Lineage by the end of May. We'll also send you an email to the email address registered on that NCsoft Master Account with instructions on how to access your gift through your NCsoft Master Account. If you do not find your reward on your NCsoft Master Account after they have been awarded, but believe that you should have received one, send a support ticket, and we will assist you.

Is there a possibility that you will reopen the North American servers?

NCsoft currently has no plans to reopen the Lineage servers. For a complete list of NCsoft games available, please visit the NCsoft website.