Launched this past August, Pokémon Uranium proved an incredibly popular fan game among Pokémon players around the world. Releasing hot off Pokémon GO‘s success over the summer, the Uranium Team’s title showed love, care and dedication to the iconic handheld RPG series. Sadly, things became rocky as Nintendo caught wind of the project, leading to takedown notices from legal representatives of Nintendo. While Pokémon Uranium was pulled from the Team Uranium website shortly afterwards, the developers promised to provide ongoing news and discussion services to those who had already downloaded it. Now, the team officially announced they will no longer plan to support or update the game.
On Thursday evening, the team stated in a Twitter post that “there is a limit to how far projects such as these can go,” noting that they “will no longer be offering game downloads, updates, online services or support for Pokémon Uranium.” As of this article’s writing, the official Uranium website is already inaccessible, with no signs of it coming back online.
“We’re immensely flattered and overwhelmed by the response that the game has received – but now is the time for us to move on to future efforts,” the team said. As to those “future efforts,” no word yet. That said, the Uranium Team does seem to see their experience on Pokémon Uranium as a net-positive. “Developing this game has inspired us to improve our skills, has taught us about the importance of teamwork and the value of a passionate, dedicated community,” they explained.
The shutdown is certainly not an easy decision. Pokémon Uranium began development nine years ago, meaning the announcement marks an abrupt end to a decade’s worth of work. Still, the fan-made Pokémon title was known for its well-designed gameplay and Shin Megami Tensei-esque companion discussion feature. Even if the Uranium Team is forced to abandon Pokémon Uranium, their future efforts most certainly will be interesting to follow. If or when they happen, that is.