TechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTechTarget and Informa Techs Digital Business Combine.Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.Free-to-play browser game Urban Dead taken offline by UK's online safety lawFree-to-play browser game Urban Dead taken offline by UK's online safety lawThe UK's Online Safety Act requires platforms consistently moderate younger players, a feat developer Kevan Davis said isn't possible for Urban Dead.Justin Carter, Contributing EditorMarch 4, 20251 Min ReadImage via Kevan Davis.At a GlanceUrban Dead is being shut down just months before its 20-year anniversary on account of a new UK law.After a near 20-year run, the free-to-play browser game Urban Dead is shutting down on March 14.Creator Kevan Davis' statement pointed fingers at the UK's Online Safety Act (OSA) of 2023. Under the law, all social and video game websites are "more responsible for their users safety on their platforms," according to its website. "Platforms will be required to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content and provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise."The kind of moderation is tough on developers with minimal or no resources to comply, like Davis. He admitted that it "doesn't look feasible" for Urban Dead to follow the OSA's rules or face "the possibility of heavy corporate-sized fines.""No grand finale. No final catastrophe. No helicopter evac. Make your peace or your final stand in whichever part of Malton you called home, and the game will be switched off at noon UTC on 14 March," he wrote.Urban Dead is a text-based MMO wherein players begin as either a survivor or zombie in a quarantined region in the fictional city of Malton. Upon death, survivors are made into zombies, while the slain undead can be "revivified" into a living person.The game's sudden end is a notable blow to the browser and free-to-play sectors of the game industry, and another addition to the ever-growing tomb of multiplayer games taken offline.Davis said that if the game ever gets revived or spun off "in any way in the future," he would directly confirm it on the game's website.Read more about:CultureAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like