Chronicle: RuneScape Legends Is Shutting Down In August

Jagex is pulling the plug on its attempt at a free-to-play CCG, Chronicle: RuneScape Legends -- or so we've heard. The game's official Twitter account has tweeted out a farewell message with a link to a blog post, but we can't seem to pull that link up. Nor can we pull up the Chronicle website. And the game appears to have been removed from Steam.

That leaves us with the discussion thread on the subreddit and MassivelyOP's reporting on the subject. The news seems to be legit, then, along with info about Jagex shutting down Ace of Spades and game portal FunOrb. According to MOP, "a lack of development resources to address technical errors" has been cited as the primary reason for the closures.

I played a bit of Chronicle when it first came out, and while it was a different experience, it was also more challenging than simpler games, like Hearthstone or even The Elder Scrolls Legends or Magic: The Gathering. If there's one thing I've learned in my 25 years as a player and developer of collectible card games, it's that added complexity rarely works. The basic formula of "we each put guys out and smash them into each other" is generally the most effective. Cool as it was for players looking for something different, Chronicle's somewhat indirect mode of conflict was probably a hindrance more than it was a help.