In a move that should surprise no one, Auran Games is shutting down their PvP F2P MMO (can't fit any more acronyms in there!).

We have reached our time limit to find a solution that would help us keep the Fury servers open. Sadly, no solution has been found and so we have no alternative than to shut the servers down in 48 hours.

To all those players who have enjoyed Fury and played countless battles, I am sorry that we could not find a viable business model that would allow you to continue playing. To all those naysayers and doomsdayers, we know that deep down you wanted Fury to succeed. Have fun with your parting wishes.

To the Auran team, who put their heart and soul into making Fury, thanks for your efforts. As I said many times before, we need to be much better than the competition to have a chance of succeeding. We gave it everything we had and history now judges that it still wasn't good enough.

Whilst this marks the end of the Fury chapter, who knows what the future may bring. There were many gems hidden within Fury and many lessons learned. Hopefully one day the full potential can be realized in some other form.

So for now, so long and thanks for all the fish.

P.S. We informed all stores more than a month ago to remove stock from their shelves. If you have purchased a copy of Fury in the past month, we suggest you return it to the store.

P.P.S. This website will also close down in 48 hours.

Released not even a year ago, October 2007, the Auran team has gone through hell and back trying to make the game viable.  To all of those who made Fury their home, my deepest condolences.  To those who worked on it, best of luck.

Have fun in Fury Online? Get ready to take the competition to the next level with Fury League!

Brisbane, Australia, May 8 2008.
Auran Games, creators of Fury, the fast-paced arena combat game, today announced the launch of a new skill-based online competitive format called Fury League. Players can not only test their skills against other players but also win Fury Gold which can be converted into real cash.

To introduce players to the new “turn skill into cash” concept, the Fury League Qualifying Season will run throughout the month of May. This is a totally free to play Qualifying Season aimed at building a large social and competitive online community based around fast paced arena combat.

To get the competitive juices flowing, and to ensure plenty of hard fought competition, the Qualifying Season will culminate in two special “Cash Ladders”. The top 1,000 players on each Ladder will win cash prizes with a total of $25,000 to be won. The first Cash Ladder will kick off May 20 with players competing in 8 v 8 team Vortex. The second will begin on May 27 with players competing in the 4 v 4 Elimination game type.

In addition to the Cash Ladders, for every game played during the Qualifying Season players earn one Free game entry in Fury League which will kick off in June. Players can earn up to a maximum of 1,000 free game entries, so players of every skill level will be rewarded for participating in Qualifying Season matches.

Read the entire release here.

Fury isn't dead darn it!  It's just waiting for you to login so people can attack you!

We have a new business model and thousands of new “Chosen” players have been taking part in the fastest paced RPG battles ever seen. We have our core team working on further improvements to help the new player get through their first few battles unscathed. (If you are new to FURY, there are no Level 1 Wolves to nibble on your toes – just bad assed human competitors waiting to rip your heart out). So what is in store for 2008?

For our core players, some of whom have been around since Alpha or Beta, we have a reward for you all. You will all be made Immortals for life. This offer will also be extended to any new players that register their copy of the game before December 31st. This means that anyone with a “Hero” or “Immortal” account status on December 31 will be given Immortal status for ever (accounts will be updated Jan 3rd).

Log in, try this amazing free PvP game, and maybe, you'll enjoy not killing 10 rats!

Fury Online has announced that with the new expansion, Age of the Chosen, comes a free play option!

Gamecock Media Group and Auran Games today announced a new Free to Download, Free to Play option for their fast paced arena combat game FURY. The new business model will begin with the release of the first major free content update “Age of the Chosen” on December 14, 2007.

“FURY was built around giving players options that suit their play style and their wallet,” said Tony Hilliam, CEO of Auran. “With the AotC update, we are introducing a new player category called “Chosen”. As one of the Chosen, players can access all game types, equip all weapons and unlock all 400 abilities – and they can play as much as they like absolutely free. This is a fantastic opportunity for players to jump into battle with their mates and discover the frenetic pace of the fastest RPG combat ever. Chosen will earn less gold and essence, and will not be able to trade with other players.”

“Chosen players can purchase game gold from the FURY store or upgrade to “Hero” status to earn more Essence and Gold. Retail stores sell the “Hero” status pack, along with a free month of “Immortal” status, so this is $30 value for the new price of $19.99 (in US stores). As a Hero or Immortal players can unlock abilities faster and purchase better gear, but the matchmaker then ensures they are playing against other players of similar skill and rank.”

It will be interesting to see how players respond to this offer, but hopefully it will be a good way to see Fury succeed!

Auran Games, developer of Fury Online, is dealing with a solid product but a slow start, and has cut their team in order to maintain their game.  Next Generation has an article on it, and the official forums has a response to all the rumors!

As I explained to the staff yesterday, whilst FURY has started off slower than expected, I still see a bright and long future ahead. However, that future will not include the full 60 man development team who have worked on FURY for the past year. The future will focus on a smaller, more agile core team of Fury developers. These are people who are incredibly passionate about the game and work until 4 in the morning to ensure they get things done.

FURY has been a big part of our lives and the core team will be doing everything they can to make sure it reaches its full potential. Anyone who has played a close game of Vortex or come back from 2-0 down to beat the opposing team in Elimination know of that potential. Sadly, too many players have only experienced a savage beating at the hands of veteran players. Perhaps they may pick up their bloodied corpses and return next weekend to see what we have done to help them get into the game.

There's also an interview with Lead Designer Adam Carpenter available on F13 which covers not only the layoffs but also the future of Fury Online, and the excitement that the future holds!

Fury Online has announced their new free expansion, already!

Auran CEO, Tony Hilliam, explains: “We set out with the goal of making FURY fast and fun for all players. The Age of the Chosen add-on focuses on helping new players prepare for the furious action as well as introducing a host of features requested by our hardcore fans. Feedback from new players was that the pacing was too fast and confusing. To remedy this and help players grow into the game, we created the 'Carnage' game type. Carnage pits two teams of four players in indirect competition where the focus is killing bots to earn points rather than simply smashing your opponents into submission. We've also improved the tutorial and created practice areas where players can spend time getting used to FURY’s uniquely fast paced combat.”

“We've also made a number of changes to combat by increasing player survivability, lengthening the decision making time and increasing combat feedback. Furthermore, and in direct response to player's requests, we've made significant improvements to all items in the game. Tiers and rarity will be more meaningful and there will be greater incentives to choose higher Tier armor. This of course means players can spend even more time tweaking their favorite Incarnation to keep within our 1000 Equip Point limit."

Here's the Age of the Chosen site for you!

Fury Online has released their one month anniversary newsletter!

In recognition that our first month did not deliver everything we had planned, we have decided to extend the free period for "Immortal" status by one month. This will give everyone time to check out the newly implemented Ladders and other delayed features, such as VoiP.

The newsletter has a ton of info, including new ladder details and double Essence and Gold offers for Elimination matches this weekend!

The Electronic Sports League has opened their first Fury Online ladder competition!

Prepare your weapons and learn you spells - We have unleashed the Fury! It's time to play Fury at ESL and for that purpose we have set up several ladders. From 1on1 Elimination to 8on8 Vortex, everything is possible in the ESL, gather your team and join the fights.

Our focus at the moment is on Elimination, we have several Ladders for it, starting with a 1on1 ladder, a 2on2 ladder and finally a 4on4 ladder.

You can find all the other ladder info right here.  Good luck to all who enter!

Fury Online has announced their brand spankin' new free trial!

We've had a lot of requests for a free trial, and previously we've said we were planning to have a free trial available for Fury. Starting today, those plans are now a reality! If you don't yet have an account, or want to see if your friends will join you in-game, you can obtain a 10 Day FURY Free Trial account by visiting http://www.unleashthefury.com/freetrial/.

Grab a key, create an account and play as much as you like for the next 10 days. You can then choose to upgrade your Trial Account by purchasing the full game from a retail store or online at http://www.auran.com/auran/shop.htm.

We have also re-enabled all inactive Fury Challenge and beta accounts for 10 days. (Note: you may need to change the password on your account).

So go play!  And then help update our Games List with all the info you found out, loved and hated!  Then discuss it with friends and enemies alike on our Fury Online forums!  We've got it all right here!

Fury Online has posted some really great lore to their official forums titled "Why We Fight".

The reason is simple. This war goes beyond fighting over territory, for power or control. It is not hatred that makes me draw my blades, nor lust or ambition that fuels the fires of this struggle. It is the basest emotion that drives me. Fear. Fear of the Fade.

The Fade is the nightmare that you cannot wake from. A blackness that drags you in like an undertow, unrelenting and irresistible. Panic will overwhelm you when you gasp for air that isn’t there. You will flail your limbs in every direction, desperate to touch something substantial, but you will find only nothingness. It will seem as if all your senses have left you and though you cannot feel a chill on your skin, a cold, sickening energy will consume you nonetheless.

In addition, the European launch of the game went live today!  Ready?  FIGHT!