Codemasters has announced that RF Online, the publisher’s first massively multiplayer online service, is to be closed down. Codemasters runs both the North American and European servers for the game; both regions will be disconnected.

An official statement on the RF Online website cited the reason for the closure as an inability to negotiate a new license for the game with Korean developer CCR. As a result the game will be shut down on the UK morning of November 10th.

RF Online launched on February 21st, 2006 in western regions using a standard retail/monthly subscription MMORPG business model. On October 17th 2007 the game became a free-to-play MMORPG with no subscription fee and the software freely downloadable.

“RF Online was Codemasters Online's first MMO service and we have been very proud of its development and success during its three years of existence,” the official notice of closure states. “It was also one of the first Eastern-style MMORPGs to ever make it to Western market and do well and it's with much fondness that we look back and remember these achievements.”

Upon Codemaster’s closure of RF Online all western licensing rights will revert to CCR.