Neverwinter Online And Star Trek Online Say Goodbye to Player-Created Content

Cryptic Studios has announced that The Foundry, the player-created content service for both Neverwinter Online and Star Trek Online, will be put out of commission starting April 11, 2019.

Although the brilliant modding communities of both titles have kept The Foundry alive through high-quality fan-made content and fully-scripted missions, Cryptic Studios has decided to discontinue the service. Despite being a platform for free, player-made content, The Foundry still runs on Cryptic Studios’ resources - servers, maintenance, and updates are all being handled by the developer.

The decision did not come lightly. Developer Cryptic Studios has issued a statement that the move was made with the best interests of their fans at heart. Given limited resources, the developers couldn’t keep The Foundry running without sacrificing the quality of the their own content releases and updates. Cryptic Studios will continue to support and release content for Neverwinter and Star Trek Online, and despite the implications of the announcement, both titles still enjoy a dedicated and sizeable player base.

If you’re interested to know just what kind of content came out of The Foundry, here’s Rise of Mol’Rihan, a fan-made Foundry mission for Star Trek Online, as played by Yuzral.

While Cryptic Studios isn’t going to stop releasing new updates and content releases for either of its massive multiplayer online titles, fans of either game are lamenting the loss of years’ worth of custom missions and adventures. To help comfort long-time fans and give new players the chance to participate while they still can, Cryptic Studios is giving out awards to players who have helped to make The Foundry what it is.

In Star Trek Online, fans who have played even just one Foundry mission will receive a badge, while authors will receive the Botany Bay space pet for their contributions. Players whose creations were featured in The Foundry’s Spotlight also earn a Genesis Torpedo ground device. In Neverwinter Online, the rewards aren’t as generous. Players who have participated in at least 10 missions receive a player Title, while authors of at least 10 missions will receive an exclusive in-game cape. Luckily, if you haven’t been participating in The Foundry but still want to grab some of that exclusive loot, rewards are eligible until the very last day of The Foundry on April 11.

What do you think about Cryptic Studios’ decision to retire The Foundry? Are you eligible for the rewards being given to players who have participated in and contributed to player-created content? If not, will you try to to earn these exclusive rewards before they officially retire the Foundry service next month? Let us know in the comments section below!