It's hard to describe without being rather uncharitable the mess made by Daybreak Game Company, formerly Sony Online Entertainment, with the canceled Everquest Next, and then with its spin-off Landmark, that was initially supposed to be simply a tool to let players play with the building features of the ambitious next big MMORPG of the Everquest franchise.

I'm pretty sure every Everquest fan pretty much saw it coming when  the company was purchased by Columbus Nova, an investment company with its roots in Russia, and when some of the most relevant staff members were summarily let go. Yet, it still hurts.

Looks like the agony is finally coming to an end, as Daybreak announced today that Landmark is going to close on February 21st, bringing the story of a MMORPG that promised to revolutionize the genre both on PC and consoles towards its sad but pretty much inevitable end.

Starting today, the game will no longer be available for purchase,  and the ability to list and purchase player studio items will be discontinued. Marketplace items will see their price reduced to 1 Daybreak Cash. At the moment there is no word on refunds on Daybreak Cash already purchased, but players will be able to use it across other games ran by the developer.

If you're hoping on the launch of player-run servers, Daybreak already denied that possibility, mentioning that nothing of the sort will be authorized.

Below you can read the full sunset message and a brief FAQ:

To the Landmark community,

With heavy hearts, we are writing today to inform you that after much review, we have decided to close Landmark game servers on February 21, 2017. 

Since Landmark first entered Alpha, we have been impressed by the creative talents in this community. You pushed the boundaries of what Landmark could do, and we are grateful for the time and energy you shared through your creations in this game.

While there is still time to enjoy Lumeria and the many worlds you’ve built within Landmark, we wanted to let you know what you will be seeing happen between now and February. Beginning today, Player Studio items will no longer be available for listing or for purchase in the Landmark Marketplace. Landmark will also no longer be available for purchase. All items in the Marketplace with a Daybreak Cash price will have their price reduced to 1 DBC.

The game servers, as well as the accompanying forums and social media channels, will be closed at 4:00PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, February 21, 2017.

We want to thank each and every one of you for your creative contributions to Landmark. 

Landmark Sunset FAQ: 

Is Landmark being shut down?

Yes. Daybreak Game Company (DGC) is scheduled to sunset Landmark on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 at 4:00PM Pacific Time.

What happens to all the code/data from Landmark? Can someone open an emulator server for Landmark?

Daybreak Game Company will retain all of the code and data from Landmark. Daybreak Game Company will not license or authorize the operation of a Landmark emulator or a fan-operated Landmark server.

Will the Landmark website and/or forums be available after the service shuts down?

All Websites and forums associated with Landmark will be removed after the service shuts down.

What happens to the Daybreak Cash I have purchased?

Your Daybreak Cash resides in a general wallet which is shared across most Daybreak Games available on PC. You can continue to use your Daybreak Cash to purchase items in other Daybreak games.

Even if I haven't played Landmark in ages (playing the obviously doomed tendril of a game that will never come isn't my idea of constructively using my time and money), as a long-time Everquest fan, who was very much looking forward to the many ambitious ideas Everquest Next promised to bring to the MMORPG genre, this is a sad day for me.

I still hold some hope that the Everquest franchise isn't completely dead, but considering that a large percentage of the people behind its creation have been fired anyway, maybe it's better for it to be, while our memories are still sweet.