Homecoming announced on January 4, 2024, that NCSOFT had licensed it to operate a City of Heroes server and further develop the game. The agreement gave the fan-run service a formal path to continue, but it was conditional, applied only to Homecoming, and left ownership of the game’s intellectual property with NCSOFT.
What the license changed
Homecoming said NCSOFT granted it permission to host a server and continue developing City of Heroes, subject to the agreement’s conditions and limitations. Homecoming described the arrangement this way: “Homecoming has been granted a license to operate a City of Heroes™ server and further develop the game – subject to conditions and limitations under the contract – but, as between us and NCSOFT®, NCSOFT still owns the City of Heroes intellectual property and its derivatives.” (Homecoming announcement and FAQ; Homecoming statement)
That distinction matters: the license authorized Homecoming’s operation and development; it did not transfer ownership of the game or grant permission to every fan-run server. Homecoming said the agreement created a framework for operating in accordance with NCSOFT’s wishes, and its FAQ noted that NCSOFT retained the right to demand a shutdown. The announcement therefore formalized Homecoming’s position without promising the service could never close.
What Homecoming told players
Accounts, characters, and development
In its January 4, 2024 announcement, Homecoming said there would be no account rollbacks or character resets, that there would be no material day-to-day operating changes, and that development would continue. These were the operator’s assurances at the time of the announcement, not a guarantee of uninterrupted service indefinitely. (Homecoming announcement; Homecoming FAQ)
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Price and donations
Homecoming said play would remain free and the service would continue to be funded by donations. It also said the agreement required neither an upfront nor a recurring license fee, while anticipating additional overhead and one-time legal costs. The operator described a planned disaster-recovery fundraising target as “roughly equivalent to 30% of our annual costs”; that was a target for a recovery fund, not a license charge or a measured operating statistic. (Homecoming announcement; Homecoming fundraising details)
Launcher and setup
Homecoming said it would stop supporting Tequila and similar launchers and provide its own installation and patching tool, the Homecoming Launcher. For current account-creation and download instructions, use Homecoming’s live Getting Started page; the 2024 announcement is not a reliable guide to present-day launcher support or service availability.
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Videos and streams
Homecoming said gameplay videos and streams, including monetized content, were permitted if the content remained free for viewers and followed its Code of Conduct. Check the current conduct policy before publishing content, since the announcement described the operator’s policy at that time. (Homecoming video and streaming guidance)
Does the license cover other City of Heroes servers?
No. The license described in Homecoming’s announcement was specific to Homecoming. It did not grant other fan-operated servers the same permission, and the announcement should not be read as a general license for the broader fan-server community. (Homecoming announcement and FAQ)
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Can you play City of Heroes on Homecoming now?
Homecoming’s FAQ answered “yes” in 2024 and directed new players to its Getting Started page. That answer is historical; the announcement and contemporaneous coverage do not establish the service’s current status. Check the live Homecoming Getting Started page for current access, account, and download information. (Contemporaneous MMORPG.com coverage)
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
