If you havn't heard the sold Sony company Sony Online Entertainment (now known as daybreak) under new ownership has begun the mass layoffs/firing of a number of their employees.

Source: http://kotaku.com/big-layoffs-at-everquest-studio-today-1685243961

No idea how EQ1/EQ2 will manage new content when they barely had anyone working on their game to begin with, and how these games are even profitable, only a matter of time before they are closed. Sad days, I started playing EQ 1 just before Kunark release in 2000 and also picked up EQ2 the day it shipped. Both of these games have changed dramatically (and in my opinion for the worse) since release, but the memories with these games with forever be there.

I was extremely excited for EQNext, but now I have little to no hope for it. Peace Everquest players, maybe Project1999 is the only place left for us.

Surprised the game lasted this long tbh. I also started playing with Kunark/Velious. Sad days for sure. Who knows about EQnext =p

They fired a few heavy hitters for sure, but the buyers are a venture capitalist company.
They want to make a profit from these games, shutting them down would be counterproductive.

I'm not worried about them axing EQ, i'm worried about what microtransaction pay2win dumpster it will develop into.

Total list of those in the EQ franchise laid off

David "Smokejumper" Georgeson, Franchise lead
Eric "Felgon" Smith, Landmark/EQNext producer
Jeffrey Butler (skip to 27:20, in chat), EQN/Landmark creative director
Steve "Moorgard" Danuser, EQNext lead content/story designer
Mark Storer, EQNext programmer
Aaron "Gnobrin" Bisnett, EQ2 artist
Akil "Lyndro" Hooper, EQ2 Designer
"Endymion", EQ2 developer
Michael "Xelgad" Ganz, EQ2 developer
Jeffrey Bard, EQ2 developer
Racheal "Afista" McKenny, EQ2 community manager
Adam "Ngreth" Bell, EQ1 developer

As you can see, an already present EQ2 team has been drastically cut, not just "fluff" but integral members. EQnext team lost several key positions as well. If you're not aware, venture capitalist companies buy troubled companies, cut costs, and then usually sell them off piece by piece to make money. Clearly the first has already occurred as they butchered the teams for not only EQ but also planetside, next we will prolly see a dismantling of the IP's and possibly even closures of several games.

ill be 40 years old before eqn is a reality, 10 years