Closers Online Rises Again: Papaya Play Rescues the Anime Action MMO That Was Left for Dead

Just a couple of months ago Closers Online looked doomed. The 11-year-old Korean anime action MMO had a firm expiration date — June 24th — when developer Naddic Games was set to shut the servers down without much of an explanation. For a while it looked like that was the end of it. But the game has just been handed a second life by Papaya Play, which is taking over publishing and bringing it back.

Genuine revivals of veteran MMOs are rare, and this one comes with an important asterisk: it isn't about flipping the old servers back on — it's about rebuilding the thing almost from scratch.

Papaya Play was clear that this is a full relaunch, not a reboot of the old version. The reason: the in-game economy and the gap between new and veteran players could not be adequately addressed if the game came back exactly as it was. That's why old characters won't carry over — everyone starts from square one, on equal footing.

Pre-registration is already open on the publisher's site, with limited rewards handed out after the official launch (one claim per account), including a costume available for all 23 playable characters. And the headline isn't just the rescue itself: a brand-new character is joining the roster too. You can sign up on the official Closers Global pre-registration page.

Beyond the reset, Papaya promises smoother progression, support events to help newcomers and veterans alike climb quickly during the relaunch, and consistent feedback-gathering to steer future updates. What's still missing is a concrete date: Papaya says it's finalizing the details and promises more news soon. For an MMO that was all but buried, having pre-registration open and a new character on the way is already more than many were expecting.