The Microsoft-published free-to-play RTS Age of Empires Online is officially no more. The game's planned closure took place yesterday, July 1, with servers permanently shutting down at 4 p.m. PDT.

"All good things must come to an end, and that time has come for Age of Empires Online," reads an update on the game's website. "It is time for the barbarian hordes to ride off into the sunset for the final time."

Age of Empires Online launched in August 2011. At launch, there were only two civilizations to play (the Greeks and Egyptians), but the lineup was later expanded to include the Persians, the Celts, and Babylonians, and the Norse. The game was initially developed by Robot Entertainment, but Supreme Commander studio Gas Powered Games would later take over.

Active development on Age of Empires Online ended in January this year, with executive producer Kevin Perry explaining that creating new content for the game was "too expensive to maintain." You can see some of the game's lifetime statistics in the image below.

Though the days of Age of Empires Online have come to a close, Microsoft will release a new free-to-play Age of Empires game on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone this summer. The game is called Age of Empires: World Domination, and it will let players choose between armies like the Celts, Vikings, Franks, and Huns.