Killzone 2 is back online after a group of dedicated fans set up their own unofficial multiplayer servers.
The gritty sci-fi shooter launched on PS3 way back in 2009 with servers remaining online for almost a decade. In March 2018, Sony axed multiplayer support for both Killzone 2 and Killzone 3.
That hasn’t stopped PSONE – a group of video game preservationists who tirelessly worked to bring a number of PlayStation titles back online. This list includes favourites such as Twisted Metal Black, Warhawk, WipEout, SOCOM Confrontation, and PlayStation Home.
You don’t need to hack your PS3 console or run an emulator to access the revived Killzone 2 multiplayer.
According to the PSONE Discord channel, here’s what you need to play:
- An internet access (should allow custom dns servers)
- A PlayStation Network account
- A PlayStation 3
- A disc copy of Killzone 2 (region code BCUS98116 and BCES00081)
From there, all that’s required is some simple tweaking of your PS3 internet settings. Having just launched, there are some key features missing from Killzone 2’s multiplayer. While you can play a match against other PSN users and bots, full progression tracking is absent along with the following:
- Community features (clan, mailbox, tournaments)
- Statistics (ribbons, medals, rank, valor rank)
- Trophies
- Official dedicated game rooms
- Secondary badges
PSONE stresses that this release is meant solely for preservation and educational purposes. The organisation doesn’t take donations, stating the following in their legal section:
All rights are reserved by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited, as well as the respective third-party companies responsible for implementing content into the preserved games. PSONE is working on PS Games that has been shutdown, the usage of this software falling under abandonware due to the lack of copyright enforcement involving the tools. The online section of PS Games is protected by the laws implied by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act 17 U.S. Code § 1201 for the purpose of preservation, education and public viewing as a museum effort.
Killzone 2 remains one of our most fondly remembered games here at TheSixthAxis. It had a strong following among our fledgling community who formed a clan that continued playing up until Killzone: Shadow Fall. With developer Guerrilla Games now working on Horizon: Forbidden West – and with Killzone’s online presence being erased – a sequel probably isn’t on the cards.
