# Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown

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***Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown*** (originally marketed as ***Shadowrun Online***) was a [turn-based tactical video game](/source/Turn-based_tactics) developed by Cliffhanger Productions and published by [Nordic Games](/source/Nordic_Games_GmbH) as part of [Jordan Weisman](/source/Jordan_Weisman)'s [cyberpunk](/source/Cyberpunk) *[Shadowrun](/source/Shadowrun)* fictional universe.[3] With the servers shut down, the game stopped working on November 30, 2018.[4]

## Development and release

Following the success of the *[Shadowrun Returns](/source/Shadowrun_Returns)* [Kickstarter](/source/Kickstarter) campaign, Cliffhanger Productions initiated a similar campaign to crowdsource $500,000 in July 2012, and pledged to deliver a closed beta version of *Shadowrun Online* for contributors around May 2013.[5]

### Director's Cut

*Shadowrun Chronicles: INFECTED! Director's Cut* combines the two games *Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown* and the *INFECTED!* campaigns into one game. It was released on Steam on December 10, 2015. A Missions DLC was released for *INFECTED! Director's Cut* on February 25, 2016.

### Game server shut-down

On November 30, 2018, the servers were shut down,[4] citing the license running out[6] and the game making barely enough to keep the servers running. Due to the license only allowing online games, the game needs the servers to work,[7] even in a "play alone" mode using NPCs instead of other players in missions.

Despite different expectations, Microsoft had no interest in renewing the license[8] and "persistent ransomware attacks" had been increasing the cost of running the server.[9][4][10]

## Reception

*[IGN](/source/IGN)* awarded the game a score of 6.5 out of 10, saying "smart co-op partners make *Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown's* tactical combat work, but anything less falls short."[11] It has a 61/100 rating on [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic).[12] *[GameSpot](/source/GameSpot)* awarded it a score of 3 out of 10, saying "Shadowrun Chronicles isn't just a bad Shadowrun game. It's a bad game. That it comes from a series with such an exceptional pedigree and plenty of exceptional recent successes just makes the disappointment that much more bitter."[13] *[Shacknews](/source/Shacknews)*, by contrast, gave it a 7 out of 10, praising the story, setting, strategy, and multiplayer, while criticizing the server issues, incomplete game systems, pointless death timer, and rewards that weren't proportionate to mission difficulty.[14]

## References

1. Jeffrey Matulef (2015-02-27). ["Shadowrun Online now being published by Nordic Games"](http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-27-shadowrun-online-now-being-published-by-nordic-games). *[Eurogamer](/source/Eurogamer)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150227092117/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-02-27-shadowrun-online-now-being-published-by-nordic-games) 2015-02-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2015-02-27.

1. ["Shadowrun Online renamed to Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown"](http://www.nordicgames.at/index.php/article/shadowrun_online_renamed_to_shadowrun_chronicles_boston_lockdown). [Nordic Games](/source/Nordic_Games). March 3, 2015. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150512153636/http://www.nordicgames.at/index.php/article/shadowrun_online_renamed_to_shadowrun_chronicles_boston_lockdown) May 12, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 9, 2015.

1. Yin-Poole, Wesley (13 October 2011). ["Shadowrun Online unveiled"](http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-13-shadowrun-online-unveiled). *[Eurogamer](/source/Eurogamer)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120625061557/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-10-13-shadowrun-online-unveiled) 25 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 August 2012.

1. ["ATTENTION: GAME WILL CLOSE DOWN NOVEMBER 30th! :: Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown General"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/). *steamcommunity.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201111193251/https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/) 2020-11-11 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-29.

1. Yin-Poole, Wesley (19 July 2012). ["Shadowrun Online turns to Kickstarter"](http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-19-shadowrun-online-turns-to-kickstarter). *[Eurogamer](/source/Eurogamer)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120821182209/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-19-shadowrun-online-turns-to-kickstarter) 21 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 August 2012.

1. ["ATTENTION: GAME WILL CLOSE DOWN NOVEMBER 30th! :: Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown General --- message #4"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/#c3276824488728449687). *steamcommunity.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201111193251/https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/#c3276824488728449687) 2020-11-11 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-29.

1. ["ATTENTION: GAME WILL CLOSE DOWN NOVEMBER 30th! :: Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown General -- message #66"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/?ctp=2#c1733216261959925106). *steamcommunity.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241207123519/https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/?ctp=2#c1733216261959925106) 2024-12-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-29.

1. ["ATTENTION: GAME WILL CLOSE DOWN NOVEMBER 30th! :: Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown General --- message #68"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/?ctp=2#c1733216261963458664). *steamcommunity.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20241207123519/https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/3276824488727589349/?ctp=2#c1733216261963458664) 2024-12-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-29.

1. ["Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown :: We are going to make you all rich and then the world ends...or not."](https://steamcommunity.com/games/267750/announcements/detail/1720833320663347005). *steamcommunity.com*. 2018-11-13. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201108094728/https://steamcommunity.com/games/267750/announcements/detail/1720833320663347005) 2020-11-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-29.

1. ["Not so dark future... :: Shadowrun Chronicles - Boston Lockdown General"](https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/1742227264195100985/). *steamcommunity.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210427172356/https://steamcommunity.com/app/267750/discussions/0/1742227264195100985/) 2021-04-27 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-29.

1. ["Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown Review - IGN"](http://uk.ign.com/articles/2015/05/05/shadowrun-chronicles-boston-lockdown-review). Uk.ign.com. 2015-05-05. Retrieved 2015-06-12.

1. ["Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown for PC Reviews"](https://www.metacritic.com/game/shadowrun-online/critic-reviews/?platform=pc). [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic). [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ueXIo) 2026-02-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-08-21.

1. Starkey, Daniel (2015-06-05). ["Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown Review"](http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shadowrun-chronicles-boston-lockdown-review/1900-6416166/). GameSpot. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20151029180902/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/shadowrun-chronicles-boston-lockdown-review/1900-6416166/) 2015-10-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2015-11-11.

1. ["Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown Review: Chummers and Chowda"](https://www.shacknews.com/article/89394/shadowrun-chronicles-boston-lockdown-review-chummers-and-chowda). *Shacknews*. May 2015. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220221143629/https://www.shacknews.com/article/89394/shadowrun-chronicles-boston-lockdown-review-chummers-and-chowda) 2022-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-02-21.

## External links

- [Official website](https://web.archive.org/web/20170221010232/http://www.shadowrun.com/shadowrun-online/) (archived)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowrun_Chronicles%3A_Boston_Lockdown) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowrun_Chronicles%3A_Boston_Lockdown?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.