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City of Heroes

2004 Cryptic Studios MMORPG Updated 25 Jul 2026

City of Heroes is a 2004 MMORPG developed by Cryptic Studios, one of the first major superhero-themed online games. Players create their own caped crusaders and patrol the fictional Paragon City, teaming up to fight street crime, gangs, and super-powered villains.

The game was celebrated for its exceptionally deep character creator, which let players design a nearly unlimited variety of heroes by combining power sets, costume pieces, colours, and origins, so that few players ever looked alike. Its fast, action-oriented combat, mission-based structure with randomly generated instances, and strong sense of community made it a beloved home for fans of comic-book fantasy. A later expansion, City of Villains, added the ability to play as the bad guys and build supervillain bases.

Although its official servers were controversially shut down in 2012, a passionate community later revived the game through fan-run private servers that remain active. It endures as a cherished example of superhero online gaming.

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Modern alternatives to City of Heroes, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.

Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.

Modern alternatives to City of Heroes compared: price, Steam Deck rating and the devices each one runs on.
Alternative	Price	Steam Deck	Runs on
City of Heroes: Homecoming Indie	Free	Not on Steam	PC, Mac
Champions Online	Free + in-app purchases	Steam Deck Playable	PC
DC Universe Online	Free + in-app purchases	Steam Deck Unsupported	PC