After a few months of dormancy, an update has been posted to the Elderlands website by Jason Ely. It would seem that the game’s servers have had some issues in the wake of a recent update:

I wanted to give a quick status update regarding the game servers. We updated the game servers into the new back end framework. There were some Database importation issues with some accounts where characters were being detached from the accounts. This resulted in users logging into the game and not showing any players. Another issue is related to the Home spell in game. When some players use the home spell they are teleported to a black location and are unable to move. We are aware of this as this is also related to the importation issue.

We have the servers down until this can be resolved. We plan to have the servers back online Tuesday June 23rd.

And if you’re curious about why the update was made, that too is explained:

I would also like to reiterate that this update has some small bits of content and bug fixes. However this release serves two major purposes. One is a security update which closes a few holes in the system. The other is to put the new framework in place (phase 1). This new framework allows for players and their items to exist on any game server instance that we launch. This is very important as it allows us to centralize persistent item storage and management. It allows players to move between game servers seamlessly. An example of this would be a common server where players from any realm can meet…Cross Server guild wars, Cross Server social location, etc. are now possible.

This change is required for our new cloud based architecture which is being phased in over the next number of months. With the cloud based system we can reduce latency/lag effects for all of our non-US players. It also provides Asylumsoft with a more cost-effective server model. (Saves us money running the game).

Finally, although this update doesn’t bring much in the way of new game content, being more focused on back-end tech, there is a content update in the pipeline:

Following tomorrows update we are phasing in the large amount of content and system changes that we’ve been promising for some time. We will attempt to do bi-weekly (every two weeks) updates.

So, if you play Elderlands, do be sure to check today to see if the game’s servers have come back online.