CipSoft

CipSoft GmbH is a German video-game developer and online-game operator headquartered in Regensburg. The company is best known for Tibia, a persistent online role-playing game that became one of the early European MMORPGs and remains its central product. CipSoft developed its identity around operating long-lived online worlds rather than releasing a large succession of conventional boxed or premium games. The roots of the company predate its incorporation. Guido Lübke, Stephan Payer, Ulrich Schlott, and Stephan Vogler created Tibia while they were university students and released the game in 1997. After completing their studies, the four established CipSoft on 8 June 2001 so that they could continue developing and operating the project as a professional business. This origin shaped the company’s later approach: its products emphasize persistent characters, player communities, progression, exploration, and ongoing service operation. Tibia is set in a two-dimensional fantasy world in which players develop characters in archetypes such as knight, paladin, sorcerer, or druid. Players explore areas, complete quests, fight creatures and other threats, cooperate with others, and participate in a broader player-driven society. Although its visual presentation remained deliberately rooted in 2D graphics as the wider games industry moved toward increasingly sophisticated three-dimensional presentation, Tibia’s longevity demonstrated the strength of its community and service model. The game’s continued operation and international player base made it the defining commercial and cultural asset of CipSoft. The company expanded the Tibia concept to mobile devices with TibiaME, described as an early online role-playing game for mobile phones. It also experimented with new formats. Fiction Fighters, an interactive 3D comic game, entered availability in 2011 but was discontinued during its beta phase after the company reported insufficient player retention despite a substantial marketing effort. Panzer League applied multiplayer online battle-arena mechanics to tank combat on Android and iOS, with short matches built around destroying opponents and defensive systems. CipSoft ended the game’s operation on 30 October 2020 after more than 600,000 downloads. In 2020, CipSoft entered blockchain gaming with LiteBringer, a multiplayer role-playing and trading-oriented game operating on the Litecoin blockchain. Characters and items were represented on the blockchain, allowing direct player transactions and a decentralized account structure. In March 2022, the company announced that it would stop further development and active support, while the game remained playable under its decentralized design. CipSoft announced Persist Online in June 2024. Presented as the company’s first PC MMORPG since Tibia, it combines an old-school persistent online-world structure with a post-apocalyptic setting, firearms, melee combat, zombies, and large-scale interaction on a shared server. The planned Windows, macOS, and Linux release was associated with Steam Early Access. As of August 2024, the company was reported to employ approximately 100 people. Its business remains centered on independently developed, community-driven online games, with Tibia continuing to define the brand while newer projects broaden its technical and genre experimentation.

CipSoft’s history began with a student-developed online game rather than with a conventional commercial studio project. Guido Lübke, Stephan Payer, Ulrich Schlott, and Stephan Vogler created Tibia while studying at university and released it in 1997. The game placed players in a persistent two-dimensional fantasy world where they could develop characters, explore, complete quests, fight enemies, and interact with other participants. Its early release placed it among the pioneering generation of online role-playing games that helped establish the MMORPG format in Europe. On 8 June 2001, after completing their studies, the four developers founded CipSoft GmbH in Regensburg. The company was created to provide a formal structure for continued development and operation of Tibia. Rather than treating the game as a one-time release, CipSoft built its business around maintaining an evolving online service and its player community. This long-term operating model became central to the company’s identity and allowed Tibia to remain commercially relevant despite its deliberately modest two-dimensional presentation. Tibia’s fantasy setting supports several character archetypes, including knights, paladins, sorcerers, and druids. The game combines progression, exploration, quests, combat, cooperation, and social organization. Its longevity was frequently associated with the commitment of its community and the depth of its persistent world. The game’s reputation also extended beyond its core audience; in 2008 it was included in a list of notable MMORPGs available for Linux. CipSoft subsequently broadened its portfolio. TibiaME transferred the basic idea of an online role-playing world to mobile phones and used Tibia as an inspiration for its setting and gameplay. Players could choose character types, develop abilities, explore areas, undertake quests, enter dangerous dungeons, and cooperate with other players. The mobile format emphasized the ability to leave and return to the game at different times. The company also tested projects outside the direct Tibia formula. Fiction Fighters became available in 2011 as an interactive three-dimensional comic in which players acted within comic strips and a parallel comic universe. It was discontinued during beta because player retention was insufficient, despite a major marketing campaign. Panzer League later explored mobile competitive multiplayer through short tank battles on Android and iOS. CipSoft ended the service on 30 October 2020 after more than 600,000 downloads. In September 2020, the company released LiteBringer, a blockchain game built on the Litecoin network. It combined role-playing, resource management, trading, and idle-game elements. Characters and items were recorded on the blockchain, giving players direct control over certain assets and enabling peer-to-peer transactions. In March 2022, CipSoft said it would discontinue further development and active support. Because the game used decentralized infrastructure, it remained playable even after the company’s active involvement ended. CipSoft returned to a more traditional PC MMORPG direction with Persist Online, announced in June 2024. The project was described as an old-school online role-playing game set in a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic world. It uses firearms and melee weapons and is designed around many players sharing a persistent world. Planned support covered Windows, macOS, and Linux through Steam, initially in Early Access. The announcement made Persist Online the company’s first PC MMORPG project since the original Tibia era. By August 2024, CipSoft was reported to employ around 100 people. The company remains based in Regensburg and continues to be identified primarily with Tibia, while its experiments in mobile multiplayer, interactive formats, blockchain gaming, and post-apocalyptic online worlds show an effort to extend its expertise in persistent player communities across different platforms and technologies.

• 2024

  Persist Online is announced

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  CipSoft unveils Persist Online, a PC MMORPG with a post-apocalyptic zombie setting and planned Steam Early Access release.

• 2022

  LiteBringer development ends

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  The company announces the end of further development and active support for LiteBringer.

• 2020

  LiteBringer launches

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  CipSoft releases LiteBringer, a blockchain-based multiplayer game operating on Litecoin.

• 2020

  Panzer League service ends

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  CipSoft closes Panzer League on 30 October after the mobile game records more than 600,000 downloads.

• 2011

  Fiction Fighters enters beta

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  CipSoft introduces Fiction Fighters, an interactive 3D comic project that is later discontinued during beta because of weak player retention.

• 2008

  Tibia gains Linux recognition

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  Tibia is included among notable MMORPGs for Linux in a contemporary ranking.

• 2001

  CipSoft is founded

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  Guido Lübke, Stephan Payer, Ulrich Schlott, and Stephan Vogler establish CipSoft GmbH in Regensburg on 8 June.

• 1997

  Tibia is released

  [1]CipSoften.wikipedia.org

  The founders release Tibia, the online role-playing game that later becomes CipSoft’s core product.

An independent German developer focused on persistent, community-driven online games, especially long-running MMORPGs with player progression and social interaction.

• MMORPG · 1997

  Tibia

  Tibia is CipSoft’s principal product and one of the early long-running MMORPGs. It presents a persistent two-dimensional fantasy world in which players develop characters as knights, paladins, sorcerers, or druids. Exploration, quests, combat, progression, cooperation, and player interaction form the core experience. Its continued operation and enduring community are central to CipSoft’s business identity.

• Mobile MMORPG

  TibiaME

  TibiaME adapts CipSoft’s online role-playing concept for mobile phones. Inspired by Tibia, it allows players to choose fantasy character types, improve their skills, explore areas, complete quests, enter dungeons, and cooperate with other players. Its mobile design supports intermittent play, allowing users to leave and return to the game rather than requiring a continuous desktop session.

• Interactive comic game · 2011

  Fiction Fighters

  Fiction Fighters was an experimental interactive 3D comic in which players entered a parallel comic universe and acted within comic strips. The project became available in 2011 but was discontinued during its beta release after failing to maintain sufficient player interest, despite a substantial marketing campaign.

• Mobile multiplayer online battle arena

  Panzer League

  Panzer League was a mobile multiplayer battle-arena game for Android and iOS. Players controlled tanks and fought to destroy opposing vehicles and defensive systems. Matches were designed to last approximately five to ten minutes. CipSoft terminated the service on 30 October 2020 after the game had accumulated more than 600,000 downloads.

• Blockchain role-playing game · 2020

  LiteBringer

  LiteBringer was a multiplayer game built on the Litecoin blockchain and released in September 2020. It combined fantasy character progression, quests, resource management, idle-game mechanics, and trading. Characters and items were stored on the blockchain, enabling direct player transactions and a decentralized ownership model. CipSoft ended further development and active support in 2022, while the game remained playable.

• PC MMORPG · 2024

  Persist Online

  Persist Online is a post-apocalyptic MMORPG announced in 2024. It combines persistent online-world design with zombie combat using firearms and melee weapons. The project is intended to support interaction among hundreds of players on one server and is planned for Windows, macOS, and Linux through Steam, initially as an Early Access release.

• 2024

  Announce Persist OnlineProduct launch

  Background

  CipSoft had primarily been associated with Tibia and had also experimented with mobile and blockchain games.

  Action taken

  The company announced Persist Online, a PC MMORPG set in a post-apocalyptic world, with a planned Steam Early Access release.

  Aftermath

  The project represented CipSoft’s return to a PC MMORPG format since Tibia and expanded its portfolio into zombie survival-oriented online gameplay.

  Source

• 2022

  End active LiteBringer developmentStrategy

  Background

  LiteBringer used the Litecoin blockchain for decentralized gameplay, character and item storage, and player transactions.

  Action taken

  CipSoft announced that it would stop further development and active support for LiteBringer.

  Aftermath

  The game remained playable through its decentralized architecture, without the company continuing active development or support.

  Source

• 2020

  Close Panzer LeagueOther

  Background

  Panzer League was a mobile tank-based multiplayer game available on Android and iOS.

  Action taken

  CipSoft ended operation of the game on 30 October 2020.

  Aftermath

  The game was discontinued after more than 600,000 downloads.

  Source

1. 1CipSoften.wikipedia.org
2. 2CipSoft official websitecipsoft.com