I'd been expecting some "official" word of acknowledgement or even - dare I say - celebration from Epic on the occasion and possibly some reflection on what UT2004's ongoing survival as an online MP game in today's world signifies (esp. in the face of UT3's performance), but I guess even a tweet was too much to hope for from the dev in its current state. Even with Headmaster Dudebro CliffyB and AAA-minded marketer Mark Reins being gone for more than a year now (Mike Capps left too), I guess we can easily tell where Epic's priorities lie these days: promoting UE4 and their
unanounced next game. Ah well, PC gamers are ever watchful and no doubt will keep this in mind, like they have the overall treatment we've received from Epic in the past several years too. Sadly, no retrospectives or even a reference to the anniversary from the gaming press, as far as I've been able to tell, either. This
reminiscing thread from UT oldschoolers in Reddit's r/Games is all I could find. Eh, I'll take it

.
As regards the game, for me UT2004, and particularly ONS, still remains the pinnacle of multiplayer arena shooters in terms of design that combines gritty n' fast, skill-based gameplay with greater strategic elements; easily customized and personalized deployment/hosting; and endless horizons of moddability potential. IMO, that's where the core of the game's lasting success lies. Save for the single point of potential failure that is still the Master Server, it's been entirely in the hands of its community for years now and that's the very reason it's still going on and new players from Steam communities still care to get UT2004 even today and try their hand at a game decked in decade-old visuals and, admittedly, kinda clunky physics. No doubt there will come a time when we'll have to work around that last hurdle, but beyond that, I'd place my trust in the UT community to foster and disseminate that great gameplay message lieing within gametypes like ONS across the entire gaming world and to younger developers over Epic's "vision" for the future of the Unreal Tournament franchise any day and in any situation. And, hopefully, CEONSS will continue being at the forefront of that effort for years to come too. Happy 10th birthday, UT2004! Long may it shine on.