City of Villains is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Cryptic Studios and released in 2005 for Windows and Mac. Designed as a standalone companion to City of Heroes rather than a traditional expansion, it did not require ownership of that title to play, though both games shared a single subscription fee. The game introduced five villain-exclusive character archetypes, new maps set across the Rogue Isles, and the franchise's first open PvP zones, distinct from the previously available instanced Arena matches. The retail release included four CD-ROMs reflecting content through Issue 6, a serial code granting one month of access, a Rogue Isles map poster, and one of four limited-edition villain HeroClix figures. Following NCSoft's acquisition of the intellectual property in 2008, ownership of either City of Heroes or City of Villains granted access to both titles at no additional charge.
