Funcom sends word that today is the 15th anniversary of the launch of Anarchy Online, as their sci-fi MMORPG first launched on June 27, 2001. At that time the launch had some rough patches, they rebounded to the point where the game is still running to celebrate the occasion all these years later. They announce an anniversary event is now underway for all current and most former subscribers, saying, "accounts that have been frozen and/or gone unpaid, and are in good standing, will be able to log in freely for the duration of the event." Here's word on what's going on:

As part of the celebration, Funcom invites everyone who has ever played 'Anarchy Online' to join in the festivities between June 23rd and July 11th (regardless of current Membership status). New Membership offers, with brand new armor pieces, login rewards and the Desert Rider event are also part of the grand 15th anniversary celebration!

Included with the anniversary is an all new Game Update which changes the Player vs Player attack windows on Notum Tower fields, where players battle for dominance over the planet Rubi-Ka. The update also introduces a new Research Line for end-game players, with powerful skill increases, and adds new Veteran Shop rewards with bonus Veteran Points for existing members.