Terms of Use

Overview

Welcome to Oriented Pain Studio! These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our games (including Ancient World Online and any future titles), websites, forums, community features, and related services (collectively, the “Services”).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE TERMS CONTAIN A BINDING ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND A CLASS ACTION WAIVER, WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.

By accessing, installing, playing, or using any of our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not access or use the Services.

1. Violation of Terms of Use

Oriented Pain Studio reserves the right to take any legally permissible corrective action, in our sole discretion, for any violation of these Terms or any other policies we publish (including, but not limited to, our Operation Policy and Security Guide). The specific type and severity of corrective action will depend on the nature and severity of the violation.

Corrective actions may include, but are not limited to:

• Issuing a warning.
• Temporarily suspending your account.
• Permanently terminating your account.
• Removing or reversing virtual items, currency, or other in-game assets from your account.
• Removing or modifying User Content.
• Temporarily or permanently banning your access to specific game features or services.
• Reporting your activity to law enforcement if we believe it violates applicable laws.

You acknowledge that Oriented Pain Studio is not obligated to provide you with a refund or compensation for any virtual items, currency, or other assets lost due to corrective action taken in accordance with these Terms.

2. Eligibility and Account

2.1. Age Restriction: The Game is intended for players who are at least eighteen (18) years of age or older. By accessing or using the Game, you represent and warrant that you are 18 years of age or older, or that you are a legal adult in your country of residence, and you agree to these Terms on your own behalf. If you are not 18 years of age or older, you are prohibited from using the Game.

2.2. Account Creation: To play Ancient World Online, you will primarily create an account through third-party platforms like Steam. While the account may be linked to your platform account, your use of the Game is still governed by these Terms. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account login information and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify Oriented Pain Studio immediately of any unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with these obligations.

2.3. Account Responsibility: You agree that you are solely responsible for all activities that occur under your account, whether or not you authorized such activities. You may not share, sell, transfer, or allow any other person to use your account.

3. License to Use the Game

3.1. Limited License: Subject to your agreement to and compliance with these Terms, Oriented Pain Studio grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access, download, install, and play the Game (including its client software and any updates, collectively “Software”) for your personal, non-commercial entertainment purposes. You are authorized to make additional copies of the Software only for your personal use or for backup purposes, consistent with this license.

3.2. Ownership of Software: The Software is the copyrighted property of Oriented Pain Studio or is licensed by Oriented Pain Studio from its copyright holders. You acknowledge that Oriented Pain Studio is the owner of the Software for copyright purposes and for all other intellectual property rights anywhere in the world, and you agree that Oriented Pain Studio retains all rights which such laws grant to the owner. All rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by Oriented Pain Studio.

3.3. Restrictions: You agree not to, and will not permit any third party to:

•  Copy, modify, alter, or create derivative works of the Game, the Software, its content, or any part thereof.
• Distribute, rent, lease, lend, sell, or otherwise transfer the Game, Software, or your rights to use them.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Game or Software, or any part thereof.
• Use any unauthorized third-party software, bots, cheats, hacks, mods, or automation tools that modify or interfere with the Game’s operation, the Software, or grant you an unfair advantage.
• Access or use the Game or Software in any way not expressly permitted by these Terms.

4. Software Warranty

ANY SOFTWARE (INCLUDING THE GAME CLIENT AND ITS UPDATES) WHICH YOU OBTAIN FROM ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO IS SUBJECT ONLY TO THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES, IF ANY, PROVIDED IN ANY SEPARATE SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT ACCOMPANYING THAT SOFTWARE. ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY ANY APPLICABLE LAWS, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, QUALITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND TITLE. THIS SOFTWARE WARRANTY IS NOT SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION BY COURSE OF OF DEALING, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE.

5. Virtual Items and Currency

5.1. No Real World Value: The Game may include virtual items (e.g., cosmetic items, gear, boosts) and may offer in-app purchases of such items. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT VIRTUAL ITEMS AND ANY VIRTUAL CURRENCY HAVE NO MONETARY VALUE, CANNOT BE EXCHANGED FOR REAL MONEY OR REAL GOODS OR SERVICES, AND ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE OUTSIDE OF THE GAME’S OFFICIAL SYSTEMS. They are merely a limited, personal, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to use digital content within the Game.

5.2. Purchases Final: All purchases of virtual items and in-app purchases are final and non-refundable, except as required by applicable law.

5.3. No Responsibility for External Transactions: Oriented Pain Studio is not responsible for and does not recognize any purported transfers, sales, or trades of virtual items or currency that occur outside the Game’s official systems. Any such activities are strictly prohibited and may result in the suspension or termination of your account. We are not responsible for any scams, losses, or damages incurred as a result of such unauthorized external transactions.

6. User-Generated Content (UGC)

6.1. Your Content: Any content you create, transmit, upload, or submit within or through the Game, including but not limited to chat messages, forum posts, character names, guild names, or in-game designs (collectively, “User Content”), is your sole responsibility.

6.2. License to Oriented Pain Studio: By submitting User Content, you grant Oriented Pain Studio a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, non-exclusive, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display such User Content in connection with the operation, promotion, and improvement of the Game and our business. This license includes, but is not limited to, using your User Content in marketing materials, trailers, social media posts, and for internal development purposes.

6.3. Gameplay Sharing: You may create and share videos, livestreams, or other content of your gameplay of Ancient World Online on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, etc., provided that such content complies with these Terms and any other policies we may publish. While you retain ownership of your original creative expression in such external content, you acknowledge that you are using our intellectual property (the Game) and grant us a license to use your shared gameplay content for promotional purposes of the Game.

6.4. Prohibited User Content:

• You agree not to create, upload, post, transmit, or otherwise make available any User Content that: 
• Is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, or racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable.
• Infringes upon any intellectual property rights (including copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets) or other proprietary rights of any third party.
• Violates any privacy or publicity rights.
• Contains viruses, corrupted data, or any other harmful, disruptive, or destructive files or code.
• Constitutes unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, “junk mail,” “spam,” “chain letters,” “pyramid schemes,” or any other form of solicitation.
• Impersonates any person or entity, or falsely states or otherwise misrepresents your affiliation with a person or entity.

6.5. Monitoring and Removal: We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor, review, edit, remove, or disable access to any User Content at our sole discretion, without notice, for any reason or no reason, including if we believe it violates these Terms.

7. Prohibited Conduct

You agree that you will not, under any circumstances:

• Engage in cheating, hacking, exploiting bugs or glitches, or using any unauthorized third-party software, tools, or applications that modify or interfere with the Game’s operation or grant you an unfair advantage.
• Engage in any form of “botting” or automated gameplay.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Game, other players’ accounts, or our computer systems or networks connected to the Game.
• Interfere with or disrupt the Game’s servers or networks, or violate any requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of networks connected to the Game.
• Engage in data mining, scraping, or otherwise collecting information about players or the Game without our express written consent.
• Harass, abuse, stalk, threaten, or defame other players or our personnel.
• Post or transmit any content that is libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, offensive, or otherwise violates any law or right of any third party.
   
• Impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, a Oriented Pain Studio employee, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity.
• Use the Game for any illegal purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law.
• Engage in any activity that is disruptive or detrimental to the enjoyment of the Game by other players.

Consequences of Prohibited Conduct: Any violation of these Terms, particularly Section 1, may result in immediate and permanent termination of your account, temporary suspension, removal of in-game items or currency, or other disciplinary actions, as determined by Oriented Pain Studio in its sole discretion. More detailed information on prohibited conduct and consequences will be available in our separate “Operation Policy” page.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1. Our Ownership: All rights, title, and interest in and to the Game and Services (including, but not limited to, the Software, client and server code, gameplay, themes, sounds, music, characters, character names, object names, account information, artwork, animation, dialogue from both users and computer-generated characters, moral rights, trademarks, service marks, logos, and all other content) are owned by Oriented Pain Studio or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws.

8.2. No Ownership Interest by User: You acknowledge and agree that you have no ownership interest in the Game, your account, any characters, virtual items, or virtual currency. Your access to and use of these are governed by the limited license granted herein. Oriented Pain Studio can, in its sole discretion, prohibit and is not obligated to recognize as valid any purported sale, trade, barter, or other exchange of the right to a Character, an item, a User Account, or any other aspect of the Game or Services, outside of official systems we may provide.

8.3. Restrictions: You may not use any of Oriented Pain Studio’s intellectual property without our express written consent. More specific details regarding intellectual property and licensing will be provided in a separate “License Page.“

9. Disclaimers

THE GAME AND ALL RELATED SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ACCURACY.

ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE GAME OR SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THE GAME OR THE SERVERS THAT MAKE IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE GAME OR SERVICES IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO, ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES), EVEN IF ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH:

• THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE GAME OR SERVICES;
   
• THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION, OR SERVICES OBTAINED OR MESSAGES RECEIVED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH OR FROM THE GAME OR SERVICES;
• UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA;
• STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE GAME OR SERVICES; OR
   
• ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE GAME OR SERVICES.

IN NO EVENT SHALL ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO’S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY AND ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE GAME EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO (IF ANY) IN THE SIX (6) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE OF THE CLAIM, OR ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. ACCORDINGLY, SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Oriented Pain Studio, its affiliates, licensors, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, expenses, and fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or in any way related to:

• Your use of, or activities in connection with, the Game or Services.
• Your violation of these Terms.
• Your User Content.
• Your violation of any rights of another person or entity.

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

12.1. Governing Law: These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or related to these Terms, the Game, or the Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, USA, without regard to its conflict of laws principles.

12.2. Informal Resolution: Most concerns can be resolved by contacting our support at law@orientedpainstudio.com. We encourage you to contact us directly to seek a resolution before pursuing any other action.

12.3. Binding Arbitration: IF WE CANNOT RESOLVE A DISPUTE THROUGH INFORMAL MEANS, YOU AND ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO AGREE TO RESOLVE ANY AND ALL DISPUTES OR CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS, THE GAME, OR THE SERVICES (EXCEPT FOR CLAIMS RELATING TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, AS DEFINED BELOW) THROUGH BINDING ARBITRATION. This means that you and Oriented Pain Studio are waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action. The arbitration will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules and, if applicable, the Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes. The arbitration will take place in [Specify City/County in Texas, e.g., Austin, Travis County, Texas], or at another mutually agreed location. The arbitrator’s decision will be binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

12.4. Exceptions to Arbitration:

• Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following disputes are not subject to arbitration and may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction:
• Claims seeking to enforce or protect, or concerning the validity of, any of your or Oriented Pain Studio’s intellectual property rights (such as copyrights, trademarks, patents, or trade secrets).
• Claims brought in small claims court, if the requirements of the small claims court are met.

12.5. NO CLASS ACTIONS: YOU AND ORIENTED PAIN STUDIO AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

13. Purchases, Payments, and Subscriptions

13.1. General Payment Terms: All purchases related to Ancient World Online, including the base game, downloadable content (DLC), subscriptions, and virtual items (e.g., cosmetic items), are processed exclusively through third-party platforms such as Steam and Epic Games Store. By making any purchase, you agree to comply with the terms and conditions, including payment processing and refund policies, of the respective platform in addition to these Terms. Oriented Pain Studio is not a payment processor and does not directly handle your sensitive payment information.

13.2. Virtual Items and Downloadable Content (DLC):

• The Game may include virtual items (e.g., cosmetic items) and offer downloadable content (e.g., map extensions, new races) for purchase.
• No Real World Value: YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT VIRTUAL ITEMS AND ANY VIRTUAL CURRENCY (IF APPLICABLE) HAVE NO MONETARY VALUE, CANNOT BE EXCHANGED FOR REAL MONEY OR REAL GOODS OR SERVICES, AND ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE OUTSIDE OF THE GAME’S OFFICIAL SYSTEMS. They are merely a limited, personal, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to use digital content within the Game.
• Purchases Final: Unless otherwise stated herein or required by applicable law, all purchases of virtual items and DLC are final and non-refundable.
• No Responsibility for External Transactions: Oriented Pain Studio is not responsible for and does not recognize any purported transfers, sales, or trades of virtual items or currency that occur outside the Game’s official systems. Any such activities are strictly prohibited and may result in the suspension or termination of your account. We are not responsible for any scams, losses, or damages incurred as a result of such unauthorized external transactions.

13.3. Subscriptions:

• Ancient World Online requires a mandatory recurring subscription after an initial free period to continue playing the Game.
• Free Trial: Your initial purchase of the Game grants you one (1) month of free subscription access. This free period begins upon your first login to the Game.
• Subscription Activation: After the initial free month, your continued access to the Game will require an active subscription. You will be prompted by the respective platform (Steam, Epic Games Store) to subscribe.
• Auto-Renewal: Subscriptions purchased through the platforms typically auto-renew unless canceled. You are solely responsible for managing your subscription preferences and cancellations directly through your account settings on the respective platform (e.g., Steam account, Epic Games account). Please refer to the platform’s documentation for specific instructions on how to manage and cancel subscriptions.
• Billing: Subscription fees will be billed in advance on a recurring basis (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually) by the platform, based on the available subscription options.
• No Refunds for Subscription Periods: Unless otherwise required by applicable law or the specific refund policy of the platform through which you subscribed, subscription fees are non-refundable for the current billing period once it has commenced. Cancellation of a subscription will take effect at the end of the then-current billing period.
• Changes to Subscription Fees: Oriented Pain Studio reserves the right to change subscription fees at any time. Any such change will be communicated through our official channels (website, in-game announcements, platform news) at least thirty (30) days in advance of any renewal, allowing you to cancel your subscription if you do not agree to the new fees.

13.4. Refund Policy:

• Refunds for the base game, downloadable content, and subscriptions are subject to both Oriented Pain Studio’s policies as outlined in these Terms and the applicable refund policies of the platform (e.g., Steam, Epic Games Store) through which the purchase was made. For specific details on platform-specific refund eligibility and processes, please consult the respective platform’s refund policy (e.g., Steam Refund Policy, Epic Games Store Refund Policy).

14. Health and Safety Disclaimer

In rare circumstances, some individuals may suffer adverse physical, emotional, or mental injury from the use of computers and online gaming systems. This can include, but is not limited to, seizures (which can be mild or very serious), nausea, dizziness, eye strain, and repetitive strain injuries. Some people also claim that they have become emotionally or psychologically dependent on gaming. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY UNUSUAL MEDICAL SYMPTOMS OR DISCOMFORT WHILE PLAYING ANCIENT WORLD ONLINE, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY DISCONTINUE USING THE GAME AND CONSULT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. You agree that Oriented Pain Studio is not responsible for any such medical symptoms or conditions.

15. International Use and Compliance

The Game and Services are accessible through the internet on a worldwide basis. However, Oriented Pain Studio does not warrant or represent that the Game or Services are fully compliant, or will remain fully compliant, with legal requirements in every geographic location or jurisdiction. Usage of the Game or Services from any geographic location where they are not fully compliant with local legal requirements constitutes a violation of these Terms. You are solely responsible for ensuring your use of the Game and Services complies with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, and for the payment of any taxes, fines, or penalties which are owed to any governmental authority as a result of your usage of the Game or Services.

16. No Promise of Editing or Monitoring

While Oriented Pain Studio employees may, from time to time, undertake to monitor, supervise, and handle violations of these Terms and apply other standards to enhance the enjoyable use of the Game and Services, Oriented Pain Studio does not and cannot ensure that all inappropriate user speech and conduct will be noted, reviewed, or dealt with. All users must assume that they will, from time to time, encounter communications or conduct which they might find offensive, annoying, or even illegal. You should only use the Game and Services if you are willing to assume responsibility for any consequences which might result from exposure to such communications and conduct, whether by you or by any person to whom you have provided access to the Game and Services.

17. Updates to Terms

Oriented Pain Studio reserves the right to modify or revise these Terms at any time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated Terms on our website, in-game announcements, and/or through platform news outlets like Steam. Your continued use of the Game or Services after the effective date of the revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Game and Services.

18. Termination

Oriented Pain Studio has the right to refuse to provide services to any person or entity, and may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Game and Services, in whole or in part, at any time, for any legally permissible reason, whether or not there has been a breach of the express terms of these Terms or for any conduct that we, in our sole discretion, deem unacceptable or harmful to the Game, other players, or Oriented Pain Studio. Such actions may be taken with or without notice.

19. General Provisions

19.1. Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other policies referenced herein (e.g., Operation Policy, Security Guide, License Page), constitute the entire agreement between you and Oriented Pain Studio regarding your use of the Game and Services.

19.2. Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

19.3. No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of such right or provision.

19.4. Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. Any attempt by you to assign or transfer these Terms, without such consent, will be null and void. Oriented Pain Studio may freely assign or transfer these Terms without restriction.