25 years of La Prisión: why we are still here

October 27, 2025

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of La Prisión, the Spanish MMO that left a lasting impression on us. On October 27, 2000, a virtual prison opened its doors and, against all odds and with the Internet still in its infancy, became a gathering place for thousands of players. Many of us who make up IMPRISONED today were there, learning to survive amid headcounts, clans, and legendary rivalries.

What La Prisión meant

La Prisión was one of the first MMORPGs made in Spain, set in a persistent world inside a hostile prison. Its concept was as unusual as it was bold: a multiplayer role-playing game where the “endgame” was prison life, not a dragon in a dungeon. That framework gave rise to a very recognizable mythology and dark humor—Carlito Brygante, Kaifas, Butcher Norton, Don Vitto Corlione—and a social design that forged stories both inside and outside the game.

Among its milestones, in addition to the community, is having maintained active service and updates for years, navigating phases with different operators, always with part of the original team on the front lines. It was a continuous learning experience for everyone: players, developers… and the press.

From “Reviving La Prisión” to IMPRISONED

Our project was born out of a desire to revive that magic. We soon realized that the right thing to do was to build a new game from scratch, using modern technology, inspired by the experience and lessons of La Prisión, but with no connection to the original product or its accounts or data. IMPRISONED is being developed by a team of passionate former players who balance this with our jobs and families. That’s why we’re taking it step by step, with regular testing and a lot of transparency.

What we’ve inherited and what we’re reimagining

• The setting: you’re still a prisoner in a persistent world where survival—and perhaps one day escaping—depends on your decisions and alliances.
• Social life: the game revolves around others. Clans, trade, betrayal, favors… that’s in its DNA.
• The technology: today we’re building IMPRISONED with Unreal Engine 5, which allows us to achieve next-gen graphics and bring the environments to life.
• Quality of life: inventory, body search, searchable areas, in-game maps, client builds, and iterative improvements… everything we’ve been showing in recent devblogs and community tests.

25 years later, thank you

To those of you who have been with us from the start and to those who have just joined us: thank you. Every piece of feedback on the forum and every conversation on Discord or Telegram helps us refine the design, prioritize systems, and identify what truly excites you as players.

The IMPRISONED Team:

We couldn’t wrap up this post without also mentioning the people who have dedicated time or resources to this project—without them, none of this would have been possible:

Programming Team:

• Javier Castro (Abreu)
• Jon Martínez (Jontxu)

SysAdmin:

• Jacinto Nicolás (Jota)

3D Design Team:

• Adrián Cuesta (Vrolok)
• José María Soriano (Mayduke)
• Tomás Pérez (Odipru)
• Marc Fernández (Stratos)
• Miguel Angel Carrillo (GMZeen)

Graphical User Interface (UI):

• Jonathan Durán (Urano)

Content and Community:

• Edu Bertrán (ZiKoPaTa)

Sound:

• Helder Borges (Xtuk)

If you think you can contribute to the project and would like to participate, I encourage you to get in touch with one of the admins.

How You Can Participate

If you’re not sure what you could contribute to the project, here’s a suggestion:

1. Tell us your story with La Prisión in the comments: your first clan? Your best betrayal? The clumsiest escape?
2. Suggest which elements of the “prison metagame” you’d like to see evolve in IMPRISONED (economy, contraband, trades, reputation…).
3. Join the tests when we announce them on the blog, the forum, Telegram, and Discord. Your participation shapes the project.
4. Share our project with your friends—that way, we’ll go even further!

We’re still working on it. We’re doing this for the game that brought us together, but above all for the people who made it possible. See you behind bars.

The IMPRISONED Team