The XNA runtime environment is being retired by Microsoft, the company has revealed. The goal of XNA was to enable easier development of games on Microsoft platforms, such as Xbox 360 and PC. XNA Game Studio helped aspiring indie developers release games via the Xbox Live Indie Games channel.

"XNA Game Studio remains a supported toolset for developing games for Xbox 360, Windows and Windows Phone," a Microsoft representative told Polygon. "Many developers have found financial success creating Xbox LIVE Indie Games using XNA. However, there are no plans for future versions of the XNA product." The program will be retired on April 1st, 2014.

Read more: XBLIG threatened? »

Like the game that inspired it, FortressCraft for the Xbox Live Indie Games Channel is continuing to update and add new features. The game just releases 1.1 Alpha, with several new features and a few more promised on the way.

The update adds eight new light channels, doors, and a copy and paste function for building. The landscape also now includes trees, and players can choose a climate like tropical, alpine, desert, or grassy plains.

Read more: Fight, Protect, Survive mode being tested »