We have no plan to shutdown the public servers.
Adding the option for players to run their own worlds and universe is something that we’ve spoken about since the very beginning of Boundless.
Everyone in the community today wanted an online and shared experience. The configuration of the game selected for this.
With the addition of a single player / self hosted option we hope that it will help attract a broader range of players, especially those turned off by an only-online option. Once they have experienced the game alone we hope they will give the public universe a try, and hopefully they will grow to love it.