Overview of the Shutdown
Free-to-play 3v3 shooter, Spectre Divide, is set to close its servers just six months after its initial launch in September 2024 and only weeks following its release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. This unfortunate news comes with the announcement that its developer, Mountaintop Studios, will also be shutting down.
Official Statement from Mountaintop Studios
Nate Mitchell, the CEO of Mountaintop Studios, confirmed the closure in a heartfelt statement shared on social media. “Unfortunately, the Season 1 launch hasn’t achieved the level of success we needed to sustain the game and keep Mountaintop afloat,” he explained.
The Initial Reception
Initially, the team was hopeful after the game’s debut, reporting an impressive influx of around 400,000 players within the first week. The peak concurrent player count reached approximately 10,000 across all platforms. However, the excitement was short-lived.
Challenges Faced by the Team
As time progressed, the number of active players began to dwindle, leading to insufficient revenue to cover the ongoing operational costs of both Spectre Divide and the studio itself. Mitchell elaborated, “Since the PC launch, we stretched our remaining capital as far as we could, but at this point, we’re out of funding to support the game.”
The team explored various avenues to maintain operations, including seeking a publisher, additional investment, and potential acquisition. Unfortunately, these efforts did not yield the necessary results. Mitchell noted, “The industry is in a tough spot right now.”
Timeline for Shutdown and Player Refunds
Spectre Divide is scheduled to go offline within the next 30 days. In a move to support its community, the studio has announced that any money spent by players since the release of Season 1 will be refunded.
Contradictory Statements and Industry Context
This closure comes as a stark contrast to previous reports from October 2024, where Mitchell had assured fans that “the servers aren’t shutting down, and the updates aren’t going to stop.” At that time, he had maintained that Mountaintop had “the funds to support Spectre for a long time.”
The quick demise of Spectre Divide follows a troubling trend in the gaming industry, where several live-service games have recently failed, including Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Sony’s Concord.
Conclusion
Despite its promising start and innovative gameplay mechanics, such as the unique Duality system that allowed players to control two characters simultaneously, Spectre Divide will soon become another casualty of the competitive gaming landscape.
For those interested in the latest updates and insights about the gaming world, stay tuned for further developments.
