All articles tagged with #live service game
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt, a battle royale game for PS5, will be shut down on April 26, 2026, after being supported for four years since its release in 2022, despite mixed reviews and a dedicated but small player base.
Marvel Rivals, a live-service multiplayer game from NetEase, has experienced an 85% drop in players within 10 months, raising concerns about its long-term viability amid rapid content updates and stiff competition in the genre.
Warner Bros. Games is developing a new high-quality AAA live-service game based on an iconic IP from the DC Comics catalog, despite the previous flop of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and recent studio layoffs, indicating a strategic shift towards major franchises like DC, Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones.
Destiny 2's latest update, The Edge of Fate, marks the end of the Light and Darkness saga, with significant changes including a smaller game scale, new planetary zone, streamlined gear system, and a shift in story focus towards the mysterious Nine. The update reflects Bungie's efforts to adapt to a smaller studio and evolving player base, aiming to retain core players while attracting new ones, amidst a quieter, more micro-managed era for the game.
Remedy Entertainment's FBC: Firebreak, which had a rough launch, is set to receive improvements based on player feedback, including better onboarding, easier access to jobs and unlockables, and overall gameplay enhancements through recent patches, with more updates planned to improve the player experience.
Arrowhead Game Studios' CEO Johan Pilestedt acknowledges the challenges of balancing bug fixes with new content in Helldivers 2, emphasizing the necessity to do both to stay competitive in the gaming industry. The studio, facing community feedback about bugs and crashes, aims to find a balance between addressing issues and delivering new content, recognizing the strain on their small team. Pilestedt highlights the difficulty of managing a live service game and the need for resources to facilitate this balance, emphasizing the demanding nature of maintaining a successful live service title like Helldivers 2.
Helldivers 2 players have reported sightings of a potential return of the faction, The Illuminate, despite the game's director and studio denying its existence. Footage and testimonies on the game's subreddit suggest the presence of mysterious blue beams, sparking speculation about the faction's comeback. The Illuminate was a major enemy in the first game, known for their psychic abilities and religious zealotry. The game's director and studio have dismissed these claims as anti-democratic lies, but sightings continue to be reported, hinting at a new threat in the game's future updates.
Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League, a $70 triple-A game, is now 40% off on Steam just over a month after its release, with Season 1 set to bring a playable version of the Joker. The steep discount, unusual for big budget triple-A games, comes after Warner Bros labeled the game a "disappointment" and aims to attract more players before the new season. Despite challenges in the oversaturated live service market, the game's discounted price may still be too high for some, as it struggles to compete with its own decade-old single-player counterparts in terms of player count.
The release date for the first season of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League featuring an alternate universe version of the Joker has been announced for March 28, following a two-month period without significant updates. The delay of the Joker season suggests potential rushed development, with the game facing issues such as gamebreaking bugs, lack of balance patches, and dwindling player population, making it uncertain whether the new content will be enough to revive player interest.
A month after its release, Helldivers 2 has seen increased sales and positive word of mouth, but the question of its longevity remains. A poll is being conducted to gauge the game's staying power among players, with initial responses and user ratings indicating a positive reception. Players are encouraged to participate in the poll and share their reasons for continuing to play or not.
Helldivers 2's D&D-inspired meta war has united players in a galactic-scale RPG, with the game's dynamic shifting frontlines and unfolding storylines capturing the imagination of its community. The game's intentional Dungeons & Dragons influence, complete with a full-time dungeon master, has created a sense of authenticity and ownership for both the developer and players, fostering commitment and community. This commitment has led to a wide-reaching online phenomenon, with memes, propaganda videos, and enthusiastic analysis flooding social media. Beneath the galactic war, Helldivers 2's satisfying co-op shooter mechanics and steady progression system keep the game consistently fun, elevating it beyond its mechanical brilliance.
Warner Bros. Games expresses disappointment with the performance of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, stating that the live-service shooter fell short of expectations since its release, with barely 1,000 players on Steam. The game, developed by Rocksteady, has not met the company's anticipated success compared to Hogwarts Legacy. While the endgame plans and new playable characters may offer hope, the game currently struggles to deliver fulfilling gameplay and faces challenges in meeting financial benchmarks.
Arrowhead Game Studios, the developer of Helldivers 2, is hiring more staff to work on the game following its successful launch. The CEO announced plans to expand the team and content, with the game surpassing 200,000 concurrent users on Steam and becoming the most successful PlayStation Studios game on PC. The company currently employs over 100 people and is seeking additional developers to accelerate their content plans for the live service game.
Ubisoft's upcoming game Skull and Bones, which has been in production for a long time, is set to release with a $70 price tag, justifying it as a "quadruple-A" experience. Despite being billed as a live, ongoing game, the upfront cost has raised questions about the value proposition, especially with the addition of microtransactions and battle passes. The game's success and player reception will be closely watched following its launch next week.
Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot has described the long-awaited pirate ship game Skull and Bones as a "quadruple-A" live-service project, justifying its £70 price tag by emphasizing its vast and complete nature, as well as its support for a battle pass, premium currency, and in-game store. After an 11-year development period and multiple delays, the game is set to launch on February 16 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with an open beta available until February 12.