Steel Hunters, a live-service mech shooter from Wargaming, will be shutting down just three months after its early access launch. The decision follows mixed reviews and a peak player count of only 4,479. In an announcement via its Steam blog, the developer expressed disappointment and gratitude towards its community, noting that servers will remain operational until around October 8th. Players will have access to all Hunters and new custom game support in the meantime. A farewell tournament is planned to celebrate the game's journey, although Steel Hunters struggled to compete with more successful titles in the genre.
Why are so many live-service games shutting down recently?The increasing difficulty of sustaining player engagement and competition against established titles has led many live-service games, like Steel Hunters, to face shutdowns shortly after launch. Developers often struggle to carve out a dedicated player base, which ultimately affects their sustainability in the crowded gaming market.
Steel Hunters was aimed at a niche audience with its futuristic mech combat but faced stiff competition from other games like Mecha Break, which achieved much higher player counts. This highlights the challenges new live-service titles encounter when trying to establish themselves in a saturated market where established franchises dominate.
Comments
It’s wild how quickly the live-service landscape is thinning out—guess even a big name like Wargaming couldn’t crack the code. At least they’re handling the shutdown with some class, though that player count is a tough pill to swallow.
Mech games feel like they’re stuck in a cycle of hype and heartbreak lately, but props to the devs for giving players a proper sendoff. Maybe next time, a stronger hook could’ve kept the gears turning longer.
Oof, another live-service game bites the dust—seems like the mech genre is especially brutal right now. At least they’re going out with a farewell tournament instead of just pulling the plug.
Man, it’s rough out here for new live-service games when even Wargaming can’t keep one afloat. Maybe the lesson is to focus on polish over pumping out another shooter in an oversaturated market.