Why Are So Many Live-Service Games Shutting Down?

It’s no secret that these days, there seems to be an unending sea of live-service and free-to-play games released monthly. Each offers its own gimmick, though some really only end up being a one-trick pony that lives and dies by that single thing that makes it worthwhile.

So is it any surprise that we’re seeing a lot of live-service games given the kick in the pants over the last week? Well, the writing has seemingly been on the wall for a while now, and it’s just now that the whole industry is starting to feel it. But what does it come down to, and why are so many live-service games shutting down? Let’s discuss it!

Why Are So Many Live-Service Games Shutting Down?

The Beginning

Though live-service games may seem like a newer concept to some younger players or those just becoming more in the know of the industry, it’s something that’s been around for a long time. World of Warcraft is one of the larger live-service titles that’s stood the test of time and has laid the foundation for what we now know as the traditional live-service title.

It’s a market that’s grown and evolved a bit, depending on the genre and platforms that it’s aimed at. The unfortunate side though, is that most of the live-service games available don’t offer as big a scale of free-to-play content as WoW or any of the other MMORPGs like Genshin Impact or even DC Universe (yes, it’s still alive and kicking).

Live-Service is Bleeding

Over the last week, we’ve seen titles like Rumblverse, Knockout City, and Crossfire X get the trash bin, as well as a couple of mobile titles, including Apex Legends Mobile. While these closures may seem like a blindside lineup of shutdowns, the clues as to why they’re disappearing are right in front of us, with each having its own case.

CrossfireX was critically panned at its release and really never came back from that in the eyes of most players hyped for it. Though it’s a big hit in Asia, the game just wasn’t up to par with the likes of Call of Duty or even Destiny. Knockout City was a fun title at launch, but its dodgeball gimmicks never really became more than that. It’s just a casual game to play with friends, though most just never vibed with it and its events never caught any major buzz whatsoever.

Last but certainly not least is Rumbleverse. In all honesty, I knew when this game launched that it wouldn’t last forever. It’s yet another battle royale title that entered the market too little too late with a gimmick that just doesn’t seem very appetizing in the slightest. I can’t think of this game working in any part of the battle royale genre’s history so far, as its existence is pretty meaningless, only lasting several months. Yikes. These games aren’t the only ones to die though.

EA had the ill-fated Rocket Arena which was a boring arena shooter with the gimmick of flight (that was more hovering than anything), and Ubisoft had its vanilla battle royale game, Hyperscape. And these are just a couple of examples of games that didn’t work. Spellbound is another live-service game that’s closing in a couple of months, even with its unique wand-twirling action. I’d like to say that this is the last of the bunch, but that would be a lie, as there are just so many games similar to these that are still releasing. And it’s only a matter of time until they close too.

Though, not all live-service games suffer from the problems that these ones do. Aside from the larger, Warzones, Fortnites, and Destinys of the industry, there are some really charming smaller live-service games that are doing seemingly well. Super Animal Royale, Asphalt 9: Legends, and Fall Guys are all great titles that have player bases that actively play and keep the games’ servers alive.

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A Cultural Change

I think another problem with live-service games these days, free-to-play or not, is the fact that there’s just so much going on. Not only are there the games I’ve already mentioned that are free, but then there are the paid ones like Fallout 76, Evil Dead: The Game, Dying Light 2, The Division 2, and surprisingly, The Crew 2. So we also have games we paid for that are sending in new content over and over to keep us invested.

The competition is fierce for the live-service market of games, as each game needs to create a pull for players to keep returning. Whether that be due to a battle pass, in-game event, or new expansion. Coincidentally, I recently watched a video online by YouTuber Voxel, in which he talks about the disconnect that players are having due to live-service titles and the addictive nature of it all.

Whereas we used to play a single game with friends, over and over, there are so many games out now that we’re being pulled into different directions. As a direct result of this live-service model being thrown around with enticing measures like battle passes, some players just don’t have the same relationships with friends or other games because of it.

Though it seems like there are a lot more games released nowadays than 10 years ago, it’s the fact that most are multiplayer-driven that makes it seem as if there are just too many to play. There are much lesser single-player games released because publishers think they won’t make much money when compared to live-service titles. But as we know, live service isn’t always the better idea, because your games just die over time.

I mean, Back 4 Blood is ending development and players are genuinely scared of it. But why? Left 4 Dead only got DLC once in a while. Why does ending the development of a game spell death these days? If you ask me, I personally don’t really enjoy paid games being treated to the same degree as free-to-play, even though the live-service format can have benefits in addition to those negatives.

Is the Live-Service Market Changing?

It’s really hard to get past the Marvel’s Avengers type of games of the industry, as it makes players feel as if the publishers and developers don’t care if you paid good money for them. But it does seem as if this aspect of the industry may be moving toward a more rounded balance.

Square Enix saw that Avengers doesn’t work and these gimmicky free-to-play games from big publishers and small, unless genre-flipping, just won’t seem to stick so well when the market is flooded. Though I will hold my breath for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

In the case of Apex Legends Mobile though, it’s more of an anomaly. The game was really good as a mobile battle royale title. I think the problem with it though is that there was no cross-progression with the standard version of the game, making it a total waste and grind for those already well-established on major platformers already.

This is an issue EA needs to solve on all gaming platforms though, as there’s no cross-progression whatsoever. It honestly makes them look a bit cheap seeing as most live-service titles these days are doing cross-progression very well.

In Closing

So at the end of the day, the reason why these games are shutting down is because of the fact that the game just isn’t any good. If the publisher isn’t making money off of a game due to the flooded market, I see that as a good thing because fresher games could come out of it. At this point with live service games, there are just copies upon copies of the same thing. So if you’re putting out the weaker version of something people are playing, that means that you’re going to fail. Sorry.

But that’s really all to say. At least, that’s why we think so many of the liver-service games are shutting down lately. If you liked this and want to hear more opinions of games that are shutting down, then check out content like, “Platinum Games CEO Speaks on the Failure of Babylon’s Fall”. And be sure to like Gamer Journalist on Facebook if you want to see even more content like this in the future.