Nexon’s multiplayer sword-based game, Warhaven, is set to shut down this Spring after seven months of early access on Steam. The news was announced through an official statement on Steam, where the development team expressed their regret at having to close the game’s live service operations. Despite initial plans for a console launch, the game failed to find a significant audience, and now the developers have made the difficult decision to cease its operations on April 5, 2024.
Warhaven was a multiplayer title that saw teams of players battling with various weapon-based classes and had the unique ability for players to transform into powerful Immortal characters once per match. The game launched into early access on Steam in September 2023, with plans for regular updates and events to fine-tune the gameplay experience. However, despite the efforts of the development team, Warhaven failed to attract a large player base, with the average user review score sitting at “Mixed” on Steam.
The game’s director, Eunseok Yi, had previously expressed enthusiasm for the game’s future, stating that 2024 would bring “great changes” to Warhaven. However, it seems that the game’s potential was never fully realized. Additionally, despite previous announcements about a planned release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the game never received a specific launch date for the console versions.
Warhaven’s shutdown comes amid a trend of free-to-play live-service games closing down in recent months. Games like Gundam Evolution and Rumbleverse also met similar fates, showcasing the challenges faced by developers in the constantly evolving gaming industry.
Overall, the closure of Warhaven raises questions about the sustainability of multiplayer live-service games, especially within the fiercely competitive gaming landscape. With an increasing number of titles vying for players’ attention, the fate of Warhaven serves as a cautionary reminder of the difficulty of achieving success in the highly volatile gaming market.