#live-service
7 article(s)
Aliens Fireteam Elite 2: Studio Hit With Layoffs Right After Launch
Cold Iron Studios just released Aliens Fireteam Elite 2, and parent company EG7 is immediately cutting staff. The timing raises serious questions about the viability of the live-service model when shareholders trim headcount just as post-launch support should ramp up. It's a signal that raises real doubts about trusting studios dependent on corporate funding.
Marathon: Bungie Relents, Promises Permanent PvE Mode
Bungie breaks its silence on Marathon, its highly anticipated extraction shooter—and highly criticized one. The studio acknowledges the problems, announces major updates, and most importantly, confirms a permanent PvE mode is coming. This shift changes the game for players who refused to dive into pure PvP. The question remains whether this promise is enough to reunite a community already burned by months of muddled communication.
Horizon Hunters Gathering Scraps Live-Service Model After Failed Testing
Jason Schreier reveals that Guerrilla is planning a radical pivot for Horizon Hunters Gathering: the multiplayer project announced for early 2026 would abandon its live-service model after predominantly negative feedback from testers. It's a strong signal about the state of the market, but above all about Sony's willingness to accept early failure rather than double down on a doomed direction. This pivot deserves closer examination.
Ghost Recon Wildlands Returns with Surprise 2026 Update
Nine years after launch, Ghost Recon Wildlands is getting a free update with new content and visual improvements. At Ubisoft, which is pouring resources into Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, this move looks less like a planned comeback and more like a gesture to a loyal player base. The real question is what this concretely means for the game and what Ubisoft is actually trying to prove.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 Bows Out with Final DLC
On July 8, 2026, Bandai Namco rolls out Future Saga Chapter 4, the last major expansion for Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. Ten years of post-launch content comes to an end. The real question isn't what this DLC adds, but what the end of such extensive support signals for a franchise built on longevity—and what Bandai Namco has in store next.
Destiny Was Never Profitable: The Bitter End of a Franchise
Twelve years after launch, the Destiny franchise shuts down without ever achieving stable profits. The revelation closes the book decisively: Bungie kept a structurally unprofitable live service alive for a decade, paying the price through waves of layoffs and gradual absorption by Sony. For players who invested thousands of hours in their Guardians, the question is no longer how to mourn the game — it's how a franchise this visible managed to operate at a loss for so long.
Dead by Daylight at 10: How an Unlikely Game Invented an Entire Genre
A decade after its chaotic launch, Dead by Daylight still reigns unchallenged in asymmetrical multiplayer gaming. This isn't accident or default longevity—it's the result of a radical economic model, brutally honest community relations, and an ability to absorb pop culture without dissolving into it. A look back at ten years of a game that set the rules for a genre no one else has managed to dethrone.