It’s been confirmed today that Battleborn, the online MOBA-lite shooter from Gearbox, is shutting down its servers.
And that means there is no hope of reviving the games project when the new PS5 and Xbox Scarlett consoles are released.
There have been attempts in the past to build player numbers again among fans, although the lasting effects have not been enough to keep player numbers healthy.
But as many gamers will have learnt from the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One, developers are in the habit of porting titles for new consoles.
This happened with games like The Last of Us and GTA 5, and it’s expected to happen again with titles like Red Dead Redemption 2.
But it doesn’t sound like Battleborn will be getting another try on new hardware.
Instead, Gearbox announced today that they will start shutting down the game in 2020, followed by a complete server shutdown in 2021.
Some games in the past have looked to revive their fortunes on new hardware, and the porting of Fortnite Battle Royale to PS4 and Xbox was instrumental in its success.
The good news is that servers won’t be shut down in 2020 and will keep running for quite some time
And the ending of Battleborn will also free up more resources for the future, which no doubt includes new games for the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett.
A message from the Battleborn support team reads: “Today we have begun the process of gradually sunsetting Battleborn. Starting February 24, 2020, you will no longer be able to purchase virtual currency for use in the game.
“The game’s servers will remain active and the game will continue to be playable until January 2021. However, once servers are deactivated, Battleborn will no longer be playable.
“We’re extremely proud of the work that went into the game, and want to extend our deep appreciation to all the fans for their support. We’ll continue to provide updates on the sunsetting of the title when appropriate.”
Originally launched in 2016, Battleborn failed to carve out a longterm audience and suffered a large decline in players.
Much of this was down to the release of Blizzard’s Overwatch, which has gone on to spawn its own Overwatch eSports league.
According to Geabox, Battleborn has been removed from digital storefronts, with the team now “in the process of gradually sunsetting the game to focus our efforts and resources on other projects.
“So, what does that mean? At the moment, you won’t see any effect if you own a copy of the game.”
Here’s the current rundown of how the shutdown process for Battleborn will go:
- After February 24, 2020, you will no longer be able to purchase premium virtual currency (“Platinum”) for use in the game.
- The game’s servers will remain active, and the game will continue to be playable until January 2021.
- Once servers are deactivated, Battleborn will no longer be playable.
It should be noted that you can still spend any virtual currency you have in your account until the game’s servers shut down in 2021. And you can also still grind for it in the game, too, although directly purchasing will no longer be an option.
The game’s remaining players have tried to resurrect the game in the past, launching special events like Battleborn Day to try and boost its profile.
An online post in 2019 from one fan adds: “Can we all come together and get ideas/thoughts on how to revive this game, and then put those plans into action? I don’t know how we can do it, but I loved playing this game, and I’d love for it to become playable again.
“Let’s all come together and get it back! Especially with people leaving Overwatch in droves.”
But it looks like those remaining fans can rule out a possible port to the next-generation following today’s news.