Live Service Games
Ongoing coverage on Live Service Games.
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Marathon Review – Runner’s High
Marathon offers an engaging extraction shooter experience with tight gunplay and a compelling mystery, despite some UI and reward system drawbacks. The game's rogue-like narrative structure and faction-based progression encourage repeated runs, even after significant gear loss. While not for everyone, its unique blend of tactical gameplay and unpredictable encounters makes it a fun, albeit punishing, experience.
Dead By Daylight devs reckon the game has 'at least' another 10 years in it
Behaviour Interactive believes Dead By Daylight has at least another decade of life, citing its successful evolution as a live service game. Developers Dave Richard and Mathieu Cote discussed the game's longevity and its ability to retain players over time, even as new content like battle passes were introduced years after launch.
Marvel Rivals Developers Discuss Their Approach to Sustaining a Live-Service Shooter
Developers from NetEase Games and Marvel Games discussed their approach to sustaining Marvel Rivals as a live-service hero shooter. They emphasized building a strong foundation with Marvel's team-based storytelling, early community engagement, and a focus on core shooter mechanics. The team highlighted the importance of player feedback and regular content updates, including seasonal events and new game modes, to maintain player interest and evolve the game.
Arc Raiders' devs didn't expect such a passionate PvE-only crowd
Embark production director Caio Braga discussed how Arc Raiders players have shown a more cooperative PvE-focused behavior than anticipated, contrasting with internal playtests that leaned towards more violent player interactions. The developers noted the surprise of this 'friendly lobby' phenomenon within the extraction genre, where players often prefer to team up against AI enemies.
Larry Hryb joins Commodore International Corporation as community development consultant
A Newzoo report indicates a significant lack of overlap between players of Roblox and Minecraft and those who play traditional AAA titles like Assassin's Creed: Shadows. These younger players are more likely to engage with live service games such as Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V, or games that resemble Roblox experiences. This trend raises questions about the future evolution of the gaming audience and the market for AAA games.
Roblox and Minecraft players are less likely to play traditional AAA video games
A Newzoo report indicates that players of Roblox and Minecraft have significantly less overlap with traditional AAA game audiences compared to live service titles like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto V. This trend is attributed to a shift away from graphical fidelity as a primary driver of popularity and the younger demographic's preference for free-to-play models. The analysis questions whether these players will transition to AAA games as they age or continue to favor sandbox and live service experiences.
The first thing Arc Raiders' devs did during its extraction pivot was to reduce the speed of everything by 60%: 'All the craft that was in the game was kind of background noise'
Embark Studios significantly altered the core gameplay of Arc Raiders by reducing player movement speed by 60%, shifting from a fast-paced boss-killing focus to a more deliberate experience. This change, inspired by their work on The Finals and previous PvP titles, aimed to make player actions more impactful and less like background noise.
This Week's Meager Destiny 2 Update Leaves Fans Feeling Like the Franchise is at Its Lowest Ebb Yet, While Bungie Focuses on Trying to Make Marathon a Success - IGN
Destiny 2 players are expressing frustration over a minimal update while developer Bungie appears to be prioritizing its new game, Marathon. The latest patch for Destiny 2 contained only a single fix, and the game's next major update, Shadow and Order, has been delayed by three months. This situation has led to concerns about the future of Destiny 2, especially following reports of underperformance and a shrinking player base.
Roblox And Minecraft Players Don't Really Care About "Traditionally Good" AAA Games, Study Finds
A study by data firm NewZoo suggests that players of Roblox and Minecraft are less interested in traditional AAA games with high-fidelity graphics. These players are more likely to engage with popular live-service titles like Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Call of Duty, indicating a shift in player preferences away from graphical realism.
The Live-Service Graveyard Just Added Another Fortnite-Like Shooter
The live-service shooter Hawked will be shutting down its servers later this year, with developer My.Games disabling all in-game purchases. PC servers will close on June 9, while console servers will remain operational until September 7. The game, which launched in 2023 for PC and in 2024 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, struggled to maintain player numbers in a competitive market.
Highguard Officially Shuts Down, Joins Concord in Digital Graveyard
Highguard has officially shut down, with its servers going offline on March 12th and the game being delisted from all digital storefronts including Steam and PlayStation 5. The closure of this live service game is being compared to the similar fate of Concord, highlighting concerns about game preservation and the disposable nature of online-only titles in the industry.
10 years later, one of the only live-service horror games still standing learned how to win the "hellish" attention war: "We didn't create a live game. We created a game that sort of lived"
Behaviour Interactive is celebrating 10 years of Dead by Daylight, a live-service horror game that has managed to maintain player attention. Creative director Dave Richard and head of partnership Mathieu Cote attribute their success not to creating a 'live game' from the start, but to developing a game that 'lived' and was then supported and grown over time.
Highguard Joins the Great Concord in the Sky, Now Officially Delisted on PS5
Highguard has been officially delisted from digital storefronts and is no longer playable as developer Wildlight Entertainment shuts down the game. The free-to-play online multiplayer shooter, from developers who worked on Apex Legends and Titanfall, failed to gain traction and is shutting down just 45 days after its launch. This marks a significant failure for Wildlight Entertainment, which also had to lay off a majority of its staff shortly after Highguard's release due to its lack of success.
Marvel Rivals Drops Seamless Patch Today With Zero Downtime & Much-Needed Fixes
Marvel Rivals successfully deployed a patch on March 12th with zero server downtime, a rarity for live service games. The update includes new character cosmetic bundles and addresses several significant bugs, including issues with the Punisher's proficiency display, Rogue's costume, controller remapping on consoles, and Hulk's communication during abilities. The developers' transparent and character-focused patch notes have been praised for their approach to community communication and respect for player time.
"UESC is still a menace, don't worry" - Marathon community debates PvE nerfs following game's first major balance patch
Marathon players are debating Bungie's recent balance patch, which reduced PvE enemy health and boss shield durability by 10-25 percent. While some players welcome the change for improved survivability and resource management, others lament the loss of challenge and the game's previously intense combat feel. Developers emphasize that the core threat of the UESC remains, with adjustments focused on ammo conservation and rewarding player awareness.
Ex-Naughty Dog artist who helped design characters for Highguard promises to keep fighting the good fight - just not in the live-service sphere, anymore
Former Naughty Dog artist Del Walker, who contributed to games like The Last of Us Part 2, is stepping away from live-service game development following the shutdown of Highguard. Walker, known for his character designs, stated he will continue to focus on creating diverse characters, particularly Black women, but will no longer invest his energy into games that risk disappearing shortly after launch. Highguard, a 3v3 shooter, was shut down just weeks after its January release due to dwindling player numbers and funding issues, mirroring the fate of other live-service titles like Sony's Concord.
Former Overwatch Lead claims he was given a horrid ultimatum: meet revenue goals or 1,000 developers would lose jobs
Former Overwatch lead Jeff Kaplan revealed that he was given an ultimatum by former Blizzard CFO Dennis Durkin: meet specific revenue goals for Overwatch or 1,000 developers would lose their jobs. Kaplan stated this pressure, partly due to the financial strains of the Overwatch League, significantly impacted his career at Blizzard. He is now working on a new survival game called The Legend of California with an independent studio.
Overwatch co-creator Jeff Kaplan on his exit from Activision-Blizzard: 'It was the biggest f**k you moment…
Overwatch co-creator Jeff Kaplan detailed his departure from Activision Blizzard in 2021, citing immense pressure from the Overwatch League's overmarketing and unrealistic revenue expectations for the base game and Overwatch 2. Kaplan described being threatened with layoffs of 1,000 employees if financial targets were not met, calling it a significant 'fuck you moment' in his career.
Overwatch Co-Creator Says His Departure Came From “Biggest F*** You Moment” After Meeting CFO
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan revealed in an interview that his departure from Blizzard was influenced by the immense pressure and unrealistic expectations placed on the Overwatch League, which he described as a "biggest f*** you moment." He detailed how the league's financial demands interfered with game development and led to a focus on rapid monetization, ultimately contributing to his decision to leave after nearly two decades with the company.
DC fans have a completely made up game called ‘DC Allies,’ and the roleplay is so strong that Warner Bros really should just go and make it real
DC fans have created a detailed, fictional game called 'DC Allies' as a response to the success of 'Marvel Rivals,' complete with character rosters, abilities, and lore. The extensive roleplaying and community engagement suggest a strong demand for a similar official DC Comics game, prompting calls for Warner Bros. to consider developing one despite past failures like 'Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League'.