Live Service Games
Ongoing coverage on Live Service Games.
Latest coverage
Highguard Shutdown Proves Sony’s Live-Service Strategy Is Failing
The shutdown of Highguard highlights Sony's struggling live-service strategy, with players and critics pointing to a market oversaturated with online-only games. This trend is blamed for studio layoffs and a lack of compelling single-player exclusives on PlayStation 5, despite the success of narrative-driven titles like The Last of Us and Elden Ring.
Games Inbox: Is Pokémon Pokopia really worth getting?
Readers share their thoughts on recent games, with one player enjoying the open-ended exploration of Pokémon Pokopia and another finding catharsis in Resident Evil Requiem. Discussions also touch upon Sony's management of Naughty Dog, the state of the games industry, and the potential success of Bungie's Marathon.
Marvel Rivals Shows How Game Updates Should Work With New Patch
Marvel Rivals has implemented a new patch update that requires no server downtime, allowing players to update their clients and continue playing immediately. This approach is highlighted as a significant technical achievement and a demonstration of long-term commitment to the game, setting a new standard for how online multiplayer games should handle updates and respect player time.
Let it Die is dying, but offering players a onetime purchase to keep it alive offline
Grasshopper Manufacture's free-to-play roguelike, Let It Die, will shut down its online servers on August 31, 2026. The developer is offering a one-time purchase option for an offline version of the game, which will remove live-service elements and replace them with offline equivalents. This offline version will be available on Steam for both new and existing players.
Out Today: Marathon's PS5 Launch Puts Sony's $3B Live Service Gamble to the Test
Marathon, a $3 billion live service gamble for Sony, has launched today on PlayStation 5. The acquisition of developer Bungie in 2022 was intended to bolster Sony's live service offerings, but the studio has faced challenges including an impairment loss on Destiny 2 and layoffs. Despite an asset theft controversy, Bungie has polished Marathon with features like proximity chat, and success will depend on player retention and long-term revenue.
How to get Lockbox Keys in Marathon
This guide explains how to obtain Lockbox Keys in the game Marathon, which are necessary to open valuable caches. Keys can be found as rare drops in containers or on objects in the game world, or purchased from the Armory after acquiring the Locksmith CyberAcme upgrade. The guide also details potential locations for lockboxes and the types of loot they contain.
Marathon DCON locations and how to use them
This guide details the locations of DCON terminals in Marathon, which are crucial for completing certain contracts. DCONs are terminals with antennae found on roofs or outside specific buildings, used to deposit quest items. The article lists DCON locations for the Perimeter and Dire Marsh maps, noting that they are typically marked on the map with a crate icon, though this feature may be bugged for some players.
Where to find rods to complete Cutthroat Competition in Marathon
This guide explains how to complete the 'Cutthroat Competition' contract in Marathon by finding two rod salvage items, Deimosite Rods or Cetinite Rods, within the Dire Marsh's Maintenance area. Players must extract with both items in a single round, and the guide suggests searching the basement and upper walkways of Maintenance for these items, while also noting the risks of PvP and PvE encounters in the zone.
How to complete Tox Clear events in Marathon
This guide explains how to complete Tox Clear events in the game Marathon. Players need a Hazard Override Card to interact with a hidden laptop near the toxic gas room to temporarily disable the gas. Alternatively, players can use a Mechanic's Kit for temporary immunity or the Triage shell's healing drone.
The Outer Worlds 2 Patch 1.1.0.0
Players discuss the underperformance of The Outer Worlds 2, attributing it to poor marketing, a buggy launch on PC, and the impact of Game Pass. Some argue that day-one releases on subscription services may cannibalize sales and question the long-term sustainability of such models for developers.
New Research Proves What We Already Knew: Women Are Underserved By Game Industry
New research from Ampere Analysis indicates that women constitute 48% of the gaming market, yet often cite a lack of suitable games and toxic communities as barriers. While games like The Sims 4 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are popular for their customization options, they can also feature expensive DLC and monetization schemes. Despite slow progress, some titles like Apex Legends have shown improvements in inclusivity, though challenges with player communities and business practices persist.
Marathon promises to avoid stressful FOMO-inducing battle passes, and that there's "no pay for power" microtransactions
Bungie has detailed Marathon's seasonal reward passes, confirming they will remain in the game permanently and will not expire, unlike typical battle passes in live service games. The developer emphasized that there will be no "pay for power" microtransactions, with premium currency only used for cosmetics and in-game currency earnable without real money.
After Cancelling Most PC Ports, Sony Promotes New 'PC Ready' Controller
Sony is promoting a new 'PC ready' controller bundle for the PlayStation 5, despite reports of cancelling most PC ports for its single-player first-party games. While some titles like Marvel's Wolverine will no longer be ported, live service games such as Marathon and Helldivers 2 will continue to release on PC and potentially other platforms like Xbox Series X.
Physical video game sales reach new low as report shows zero growth for industry
The video game industry experienced zero growth in 2025, with worldwide consumer spending remaining stagnant despite record profits. This lack of growth is primarily attributed to a significant decline in physical game sales, which have reached their lowest point since 1995. Publishers are increasingly relying on microtransactions and live service games to compensate for shrinking revenue pools.
Hallelujah, Bungie's confirmed that Marathon's battle passes don't expire, you can purchase old ones, and…
Bungie has confirmed that Marathon's battle passes will not expire and can be purchased retroactively, alleviating concerns about FOMO. The game will feature seasonal wipes that reset progress but introduce new content like maps and weapons. Marathon will use two currencies: Silk, earned through gameplay for battle pass progression, and Lux, a premium currency for the in-game store.
Highguard's final update - which Wildlight's "skeleton crew" crunched to finish - goes live, just days before the game disappears forever
Wildlight has released the final update for its free-to-play hero shooter Highguard, featuring a new Warden named Koldo, the Switchback weapon, and a new skill tree. Creative director Jason McCord acknowledged the 'skeleton crew' that worked to complete the update before the game's permanent shutdown. Despite the game's impending closure due to dwindling player numbers and funding issues, the team aimed to deliver these final features.
List of Games That Shut Down Soon After Launch
This article lists several live-service games that experienced extremely short lifespans after launch, with some shutting down within days or weeks due to low player counts or negative reception. Notable examples include The Day Before (4 days), The Culling 2 (8 days), and Concord (14 days), highlighting the challenges of sustaining online games in a competitive market.
Marathon Review In Progress | Console Creatures
This in-progress review of Marathon highlights its potential as an extraction shooter but criticizes its messy UI, confusing onboarding, and high barrier to entry for new players. While the gunplay and abilities are satisfying, the game's visual clutter and lack of clear tutorials detract from the experience. A final judgment awaits the release of the endgame zone, Cryo Archive.
Marathon review in progress – extracting the fun
Bungie's reboot of Marathon is a challenging extraction shooter that requires perseverance to appreciate its potential, despite a troubled development. While the game features a striking art style and the studio's signature gunplay, its steep learning curve, convoluted menus, and unforgiving gameplay can be frustrating for newcomers. Early impressions suggest that Marathon may eventually offer compelling high-stakes gameplay, but it faces stiff competition from similar titles.
Opinion: Sony's PC Pullback Is the Right Move for PS5
Sony is reportedly scaling back its PC publishing strategy, a move that this opinion piece argues is the correct decision for the PlayStation brand. While early ports performed well, recent titles have had a negligible impact on revenue, and the perceived value of PS5 exclusivity has diminished. The author suggests that focusing on console exclusives will strengthen the PlayStation ecosystem and drive hardware sales.
