The hero shooter Battleborn (PC, PS4, Xbox One) will shut down its servers in February 2021. It is already no longer available for digital purchase. Without active servers, the shooter will be completely unplayable.
This was the status: At the end of 2017, Gearbox announced that they would no longer develop Battleborn. The active team at that time was apparently needed for the work on Borderlands 3.
However, the servers of Battleborn were supposed to remain open for the “foreseeable future.” Now we know when the foreseeable future ends: 2021.
This is how it ends now: Battleborn has begun its “sunsetting” phase. The game rides into the sunset. This is a phrase from old westerns, where the hero also rode “into a setting sun” as a farewell.
The countdown to the final end of Battleborn looks like this:
- From now on, Battleborn is no longer available for digital purchase. The game has been removed from all digital sales platforms.
- After February 24, 2020, Gearbox will no longer sell premium currency, Platinum.
- The servers will close in January 2021 – then the game will no longer be playable.
Strong trailers, moderate reviews – no success
What was Battleborn? It is a mix of hero shooter and MOBA. The game relies on an idiosyncratic humor with eccentric characters. It even offered a single-player campaign with missions that were varied and fun to play.
The presentation of Battleborn was bombastic and “in your face” from the outset. A strong trailer was musically underscored with “Alt-J Fitzpleasure” at E3 2015.
This is how the game was received:
- The game received only moderate reviews from critics: It stands between 6.8 and 7.1 on Metacritic.
- Battleborn is considered a “legendary commercial flop” – similar to Evolve before, the game is said to have sold extremely poorly, leaving stores with numerous copies unsold.
Battleborn – the other game next to Overwatch
Why did the game fail? Overwatch is blamed as the “main killer” for Battleborn. Blizzard’s hero shooter also relied on strong characters but had much more hype and a larger marketing budget than Battleborn.
Since both games were marketed simultaneously and Battleborn offered many different modes, it was difficult for Battleborn to explain what defines the game. The fact that Battleborn has a PvE campaign, while Overwatch does not, was hardly emphasized.
When Battleborn finally launched, many were already waiting for Overwatch and Battleborn simply could not establish itself.
Moreover, “MOBA”-like games as full-priced titles apparently represent a combination that discourages many. This also became the downfall of Evolve.
Battleborn currently has very few players – yet some are now critically noting that in the age of digital games, it is a shame that “dead games” can no longer be played. Gearbox’s announcement sets a clear signal.
Until January 2021, anyone who already owns a copy of Battleborn can still explore the unique shooter.
