When Trion Worlds released Defiance in April 2013, the developers had almost a revolutionary plan: the MMO was to be in a constant interaction with the TV series of the same name. However, this practically never worked out. Now there is supposed to be a comeback of the SciFi game.
Update from March 18, 2025: The developers from Fawkes Games provided an update on the comeback of Defiance on the official website. Here are the key news (via fawkesgames.com):
- The MMO shooter returns on April 18, 2025.
- You can expect a complete restart, there is no way to access the old user data.
- Everyone interested must create a new account on the official website of the developers. There is only a Windows version. Linux, Mac, and consoles are not supported. The PC version will be released via its own launcher, not via Steam.
- At the comeback, the latest version of Defiance 2013 will go live, but some features from later updates may not be available on the servers at launch.
- The new version of Defiance will follow a free-to-play model with optional microtransactions.
- All servers will initially be located in North America.
- There will be a testing phase with a subsequent server wipe before the official launch.
- Once the launch version is running stably, there may be regular content updates and significant changes to the game – depending on feedback and community size.
What was Trion’s exact plan? Even before the release of the MMO Defiance, the first season of the series Defiance debuted on the pay-TV channel SyFy. The events shown there were supposed to affect the game world of the MMO first.
In the second step, the plan was that the community’s progress and actions would affect the events of the second season of the series. Such interaction between the media of game and series had not yet occurred. If it had worked well… the genre of MMOs might be different today.
If Defiance had been a success, perhaps BioWare would have also launched a TV series for Anthem…
What was the problem? There were several:
- A broadcast on SyFy severely restricts the target audience. Many players of Defiance had not seen a single episode of the series at the launch of the MMO.
- Defiance itself was unfortunately only a mediocre MMO shooter that suffered from AI issues, technical problems, generic missions, and graphic recycling. Additionally, the release had a relatively low scope.
- Ultimately, the promised interaction between the two media was never really tangible.
After the third season, the series was already cancelled. The MMO received an adapted version named Defiance 2050 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One in July 2018. In the meantime, the rights to the game were acquired by Gamigo. On April 29, 2021, the servers of both versions went offline for good.
Those thought to be dead live longer
Really forever? Well, that’s what we thought. However, the studio Fawkes Games has now announced on the official website fawkesgames.com that they want to bring Defiance back to life. The announcement states:
We are pleased to announce that we have acquired the publishing rights for Defiance 2013 and Defiance 2050 on all platforms. Our first step is a relaunch of the original version from 2013 on PC, which is set to be released in April 2025. This is your chance to dive back into a world where every battle, every Arkfall, and every moment shared with other players is a testament to the game’s enduring legacy.
If enough players are interested in the comeback of Defiance, there should also be a comeback of the MMO on consoles. However, a revival of the transmedia synergies does not seem to be planned. The series Defiance will likely remain at three seasons.
Who is Fawkes Games? The team describes itself as an indie game studio and publisher and seems to have made it its mission to bring failed games back. Over the past two years, they have acquired the rights to Shaiya, Last Chaos, Desert Operations, and Wargame 1942 from Gamigo alone.
You can hardly believe it, but there are some parallels between Defiance and Anthem: Both are MMO shooters, both failed, and both have people who would love to see a comeback – A former boss of the SF-MMO Anthem says: “I would love to relaunch it”
