About half a year ago, the mobile game Durango: Wild Lands was released and impressed right away. Now the publisher Nexon suddenly pulls the plug, and everyone is wondering why.
What has Nexon announced? Durango: Wild Lands is set to close its doors on December 18. This news came out of the blue. There will be one last patch that allows you to earn EXP faster and an event that concludes the story. After that, the mobile game will be no more.
What is the reasoning behind it? Essentially, there isn’t any. Nexon only explains that the decision was made to cease the operation of the game. The company does not discuss why.
An ARK on the mobile
What is Durango? For many, the mobile game is like an ARK for Android and iOS smartphones. The gameplay and the scenario are similar. You must survive in a world dominated by dinosaurs. By gathering resources, you craft useful items and build a base. You can tame dinos and engage in PVP battles against other players.
What is special about the game? Durango looks very good for a mobile game. Graphically, the game is absolutely convincing, even though you play from an isometric perspective. The dinosaurs and landscapes are full of details, and it’s fun to explore the game world and see more of it.
How is Durango rated? In the Google Play Store, the game has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 points. In Apple’s AppStore, it has 4 out of 5 stars. Durango has a few issues with explaining the game systems understandably and has some technical glitches, such as crashes. Aside from that, players are generally enthusiastic.
A curious situation
Why is the mobile game being discontinued then? Currently, one can only speculate what the reasons for Durango’s cancellation could be. The ratings are good, players enjoy the survival game, and the player counts were fine. So what is going on?
There was speculation that this is connected to the overall situation of Nexon. The company recently halted the development of the promising MMORPG Peria Chronicles. “Project G” is also no longer being developed. Offices in the West were closed, the contract for Riders of Icarus has expired, and Nexon did not renew it.
The company is supposed to be sold, but has not yet found a buyer.
All of this likely leads to decisions like the one made for Durango. However, this is hard to understand given the actual success of the mobile game.
How are players reacting? On Reddit, the community is discussing and has even started a petition to try to save Durango. The players are completely confused by the situation.
- jaylong76 comments on Reddit: “What? But the game is new. Why is it being closed now?”
- DrunkenG4mer shows confusion: “The game is doing really well and they are making money with it. This really doesn’t make any sense.”
What do you think about the sudden closure of Durango? Can you understand it?
