The new year is here, and once again, several new MMOs will be released. However, there will also be some games for which 2021 will be the last year. MeinMMO editor Alexander Leitsch presents to you 6 MMOs that, in his opinion, will not survive the new year.
How did this list come about? Last year, I created a list of MMOs that could die in 2020. I followed the same principle this year.
It is often said that certain MMOs are already dead, despite hundreds or thousands of players still being active on their servers. Such games are not included in this list.
Instead, I looked for MMOs that are struggling with serious problems and/or measurable player decline. This does not automatically mean that they will be shut down this year, but the chances are high. I also provide reasoning for each decision.
If you want to know how many titles I was right about last year, you can find the answer on the last page of the article. If you’re looking for new games from 2021, you’ll find them here.
Population Zero
Genre: Survival | Developer: Enplex Games | Platform: PC | Release Date: May 5, 2020 (Early Access) | Model: Buy2Play
What kind of game is this? Population Zero is a survival game by the Russian developer Enplex, which aimed to mix up the genre with some cool ideas:
- There are different game modes, including pure PvE and PvP.
- Each mode runs over a specified cycle (usually 7 days) before resetting.
- During the cycle, you should complete tasks and can unlock permanent progress for your account.
- If you die too often, you become the Over-Alien and get one last chance to complete your tasks.
How is Population Zero doing currently? At the launch on Steam, the game attracted 554 players at peak. Many appreciated the core idea of the game, but it also had several criticisms, including:
- Missing features such as factions, guilds, and groups
- Absence of options like custom key bindings
- A weak tutorial
- Technical issues
In the weeks following the release, the developers announced many updates and shared a short-term and a long-term roadmap. However, the player counts have made the game’s name all too fitting.
Since August, there have been days when 0 players were playing the survival MMO. The average player count for the last 30 days is 1.6, and at peak, 6 were online at the same time (via Steamcharts).
That’s why I believe Population Zero will die in 2021: Population Zero had some servers that regularly reset due to PvE content, and the idea of the Over-Alien showed real potential. However, the Russian developers at Enplex failed to implement their plans and released a game that fell far below expectations.
Due to the Buy2Play model, there is also a barrier keeping new players from Population Zero. Those who see that only 6 players are active in the MMO are unlikely to spend 28 euros on it.
The last developer update on Steam was on July 16. Currently, everything points to the fact that Population Zero will not survive in 2021.
