How did my list do last year?
In 2020, I already tried to predict the deaths of games. I wasn’t very wrong with many games, they are still running, albeit without updates or significant changes. Two titles, however, performed better than I initially thought.
Where did I get it right?
Ashes of Creation Apocalypse was indeed shut down. However, the game is supposed to return after Alpha 1, bringing the promised modes of Fort Siege and Horde. However, Apocalypse performed so poorly that Intrepid may change its plans and keep the game offline.
Which games survived despite their issues?
There are three titles from my list that I could essentially carry over completely for 2021:
Legends of Aria is in a deep decline in player numbers, but it is still alive. However, I still believe that the plug could be pulled in 2021, which is why it is again in this year’s list.
The MMORPG RIFT received no updates throughout 2020. While there were some events, bonus weeks, and even bug fixes, there was no completely new content. However, the MMORPG benefited from COVID in 2020 and saw a significant increase in player numbers in March and April. Some apparently stayed on, as by December 2020, RIFT had more players than in December 2019, all without an update.
The survival game New Frontier is still alive, but it has continuously received worse ratings on Steam each month. In the last 30 days, these were 67 % negative. During the same period, only 39 players were online on average, and the peak was 84 (via Steamcharts). The forums have since been shut down, and the last developer update was at the beginning of 2020.
Which games are doing better than expected?
Z1 Battle Royale experienced a significant spike in January 2020. Suddenly, an average of 2,500 people were playing the battle royale. However, the player count has dropped to 199 in December 2020, even lower than in December 2019 (via Steamcharts). Unlike the other titles in this list, there are regular updates and seasons here. The latest one began on October 21, 2020.
The game Day of Dragons accidentally raised $500,000 on Kickstarter, but it was poorly reviewed upon its Steam launch. The 61 reviews in the last 30 days are 73 % positive, and player counts have cautiously risen in recent months (via Steamcharts). The title may bounce back, though there is also criticism for a lack of content in recent months.
However, even though I was often mistaken, there were a few MMOs that actually died in 2020. The end of MapleStory 2 came rather unexpectedly:
Rest in peace: These 7 MMOs and online games sadly died in 2020
