How did my list fare last year?
In 2022, I already tried to predict the deaths of games. In many cases, I was not entirely off, but they are still running, some even without updates or major innovations.
For one title, I hit the nail on the head, with Crowfall at least somewhat accurate.
Where did I get it right?
I scored a big hit with Elyon. The MMORPG was only released at the end of 2021, but it was simply too generic and uninteresting for the Western market. While it had some players on Steam, it was overshadowed by New World and even Bless Unleashed.
On December 7, the servers were shut down. By the way, the MMORPG is also set to shut down in its home country of Korea in March 2023.
Crowfall counts for me as a half hit. The game is currently offline but is said to be returning. However, I doubt that strongly, which is why I included the MMORPG on my list again this year.
Which games have survived even though they are struggling?
There are three games where I don’t understand why they still exist. Hood: Outlaws & Legends, for example, has an average of a whopping 20 players on Steam at peak. Since it is only playable on PC via Steam and Epic, there aren’t likely to be many active players overall. Additionally, the game has received only 51 % positive reviews on Steam.
However, there is crossplay with consoles, but even here, there doesn’t seem to be a particularly active community.
The third season started in April 2022. A free-to-play week in the Epic Store was also held in June. Since then, it has also been strangely silent on the official channels. It’s basically a classic candidate to be included again in the 2023 list.
The second game is Infestation: Battle Royale. This even only has 4 concurrent players at peak on Steam. However, it has its own launcher. How well that runs is unknown, but surprisingly, a Christmas event was still held in 2022.
The third game on the list is Rebirth Online. I was firmly convinced of a shutdown here. The MMORPG was released on Steam in 2020 and is essentially just a mobile port. The game has 14 concurrent players at peak on Steam and only 40 % positive reviews.
Even with the mobile version, complaints are made that the grind is excessively high and the enjoyment of the game is very low. I can’t understand why a PC version is being maintained.
Which games are better than expected?
Apparently Riders Republic. The sports MMO was my boldest statement, but the release in October had me extremely put off. However, the developers remain very active and recently launched a new winter season.
I am happy because I wish success to any unusual and innovative MMO.
However, in 2022, significantly more games died than I had anticipated. With TERA and Heroes of Newerth, there were even two surprises:
Rest in Peace: 9 MMORPGs and online games that unfortunately died in 2022
