S4 League (2007 – April 29, 2021)
Genre: Shooter/Arena PvP | Developer: Pentavision | Platforms: PC | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game was it? S4 League was a free-to-play shooter where you competed against other players. PvP was clearly the focus, and you could slash through action-packed battles using various skills, weapons, and stunts.
You could choose from a variety of game modes, including:
- Deathmatch, with 2 teams and 6 players each
- Touchdown, a mix of basketball and King of the Hill
- Chaser – one player receives bonuses and fights against 6 others
- A battle royale with 12 players
S4 League became particularly well-known through television advertising. For the first few years post-release, it was advertised on Pro7 and touted as “Europe’s most successful third-person shooter,” claiming it would become the “sport of the future.”
However, the game implemented some melee elements even back then, which later became even more important with new modes, causing the shooter aspect to gradually fade into the background.
What led to its failure? On the official website, it was stated that S4 League was no longer able to sustain itself financially. Consequently, the servers were shut down in April 2021.
In fact, over the last few years, the shooter had hardly been heard from, so the discontinuation was not particularly surprising.
What are the best memories? Definitely the television advertising. The game neither played a significant role in esports nor in public perception. One reason for this may be the weak yet colorful graphics, which appeared outdated by 2011 when compared to games like SWTOR or Guild Wars 2.
We have embedded a relevant spot from 2012:
Are there alternatives or successors? Essentially, there are many competitive shooters that fare better than S4 League. However, most of them focus on different gameplay with a greater emphasis on firearms, such as Valorant or Apex Legends.
Much about the gameplay and appearance reminds one of Phantasy Star Online 2, even if it lacks a PvP focus.
