The ARPG Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem launched on Steam in February with a player peak of 127,000. It was a surprising hit. The Diablo competitor filled a gap in the genre but could not hold on for long. With a peak of currently 1000 players, the title is a flop. However, the developers are not giving up and are investing.
This is what happened: On February 13, 2020, the ARPG Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem was released on Steam and filled a gap in the genre. Fans of hack and slash were waiting then, as they are now, for the release of Diablo 4 or Path of Exile 2, or at least for Lost Ark. But none of these games are in sight.
Wolcen came at the right moment to sweeten the waiting time for these players. It’s no wonder that the title reached a peak of 127,000 concurrent players on Steam despite the launch issues.
Currently, the peak according to Steamcharts has barely 1000 concurrent players. The issues are mainly bugs, weak performance, and some balance difficulties. This is also reflected in the current Steam rating of 52%.
At the beginning, the team from Wolcen regularly released patches addressing these issues, but over time, they became less frequent. Already in March, Wolcen lost 95% of its players and Corona did its part.
Wolcen developers hire more employees
This is what the developers plan now: The French development studio is by no means at the end. Since the release, they have continuously expanded their team and do not plan to stop. Gradually, the now 50 employees are returning to their office and even plan to move to larger premises by the end of the year.
Currently, their team is divided:
- Team 1 is working on the final “Second Dawn” patch 1.0.16.0, which focuses mainly on further bug fixes and balancing. It is scheduled for release at the end of July.
- Team 2 is working on the “First Chronicle” patch 1.1.0 with new content, adjustments to gameplay, and performance optimizations. The release is planned for the fall.
The developers also promise to communicate more with the community about their future plans. A support page is expected to be created soon, where players can reach out directly. Previously, this was only possible through a web form.
This is how active players help: For the upcoming “Second Dawn” patch, the developers are in contact with some active players to receive direct feedback on bugs and further “Quality of Life” improvements.
This is what the community says: The community has mixed opinions. Many comments gather under the official post on Steam:
- Steam user trise says: “Too late, guys”
- Steam user Dave wants more patches: “You need to bring patches faster, otherwise you will soon have no players left”
- Steam user tzaeru is more positive: “Great! Hopefully, the new employees will help break the horizon. … Despite the difficult start, I think you are on the right track, good job!”
- Steam user Gothicpolar is also pleased: “Thank you! <3 I look forward to the future of the game!"
Whether the developers can still save their title will have to be seen by the end of the year. Are you still playing Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem and do you think the title will pull through?
