Last Flag, the hero shooter with mechanics inspired by titles like Call of Duty and the classic “capture the flag” mode, has not met expectations since its release on April 14. Just two weeks after its launch, the game from Night Street Games, a studio co-founded by the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, has announced that it will cease development of new content due to its poor performance in the market. A game that has flopped on Steam With a peak of just 558 users and only a few dozen daily players, Last Flag has seen a decline […]
Last Flag, the hero shooter with mechanics inspired by titles like Call of Duty and the classic “capture the flag” mode, has not met expectations since its release on April 14. Just two weeks after its launch, the game from Night Street Games, a studio co-founded by the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, has announced that it will cease the development of new content due to its poor performance in the market.
A game that has flopped on Steam
With a peak of just 558 users and only a few dozen daily players, Last Flag has seen a dramatic decline in its community. Despite its efforts to attract more players, such as a free play period during weekends, the business model has not favored its acceptance. Unlike other current shooters that opt for a free-to-play format, Last Flag has a cost of 14.99 euros, which may have limited its access to a broader player base.
In a statement published on Steam, Night Street Games has acknowledged the financial difficulties that hinder the creation of additional content. However, the studio plans to release one last major update that will include custom lobbies, a new character, a new map, and cosmetic content. This version, still without a specific date, is expected for summer. However, there are no long-term expansion plans, and the studio has indicated that it will focus on keeping the game accessible for those who still want to enjoy it.
Despite the promotional efforts based on the popularity of Imagine Dragons, Last Flag has not captured the expected attention. The community now faces an uncertain future, hoping that the latest update will help keep the gaming experience alive through user engagement.
Bungie are experts in one thing: making games that feel good. Specifically, in making their weapons feel good. After decades of making shooters, they know how to make each of their weapons feel with the recoil, the heft, and the exact sound so that they differentiate from each other, feel pleasant to handle, and each person finds the one they feel comfortable with. Something that companies with much more popular franchises like theirs, such as Call of Duty or Fortnite, have never achieved in the same way. That’s why people haven’t stopped playing […]
Bungie are experts in one thing: making games that feel good. Specifically, making their weapons feel good. After decades of making shooters, they know how to make each of their weapons feel with the recoil, the heft, and the exact sound so that they stand out from each other, feel pleasant to handle, and each person finds the one they feel comfortable with. Something that companies with much more popular franchises like theirs, such as Call of Duty or Fortnite, have never managed in the same way.
That’s why people haven’t stopped playing Destiny. That’s why the Halo franchise up to Reach is considered legendary. And that’s why the Marathon trilogy is regarded as a milestone in FPS games. Practically no other game feels like the games Bungie makes. And Marathon, their new game, is no exception. Although that won’t guarantee its success.
It has never felt so good to shoot
Marathon is a game set in the universe of the original trilogy, released on Mac in the 90s and that would define FPS as we know it. Although these were single-player adventures, the new Marathon is more in line with the times and, to the disappointment of most classic fans, it is an extraction shooter. Set in the year 2893, 99 years after the original, we will have to travel to the planet Tau Ceti IV to infiltrate colonies, achieve objectives, eliminate our rivals, and escape alive. A formula similar to that of Arc Raiders.
Similar, but not the same, because Marathon is very focused on PvP. While in Arc Raiders collaboration and coordination among players is expected, in Marathon aggression is expected to be the response to all encounters. Any encounter with another group of Runners, the names of the operatives traveling to Tau Ceti IV to fulfill the corporations’ objectives, will necessarily end in a shootout, as there are no incentives to collaborate and many incentives to eliminate enemies. This makes the game more similar to an extraction shooter with team deathmatch elements than to what we currently know as an extraction shooter.
All of this is accompanied by a spectacular artistic section, with a very unique use of typography and graphic design. Although tremendously divisive, this gives it personality. And if we add a narrative developed in what are essentially visual novel scenes, all of this gives the game a lot of character.
What is the problem that Marathon faces? It’s coffee for hardcore coffee lovers. And we don’t say this as something negative, but as a fact. This is not a shooter for people who like Call of Duty to play with their friends, but for those who enjoy spending dozens of hours in Destiny because the weapons are tremendously satisfying and the gameplay loop is tense and addictive, making every fight feel like a brutally hard life-and-death battle. This creates two obvious problems. One from the audience and another from Sony.
From the audience’s perspective, it is evident that this is a niche game. It is not Arc Raiders. Whether it will become a mass-market game seems doubtful, as it demands a lot from players. Moreover, dedicated players already have their games to devote their time to. If Marathon can offer them something to make them abandon their current games to dedicate time to it, that will determine whether it is a success or a failure, in terms of total numbers. From Sony’s side, the situation is more delicate. After canceling several games-as-a-service projects and the failure of Concord, it does not seem they have any qualms about shutting down servers at the first opportunity. So it remains to be seen if good, but not excellent numbers — the most likely scenario for a game like this, even given its success as the third best-selling game on Steam currently — are enough for the survival of Marathon.
A good game that can fail
There is always room for surprise. That it could turn into another Arc Raiders. But while Arc Raiders was accessible and encouraged continued play without frustration, Marathon is the complete opposite: the more you play, the more reasons there are to abandon it unless you are deeply invested in its formula. For this reason, while we could very well be facing a great success like Helldivers 2, it seems doubtful that we are looking at a tremendous success like Arc Raiders.
Will this be enough for Sony? Only time will tell. With a release scheduled for March 5 and with previous server tests that have been a tremendous success, it has the potential to be a hit. Especially if it survives the inevitable player drop-off in the first two days and the first week without there being a discourse around how the new Concord or the new Highguard is. If that happens, it is unlikely that Marathon will recover. If it doesn’t happen, it is likely to perform well and have room to operate for a few months. And in that case, Bungie has a chance to move forward. Because against all odds with everything we had seen and all its controversies, Marathon has the legs for a good journey.
In the realm of video games, Auroch Digital has announced the development of a new title called Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War. This game, which features a ‘shooter boomer’ visual style, focuses on team combat and strategy, setting itself apart from the usual trends of the genre. Ultimate Bug War is scheduled for release on March 16, 2026, and a free demo is already available on Steam, allowing players to experience the action before its official launch. A game with friendly fire Unlike other shooters in which […]
In the realm of video games, Auroch Digital has announced the development of a new title called Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War. This game, which features a ‘boomer shooter’ visual style, focuses on team combat and strategy, setting itself apart from the usual trends of the genre. Ultimate Bug War is scheduled for release on March 16, 2026, and a free demo is already available on Steam, allowing players to experience the action before its official launch.
A game with friendly fire
Unlike other shooters where players are often excessively equipped, in Ultimate Bug War, users will take on the role of vulnerable soldiers of the Mobile Infantry. This will add a layer of complexity to the experience, as players must closely collaborate to overcome challenges, including the threat of friendly fire, which can create comedic and chaotic situations during gameplay. The demo showcases a more open gameplay environment with multiple objectives, making it easier for players to approach missions more flexibly.
In this line, the game incorporates gameplay that favors teamwork, with markers on the HUD that guide players towards different objectives, including defending outposts and evacuating the wounded, all while fighting against hordes of insects. This combination of humor and strategy, along with an appealing visual style, promises to provide an entertaining and fresh experience in the frantic world of shooters.
