Wargaming has announced the definitive closure of the servers for Steel Hunters, its third-person PvPvE multiplayer shooter, scheduled for October 8. The title, launched in early access in April, failed to capture the interest of a broad audience, reaching a peak of only 4,479 concurrent players, according to data from SteamDB. This situation has led the studio to acknowledge that continuing its development is no longer sustainable.
Chronicle of an Announced Closure
Steel Hunters, which promised intense futuristic battles with mechs, was presented at The Game Awards 2024, but its lack of differentiation in a saturated shooter market has been its Achilles’ heel. Despite Wargaming’s experience, known for the success of World of Tanks, the proposal failed to stand out against other popular titles, leaving many wondering about the future of games as a service.
To close the Steel Hunters experience, Wargaming will offer special support for custom game modes, allowing users to play with friends, create community matches, and share “final memories” in a controlled environment. All hunters will be unlocked in this new mode, and players will be given the opportunity to access mechs that have never been presented before.
In addition, the study has scheduled a farewell tournament that will bring together the most regular players, a final opportunity to enjoy the game before the server is completely disconnected. The story of Steel Hunters is reminiscent of other recent failures in the genre, such as Concord, which closed just days after its launch, and XDefiant, a Ubisoft shooter that failed to establish itself alongside industry titans like Call of Duty.