"Spectre Divide: Shroud-Backed FPS Closes After Six Months"

Spectre Divide and its developer, Mountaintop Studios, have announced their closure due to the game failing to meet financial expectations. Dive deeper into the statement from Mountaintop Studios' CEO and the reasons behind this decision.

Spectre Divide Will Go Offline in 30 Days

Season 1 and Console Launch Did Not Meet Expectations

Tactical FPS Spectre Divide is set to shut down just six months after its launch, as both its Season 1 and console release fell short of the company's goals. On March 13, Spectre Divide's official Twitter (X) account shared a message with fans, detailing the current state of the game and the studio.

Mountaintop Studios CEO Nate Mitchell reflected on the situation, stating, "It's been two weeks since we launched Spectre Divide Season 1: Flashpoint. We're incredibly grateful for the positivity and support you've shown over that short time. Unfortunately, the Season 1 launch hasn't achieved the level of success we needed to sustain the game and keep Mountaintop afloat."

Initially, the game saw a promising start with over 400,000 players and a peak concurrent player count of around 10,000 across all platforms within its first week. However, the numbers dwindled over time, leaving the team without sufficient active players and revenue to maintain operations.

A December 2024 report from The Verge highlighted Mountaintop Studios' precarious financial situation, noting that the console launch and Season 1 were critical for the game's survival. Spectre Divide Game Director Lee Horn pointed out that despite marketing efforts, server issues at launch hampered the game's momentum. Mitchell added, "If they aren't into season one, the way we hope they are, we'll have to take a hard look at whether we should keep going as we are, or if players are telling us this isn't what we want."

Spectre Divide is expected to go offline within 30 days, with the studio planning to disable new purchases and refund money spent since the Season 1 relaunch. More details on this process will be announced soon.

Spectre Divide Shutting Down Despite Raising $30 Million Last Year

The news of Mountaintop Studios' closure has stunned fans, especially after the company successfully raised $30 million in funding last year. In 2024, Mountaintop Studios announced on LinkedIn that the funding came from top-tier investors including Anthos Capital, RX3 Growth Partners, A16Z GAMES, and other angel investors.

Despite this substantial backing, the game and the studio couldn't thrive. Mitchell explained, "We pursued every avenue to keep going, including finding a publisher, additional investment, and/or an acquisition. In the end, we weren't able to make it work. The industry is in a tough spot right now."

He further elaborated, "We wanted to deliver something innovative and original in a crowded genre that would bring friends together around unforgettable moments. We shook up the format, created a fresh art style and universe, and partnered with some of our heroes. All of us knew from the beginning that the odds were against us, but that's what we signed up for. It was never a surefire bet. We did it anyway."

Spectre Divide joins the ranks of other live-service games that have struggled to survive, such as Multiversus, Babylon's Fall, Concord, and cancelled projects like The Last of Us Online and the reported God of War live service game.

Mountaintop Studios Closing Within The Week

Mitchell announced that Mountaintop Studios will close its doors by the end of the week. Despite efforts to extend their financial runway, the studio has exhausted its remaining capital.

Mitchell concluded, "Since the PC launch, we stretched our remaining capital as far as we could, but at this point, we're out of funding to support the game. This means Mountaintop will be closing its doors at the end of this week."