Fun Hero Shooter Games That Have Been Shut Down

Key Takeaways

• The hero shooter genre faces challenges due to market oversaturation by dominant franchises like Overwatch and Valorant.
• Games like LawBreakers, Concord, Crucible, and Rocket Arena faced server shutdowns and poor sales despite potential.
• Even well-received hero shooters like Renaissance Heroes and Lemnis Gate couldn’t retain player bases, leading to server closures.

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the vibrant world of video games, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia when I think about these forgotten gems. Each one of them, in their own way, tried to shake up the hero shooter genre with innovative mechanics and unique settings, only to fall by the wayside due to circumstances beyond their control.

Video game shooters have been a favorite since arcade times, with classics like Doom, GoldenEye 007, and more recent games such as Splatoon and Titanfall contributing significantly to their popularity. However, within this category, one specific subgenre – the character-focused hero shooter – seems to be relatively scarce in today’s gaming landscape.

Games similar to “Team Fortress 2,” known as hero shooters, are currently dominated by well-known series such as “Overwatch” and “Valorant.” Unfortunately, due to market saturation, many outstanding hero shooter titles struggle to maintain a long-term presence. Regrettably, these games often experience server shutdowns because of the monopoly held by the more popular ones like “Overwatch” and “Valorant.

1 LawBreakers

This Game Got Put Away For Good

LawBreakers was launched in August 2017, however, its online services ceased operations just a year later due to financial constraints. Although it didn’t significantly revolutionize the hero shooter genre, players could choose between characters representing either Law or Breakers factions, participating in game modes such as capture the flag, turf war, and an unconventional ball sport.

Despite receiving good feedback, the game LawBreakers was terminated and taken off the Steam store following a brief stint as a free-to-play title. While its creator, Cliff Bleszinski, has hinted at a potential future for the franchise, it’s unlikely that there is much interest in a hero shooter that hasn’t been active for more than five years now.

2 Concord

It Was Going To Be Sony’s Overwatch

Instead of the previous game on the list, Concord had an even shorter lifespan. Despite Sony investing nearly a decade in developing it and pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into production, the game was launched for PC and PlayStation 5 in August 2024. However, within just a few weeks, its poor sales led to the closure of its servers and the shutdown of its developer by Sony.

Unfortunately, it’s disappointing that Sony didn’t provide more opportunity for this game to connect with its intended audience, considering it features an array of sixteen unique characters from diverse alien species. Despite receiving some positive reviews along with mixed feedback, the fact that Sony decided to discontinue the game after just a month suggests issues with their development process as a whole.

3 Crucible

It Was The Victim Of Bad Timing

Amazon held great expectations for the debut game from Amazon Game Studios, but it seems Crucible might have been a bit overreaching, as it ventured into the fiercely competitive hero shooter market. The primary distinguishing factor between Crucible and its more successful counterparts in this genre was the absence of traditional archetypes such as Healers or Tanks.

Beyond its inherent issues, the game unfortunately debuted in May 2020, right at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. By October that year, Amazon closed the game and returned all purchases, shifting their focus towards the MMORPG New World, launched in 2021. This game has proven to have a more successful run since then, up until 2024.

4 Second Wave

Fans Wish It Had The Chance To Improve

Unfortunately, fans who were captivated by the game “Second Wave” never got to experience it beyond Early Access as it was removed from Steam’s store. This hero-based MOBA showcased distinctive 3D characters inspired by anime, and offered three game modes: a territorial conflict (turf war), a free-for-all brawl involving three teams, and a capture-the-flag-like mode where players aimed to maintain control over stones.

Besides its distinctive artistic flair, the game “Second Wave” offered customizable character skins and voice lines, earning generally positive reviews. Regrettably, several players pointed out the high cost of micro-transactions and technical glitches as primary concerns that led to its cancellation, despite a slim possibility it might improve post-Early Access.

5 Battleborn

It’s Hard To Live In Overwatch’s Shadow

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but reflect on the unfortunate timing of Battleborn, which was launched in the same month as the highly-anticipated Overwatch. Despite boasting some unique mechanics borrowed from MOBA games, such as the ability to level up characters during gameplay and customize item loadouts for each battle, the game struggled to garner an audience due to the overwhelming presence of its competitor.

It’s quite remarkable that the game’s servers managed to stay active for multiple years even after the player count dropped significantly soon after release. However, the servers were eventually shut down in January 2021. Some dedicated fans have tried to resurrect the game by creating a fan-made version, named Battleborn Reborn, which successfully reintroduced its single-player mode. They aim to eventually introduce multiplayer PvP modes as well.

6 PWND

If Only Tom Cruise Could’ve Helped Out

Beware of the game’s misleading appearance. Even though you can download “PWND” from Steam at this moment, its servers have been offline since 2022. This unexpected outcome is for the video game branch of Skydance Interactive, a media company known for productions like “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” Regrettably, even favorable reviews couldn’t prevent this unfortunate fate for the 2018 hero shooter.

Despite having just five playable characters, the game PWND failed to maintain a user base, even after transitioning to a free-to-play model within a year. This could be due to the unique feature that required players to perform a victory dance (also known as “PWN”) after defeating opponents, which many fans found tiresome and annoying after only a brief period of play.

7 Lemnis Gate

This Game Ran Out Of Time

In its debut in 2021, Lemnis Gate stood out among arena-style hero shooters due to its unique time loop gameplay mechanic. This feature allows teams to repeatedly play through the same objectives within a certain timeframe, enabling them to assist their teammates in future attempts by solving strategic puzzles.

Although praised for its innovative qualities, Lemnis Gate did not meet sales projections and struggled to maintain a consistent player community, ultimately closing its servers in 2023. The developers did not respond to fans’ requests to keep local multiplayer servers active, but unfortunately, it joined the ranks of games that have fallen by the wayside due to a dynamic industry dominated by popular multiplayer titles.

8 Rocket Arena

Its Simplicity Was Its Biggest Trait And Flaw

In the year 2020, the game titled Rocket Arena made its debut on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. This innovative addition to the gaming world features characters who use rocket launchers in fast-paced 3v3 deathmatch or capture the flag game modes. Notably, it supported cross-platform play from its initial release. However, despite these enticing features, it failed to captivate gamers following a few seasons of play.

The official progress on the game “Rocket Arena” came to an end by late 2023, and its servers were closed down in 2024. This unfortunate turn of events is for a game that was known for being simple to grasp and enjoyable to play, but it couldn’t keep players away from other successful hero shooters due to lacking substantial content.

9 Renaissance Heroes

It Was A Short And Sweet Experience For Fans

Despite being diehard enthusiasts of hero shooter games, some might not be familiar with “Renaissance Heroes”, a PC game launched in 2013. Regrettably, the game’s lineup of original characters didn’t possess the charm needed to draw many players into this first-person shooter set in the 16th century, featuring deathmatch and dueling modes.

The game’s existence was cut short before the end of 2013, as servers were closed down by summer’s end. It remains puzzling why the game failed to gain popularity despite positive reviews for its graphics and gameplay. Regrettably, a game titled with “Renaissance” may not have attracted young gamers in an industry striving for diversity.

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2024-11-18 19:35