"Spectre Divide Shuts Down 6 Months Post-Launch, Despite Shroud's Support"

Mountaintop Studios, the developer behind the tactical first-person shooter Spectre Divide, has announced the imminent shutdown of both the game and the studio. The decision comes six months after the game's launch, as it failed to meet financial and player engagement expectations. Read on to discover the insights from Mountaintop Studios' CEO and the reasons behind this closure.

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 debut, following a disappointing first season and console launch. The game's official Twitter (X) account shared a heartfelt message to fans on March 13, detailing the current challenges faced by the game and the company.

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 that 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."

The company had high hopes in the first week, boasting over 400,000 players and a peak concurrent player count of around 10,000 across all platforms. However, the numbers dwindled over time, leaving the team unable to maintain sufficient active players and revenue to support ongoing operations.

Previous reports from The Verge in December 2024 highlighted the dire financial situation at Mountaintop Studios, noting that the console launch and Season 1 were seen as the last-ditch effort to save the game. Spectre Divide Game Director Lee Horn acknowledged that despite robust marketing efforts, server issues at launch significantly 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 if we should keep going on as we are, or if players are telling us this isn’t what we want."

Spectre Divide is scheduled to go offline within 30 days, with plans to disable new purchases and refund money spent by players since the Season 1 relaunch. Further details on these actions are expected to be announced soon.

Spectre Divide Shutting Down Despite Raising $30 Million Last Year

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

Despite this significant financial backing, the game struggled to thrive. Mitchell lamented, "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 on their vision, "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 now joins the ranks of live-service games that have failed to sustain themselves, 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

In a final blow, Mitchell announced that Mountaintop Studios will close its doors by the end of the week. Despite their best efforts, 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."