Mountaintop Studios, the development team behind Spectre Divide, has faced significant challenges just weeks after the game’s release. Recently, the studio behind Spectre Divide, announced layoffs affecting some of its employees as part of an effort to streamline operations for long-term game support. The decision comes amid declining player numbers and mixed feedback following the game’s launch earlier in the month.
Spectre Divide, the 3v3 tactical shooter, launched on September 3 after a brief early access period. Initially, it was heavily promoted by popular streamer and former professional gamer Shroud. Fortunately, the game reached over 30,000 concurrent players on Steam at its peak. The game’s unique mechanic, allowing players to control two characters and swap between them during matches, alongside its cel-shaded art style, initially attracted a large audience. However, players quickly criticized the game’s steep in-game cosmetic prices, prompting the developers to revise the pricing model.
Despite these early adjustments, the game struggled to maintain its initial player base. On September 25, Mountaintop Studios confirmed layoffs, affecting 13 full-time employees. The news brought public by a recent statement taken by Polygon’s Nicole Carpenter. According to CEO Nate Mitchell, the layoffs were a difficult but necessary decision to ensure the studio could support Spectre Divide and its community in the long term. The remaining team, which still consists of 50 to 100 employees, remains focused on improving the game.
While Mountaintop Studios continues to refine Spectre Divide, the game’s future remains uncertain. The Spectre Divide layoffs aim to improve player engagement has been steadily declining, and the game’s reviews on Steam have also dipped. Additionally, Shroud has been visibly frustrated during live streams, adding to the game’s turbulent post-launch period.
The layoffs at Spectre Divide highlight the difficulties faced by game developers. The main difficulty is in maintaining momentum after launch, particularly in an industry where player retention and satisfaction are crucial to long-term success. Players hope Mountaintop Studios can alleviate the issues in optimization, match-making, and more that are leading to the player count decline.
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