author: Zuzanna Domeradzka
Spec Ops: The Line Devs Fame Wasn't Enough; The Cycle Canceled
Despite the initial popularity of the latest game from the creators of Spec Ops: The Line, the game has failed to retain a steady community. The servers of the free-to-play shooter The Cycle: Frontier will be shut down in a few months.
Full version of the free shooter The Cycle: Frontier had a really successful launch last year. However, the popularity turned out to be fleeting - the game failed to keep enough players to make it profitable for the developers. For this reason the servers will be shut down on September 27.
The unprofitability of The Cycle: Frontier
Studio Yager, which is also responsible for, among other things, Spec Ops: The Line and Dreadnought, has informed that the decision to shut down the servers of The Cycle: Frontier was extremely difficult. The developers had been working hard on the game, introducing patches and new seasons to the game, but still the title was not generating adequate profits. This state of affairs, according to the developers, was initiated by a growing number of cheaters.
"One of them, and probably the most important [cause of difficulties - ed. note], was the increasing number of cheaters who appeared in the game shortly after the release. Although we implemented the right tools and measurements, we quickly realized that we needed to improve our cheat prevention mechanisms to guarantee a fair game for all players. Before we secured additional partners to support our efforts in this regard, and before we could focus again on gameplay and improving the performance of The Cycle: Frontier, many of our players had already fallen victim to cheaters, and as a result, the number of people willing to play had decreased significantly."
Later, the studio made changes to the game that attracted new players, but their numbers were not enough. Instead of canceling the game altogether, the team considered allowing for playing The Cycle: Frontier on private servers, but eventually gave up on this idea.
Before the game dies
In Epic Games store The Cycle: Frontier is no longer available for download for new players. However, on Steam, the game can still be added to your account and installed until the day the servers are shut down. The developers assured that money for all purchases made in the game after June 14 will be refunded.
The last days of the game's life, on the other hand, will be quite enjoyable. Although you can no longer spend real money in The Cycle: Frontier, the daily deals will remain (for free currency), and with at least a 95 percent discount. In addition, the premium version of the Frontier Pass for the third season has been made available to all players for free. Gaining levels before the servers close will not be difficult, as progression has been significantly accelerated.
