Gearbox Software took a big risk back in 2016 when it decided to work on a new IP instead of going forward with Borderlands 3, which was already highly awaited at that point in time. The new IP in question came in the form of Battleborn, a FPS/MOBA hybrid game. Sadly, things didn’t turn out the way Gearbox probably expected, and the risk the studio took made did not lead to a good outcome.
It has been more or less five years since Battleborn’s release, and Gearbox Software has officially shut down the game’s servers. This was confirmed via the game’s official Twitter account, which informed the few remaining players that the servers are no more. In other words, no one can play Battleborn ever again.
The tweet states that the team who worked on the game were proud of what they were able to accomplish with Battleborn, and concludes with a brief thank you to the small yet steadfast community of fans.
Please note that the Battleborn servers have been deactivated and the game is no longer playable. We’re extremely proud of the work that went into the game and want to extend our deep appreciation to the community. To learn more, please refer to this FAQ. https://t.co/vARxt3qaLs
— Battleborn (@Battleborn) January 31, 2021
Even though Battleborn wasn’t exactly popular in the general video game community, it’s still unfortunate every time a game such as this gets deactivated. After all, people spent real-world money and invested in this game, and now they will no longer be able to access it at all.
On the bright side, fans were given sufficient time to prepare for the servers’ shut down. In fact, the community was informed well ahead of time in order for them to prepare and say their goodbyes. The warning was first announced back in November 2019, which means that players had more than a full year to binge on the game, tie any loose ends, unlock achievements, or do whatever they wanted.
This is completely different from other online titles, which simply shut down without any warning, or the developer didn’t give players enough time to prepare. Even though Battleborn players had a little over a year to prepare though, some fans are still understandably upset, with some even asking for refunds.
https://twitter.com/shanesyhayes/status/1356025440654286852?s=20
That being said, this event must be incredibly hard for the developers as well. After all, they put in time, sweat, and effort in Battleborn just to bring it to life. In fact, one of the game’s writers took to Twitter at the beginning of January 2021 to express how heartbroken they felt about the server shutdown. We imagine that most if not all the other developers feel just as sad as well.
Battleborn’s servers getting shut down isn’t the first time that an online game has been deactivated and rendered unplayable—and it won’t be the last either. Last year, Amazon shut down the servers for Crucible after an unsuccessful launch. We can’t control how well or how badly a new game will play, but hopefully, future developers who make the difficult decision to shut down their game’s servers should follow in Gearbox Software’s footsteps.
They should take a look at how the studio handled the situation. By giving the players enough time before closure, chances are higher that they will be able to make peace with a favorite game getting shut down.
