Massive closure of mobile games this year no longer seem unusual, with companies ruthlessly getting rid of once-popular projects one after another and ruthlessly leaving thousands of players without support for their favourite games. Today let’s talk about the tragic fate of CrossfireX and the closure of Knockout City.

A side note: EA is closing Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield

The closure of Knockout City and what prompted it

Velan Studio released the game in 2021, and within two years it managed to attract around 12 million players. However, the project is closing down as early as June this year, with the developers claiming that working on it and retaining players has been quite a challenge for them.

There are several aspects of the game that need major upheavals in order to better attract and retain enough players to be sustainable. As we are a small indie studio, it is simply not possible for us to make such systemic changes to the live game while still maintaining it.
Jeremy Russo, Game Director of Knockout City

Velan said it hopes to use lessons learned from the project to create a new game in the Knockout City universe and will conduct a multi-faceted analysis on every aspect of the game to prepare for the challenge. The servers close on 6 June, but the studio will launch a private server for PC, creating a kind of “construct” for the game’s prospective existence in one form or another.

CrossfireX shutdown – a one-year life

On May 18, 2023, the virtual heart of the Xbox-exclusive shooter CrossfireX, which was released on February 3, 2022, will stop beating. Despite constant work, adding new content, maps, fixing bugs, developers Smilegate Entertainment have made the willful decision that “the game was out of place” and that the best solution is to shut it down.

The developer has immediately suspended all sales of CrossfireX and confirmed that no new modes, maps or in-game skins will be released before the game’s end date. Purchases made two weeks before 3 February are potentially eligible for a refund.

Massive closure of mobile games, PC and console projects: what should we expect?

As you can see, the new year has started with at least 4 games ceasing support. The massive mobile game closures and the withdrawal of support for PC and console projects indicate that the market is going through an unexpectedly tumultuous period, and given the fact that it’s only February, we can expect even more game closures on the horizon in the future. Only time will tell how this will affect the gaming industry, studios and the economy.