Death of a Game: Outriders
nerdSlayer Studios・18 minutes read
Outriders, developed by People Can Fly and published by Square Enix, faced initial success but struggled with declining player numbers, a lack of engaging end-game content, and profitability issues. Despite efforts to improve the game with updates and expansions, Outriders ultimately failed to maintain player interest and profitability, leading to its final update in August 2022 and a significant drop in player population by November 2022.
Insights
- Outriders, developed by People Can Fly in partnership with Square Enix, initially attracted millions of players but struggled with declining numbers, minimal updates, and profitability issues, raising concerns about its long-term viability.
- Despite positive aspects like well-crafted shooter mechanics and engaging lore, Outriders faced criticism for its short campaign, repetitive gameplay, and lack of end-game content, ultimately failing to maintain player interest and profitability, leading to its eventual decline and final update in August 2022.
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Recent questions
What is Outriders?
Outriders is a cooperative online looter shooter game developed by People Can Fly in partnership with Square Enix. It offers a story-driven experience with dark themes and RPG elements.
How was Outriders received upon release?
Outriders received mixed reviews upon release in April 2021. While it initially outperformed Marvel Avengers, it faced criticism for its short campaign and repetitive gameplay.
What were the main criticisms of Outriders?
Outriders faced criticism for its lack of engaging end-game content, unsatisfying combat loop, and perceived similarities to Destiny, which led to struggles in maintaining player interest.
Did Outriders receive updates to address player feedback?
Yes, Outriders received updates like the New Horizon and World's Lair expansions to introduce new content and balancing changes. However, despite these efforts, player numbers continued to decline.
What was the fate of Outriders in the long run?
Despite efforts to balance the game and release new content, Outriders failed to turn a profit, leading to its final update in August 2022 and a significant drop in player population by November 2022.
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Summary
00:00
Outriders: Ambitious RPG shooter faces uncertain future
- People Can Fly, a Polish developer, known for Gears of War and Bulletstorm, partnered with Square Enix for their ambitious project, Outriders.
- Outriders, a cooperative online looter title, attracted over 3 million players initially but faced a drastic decline in player numbers over time.
- Despite ongoing development, Outriders received minimal content updates and lacked profitability, leading to uncertainty about its future.
- The game's development began in 2015, with a significant team expansion and partnership with Square Enix announced in 2020.
- Outriders, described as an RPG shooter, aimed to offer a story-driven experience with dark and brutal themes inspired by various sources.
- The game's release was delayed multiple times, with a demo attracting 2 million players but facing server connectivity issues.
- Outriders launched in April 2021 to mixed reviews, outperforming Marvel Avengers initially but facing criticism for its short campaign and repetitive gameplay.
- Game Informer praised Outriders for its well-thought-out shooter mechanics with RPG elements, while PC Gamer criticized its unsatisfying combat loop and short campaign.
- Despite quality storytelling and lore, Outriders struggled to maintain player interest due to perceived similarities to Destiny and lack of engaging end-game content.
- The game's fate remains uncertain, with concerns about its long-term viability and player retention.
13:11
Outriders struggles with content and player retention
- Outriders, a looter shooter game, faced issues with alienating its audience, particularly looter shooter fans, due to a lack of content beyond the campaign and online missions.
- The game's always online requirement caused connectivity problems, especially for players on Wi-Fi, making it difficult to play with poor connections.
- Despite Square Enix considering Outriders a success with 3.5 million players, the player count dropped significantly within a month, indicating a lack of sustained interest.
- Updates like the New Horizon and World's Lair expansions aimed to improve the game with new content and balancing changes, but player numbers continued to decline.
- The World's Slayer expansion added new content and gameplay features, receiving mixed reviews for improving the endgame but still lacking in certain areas.
- Despite efforts to balance the game and release new content, Outriders failed to turn a profit, leading to its final update in August 2022 and a significant drop in player population by November 2022.
