PS5, Xbox Game shutting down forever
A free-to-play multiplayer shooter for PC, PlayStation and Xbox will be shut down as Bandai Namco has confirmed it is bringing Gundam Evolution to end of life. Bandai Namco says that Gundam Evolution will shut down in November, just over a year after the game’s launch. The Gundam Evolution developers thank all players for their support, but say that future development cannot be sustained in a way that will keep players happy.
Gundam Evolution is a free-to-play team-based shooter featuring six players taking on six opponents in objective-focused matches. It is, in many ways, an Overwatch-inspired Gundam game, where characters are replaced by mobile suits. Each Mobile Suit is drawn from popular Gundam anime, manga and video games, and features weapons and powers taken directly from their source material. Gundam Evolution also featured an in-game battle pass for monetization, as well as loot boxes to unlock content of different rarities.
The Bandai Namco Online development team announced on Thursday morning that the Gundam Evolution online service will officially end on November 29. The game will remain live and available to play on all platforms including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X./S until that date. In explanation for the decision, Bandai Namco says that “it is no longer possible to provide a service that satisfies our players”.
Updates for Gundam Evolution will continue to roll out in Season 6, which begins August 23rd, and the game’s final season, starting October 25th. respectively. Bandai Namco says it wants to ensure that Gundam Evolution players can enjoy the game to the fullest “all the way”. A final Mission Briefing livestream will be held on July 21 at 11:00 PM PT to discuss all remaining plans for Gundam Evolution.
An apology is also written in the announcement, from the Bandai Namco Online development team. While the apology doesn’t address the team’s feelings or explore what might have gone wrong or what could have gone differently, the team does express gratitude to all Gundam Evolution players. It can’t be easy for developers to shut down a game that hasn’t been live for a year.
Unfortunately, the writing has been on the wall for Gundam Evolution for quite some time. At least on Steam, Gundam Evolution’s concurrent players went from a healthy 56,000 to less than 2,000 in two months. Gundam Evolution received mixed reviews, with criticism focusing on matchmaking, balance, slow updates, and uncharitable monetization. Unlocking new mobile suits, often the strongest Gundam units in the game, was especially time-consuming and difficult without paying real money. Unfortunately, the time for Gundam Evolution to receive improvements has passed.
Gundam Evolution is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.