"Spectre Divide: Shroud-Backed FPS Closes After 6 Months"

Mountaintop Studios, the developer behind the tactical FPS game Spectre Divide, has announced the closure of both the game and the studio due to unmet expectations and insufficient revenue. Dive deeper into the reasons behind this decision and the statement from Mountaintop Studios' CEO.

Spectre Divide Will Go Offline in 30 Days

Season 1 and Console Launch Did Not Meet Expectations

Tactical FPS Spectre Divide is set to shut down just six months after its release, as the launch of Season 1 and the console version failed to meet the company's targets. The game's official Twitter (X) account shared a message with fans on March 13, detailing the current state of the game and the company.

Mountaintop Studios CEO Nate Mitchell expressed his gratitude, stating, "It’s been two weeks since we launched Spectre Divide Season 1: Flashpoint." He further noted, "We’re incredibly grateful for the positivity and support that you’ve shown over that short time. Unfortunately, the Season 1 launch hasn’t achieved the level of success we needed to sustain the game and keep Mountaintop afloat."

The company started with high hopes, boasting over 400,000 players and a peak concurrent player count of around 10,000 across all platforms within the first week. However, the numbers dwindled over time, leaving the team unable to sustain the necessary player base and income to keep Spectre Divide and the studio operational.

A report from The Verge in December 2024 highlighted Mountaintop Studios' struggles, indicating that the console launch and Season 1 were critical for the game's survival. Spectre Divide Game Director Lee Horn mentioned that despite robust marketing efforts, server issues at launch stifled the game's momentum. Mitchell added, "If they aren’t into season one, the way we hope they are, we’ll have to take a hard look at if we should keep going on as we are, or if players are telling us this isn’t what we want."

Spectre Divide is expected to go offline within 30 days, with plans to disable new purchases and issue refunds for money spent since the Season 1 relaunch. More details on this process will be shared soon.

Spectre Divide Shutting Down Despite Raising $30 Million Last Year

The closure of Mountaintop Studios came as a surprise to many, especially after raising $30 million in funding for Spectre Divide last year. The company announced on LinkedIn in 2024 that the funding came from top-tier investors, including Anthos Capital, RX3 Growth Partners, A16Z GAMES, and other angel investors.

Despite this financial backing, the game and the company were unable to thrive. Mitchell remarked, "We pursued every avenue to keep going, including finding a publisher, additional investment, and / or an acquisition. In the end, we weren’t able to make it work. The industry is in a tough spot right now."

He went on to say, "We wanted to deliver something innovative and original in a crowded genre that would bring friends together around unforgettable moments. We shook up the format, created a fresh art style and universe, and partnered with some of our heroes. All of us knew from the beginning that the odds were against us, but that’s what we signed up for. It was never a surefire bet. We did it anyway."

Spectre Divide joins the ranks of other live-service games that have failed to sustain themselves, such as Multiversus, Babylon’s Fall, Concord, and cancelled projects like The Last of Us Online and the reported God of War live service game.

Mountaintop Studios Closing Within The Week

Mitchell confirmed that Mountaintop Studios will cease operations by the end of the week, citing a depletion of funds. He stated, "Since the PC launch, we stretched our remaining capital as far as we could, but at this point, we’re out of funding to support the game. This means Mountaintop will be closing its doors at the end of this week."