In a time when many developers have taken the games-as-a-service route, there are countless new games coming out and shutting down. From high-profile failures likeBattlebornandEvolveto countless mobile games thatreached the end of their service, it’s become a reality that certain titles have a ticking clock over their heads. Many larger games are safe from this, and there are natively offline titles for players to enjoy. But sometimes, even a game from a larger publisher can fall victim to a lack of interest and shut down quickly. The most recent case of this is Ubisoft’sHyper Scape.
Hyper Scapeis a free-to-play 100-player battle royale from Ubisoft Montreal. It was first revealed in July 2020, and after a brief open betaHyper Scapelaunched in August 2020. The game was advertised to be a new, fast-paced, and more dynamic style of battle royale, as players could move with more freedom than in other popular titles. The map would also gradually decay in different ways, creating an ever-changing experience. There was more than one possible win condition, with players able to play keep-away with a crown late in the match. Combined with strong Twitch implementation,Hyper Scapeseemed to be shooting for the stars. Unfortunately, its short life was immediately apparent.
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Hyper Scape Couldn’t Compete With Other Battle Royales
From the game’s launch, it’s difficult to find things that Ubisoft did wrong withHyper Scape. It made sure that plenty ofpopular streamers and influencers got access to the betaand streamed it. It also gaveHyper Scapea dedicated Crowncast Twitch extension, allowing viewers to give boons to their streamer of choice and vote on temporary special rules.
The game launched shortly after its open beta and immediately started up its first season of content, titled “The First Principle." Players and viewers were rewarded with some in-game currency by playing or watching the beta shortly before the full game’s launch.Cross-platform progressionwas available for those who tried the beta on PC but were waiting for the proper console releases. Tons of content was added throughout the season, and snippets of story were hidden in the world each week.
Unfortunately, as promising asHyper Scapeseemed, it wasn’t enough to stay afloat. The summer of 2020 was a strange time for gaming, with livestreams revealing news and next-gen consoles on the horizon. After some attention in July,Hyper Scapebecame lost in the fold. Many players were either playing their preferred battle royale, or were not interested in the genre. There didn’t seem to be anyone clamoring forHyper Scape, partially owed to it coming in late on the battle royale trend.PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,Fortnite,Apex Legends, andCall of Duty: Warzonehad dominated the space.ValorantandFall Guysalso released a couple of months and a week, respectively, beforeHyper Scape.
The Signs of Hyper Scape’s Death Were Obvious
After most of the industry forgot the game existed,Hyper Scapeappeared in the news in January 2022 to announce its August 28 shutdown. The game will be available less than two years total, a surprisingly low amount. While free-to-play models lower the barrier of entry, an absent price tag can backfire on an underperforming game. Post-launch support lasted until 2021 with three seasons, but Ubisoft barely marketedHyper Scapeduring that time.Rainbow Six SiegeandFor Honorhave been kept alive, but that sort ofpush forHyper Scapewasn’t there.
The final death knell sounded forHyper Scapewhen Ubisoft began experiencing talent bleed in 2021. The company has been forced to re-evaluate what its most important projects are going forward, and what staff it can spare to work on them. While Ubisoft Montreal is an accomplished studio with some of Ubisoft’s best games, its efforts are better spent working on a major upcoming project than a game that quickly dwindled in players and Twitch viewers.Hyper Scapewas an experimental projectthat showed a lot of promise, but its circumstances didn’t work out. Hopefully, Ubisoft’s next battle royaleTom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Frontlinecan learn from its predecessor’s mistakes.
Hyper Scapeservers will be shutting down on July 14, 2025.
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