Firewalk Studios has announced that just two weeks after its launch, the game will be taken offline, and all players who purchased it will be refunded.

While the team has promised to 'explore options' for the game to 'better reach [its] players,' the future for now seems much darker.

The game debuted with a flashy trailer in a 2023 PlayStation Showcase but failed to make an immediate impression.

On social media, there were questions about the decision to use a largely cinematic approach to introduce its story and character, given it was a live-service game with only light story elements.

Some called it a clone, while others immediately compared it unfavorably to other games.

When the game's beta launched in mid-2024, the reception was equally lukewarm.

Players who did jump in noted low player counts and interest, and while there were many who wanted to see it succeed, inspired by its neat theming and solid gameplay, it appears its core audience was never found.

On launch, early reports alleged the game had only sold a fraction of the number required to justify its development and maintenance costs.

This number was never confirmed by Firewalk Studios, but given the game is now being taken offline, we can assume sales disappointed the studio.

It's incredibly rare that a game is immediately pulled in this fashion, particularly a AAA production like this.

Per Firewalk Studios, while some elements of the game 'resonated with players,' there were 'other aspects of the game and [its] initial launch [that] didn't land the way [the studio] intended.

' It has thanked the players who did jump in and 'join the journey aboard the Northstar' regardless of these challenges.

The reality is that making a new live-service game in 2024 is a difficult proposition.

The market is already crowded with live-service competitors, and each demands a significant time investment from players.

Most also demand some sort of monetary investment, whether on launch or through the arrival of new seasonal content.

There's only so much time and money available to players – and not every new live-service game can be the next 'big thing.

' While the game appeared to have the chops to make an impact on the scene, word of mouth was not enough to overcome player perceptions or those requirements of time and money.

For now, the future of the game remains unclear.

Firewalk Studios has promised to keep fans updated on development progress as potential new pathways are explored – but for now, it's best to keep expectations in check.

The game had promise, but it will take a hefty amount of work to revamp it significantly enough to attract a much-needed, much-larger player base.