"Spectre Divide Shuts Down 6 Months Post-Launch, Despite Shroud's Support"

Mountaintop Studios, the developer behind the tactical FPS game Spectre Divide, has announced the closure of both the game and the studio due to insufficient income and unmet expectations. Read on to discover more about the reasons behind this decision and the statement from Mountaintop Studios' CEO.

Spectre Divide Will Go Offline in 30 Days

Spectre Divide, launched just six months ago, will cease operations in 30 days following a disappointing performance during its first season and console launch. The game's official Twitter (X) account shared the news with fans on March 13, detailing the current challenges facing the game and the company.

Mountaintop Studios CEO Nate Mitchell expressed his gratitude for the community's support but acknowledged the harsh reality: "It's been two weeks since we launched Spectre Divide Season 1: Flashpoint. 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."

Despite an initial surge of over 400,000 players and a peak concurrent player count of around 10,000 across all platforms within the first week, the game struggled to maintain an active player base and generate sufficient revenue to support ongoing operations.

In December 2024, The Verge reported on Mountaintop Studios' precarious financial situation, noting that the console launch and Season 1 were seen as the last chance to turn things around. Spectre Divide Game Director Lee Horn cited server issues at launch as a significant setback that hampered 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."

The studio plans to disable new purchases within the game and issue refunds for money spent since the Season 1 relaunch. More details on this process are expected to be announced soon.

Spectre Divide Shutting Down Despite Raising $30 Million Last Year

The closure of Spectre Divide comes as a surprise, especially after Mountaintop Studios successfully raised $30 million in funding the previous year. The company highlighted on its LinkedIn account in 2024 that the investment came from top industry players such as Anthos Capital, RX3 Growth Partners, A16Z GAMES, and other angel investors.

Despite this substantial backing, the funding was not enough to keep the game and studio afloat. Mitchell explained, "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 further elaborated on the studio's ambitious vision: "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 a growing list of live-service games that have failed to sustain themselves, including Multiversus, Babylon's Fall, Concord, and the cancelled projects like The Last of Us Online and the reported God of War live service game.

Mountaintop Studios Closing Within The Week

In a final announcement, Mitchell revealed that Mountaintop Studios will close its doors by the end of the week, as the studio's remaining capital has been exhausted. 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."