Dead Star server shutdown
Dead Star was a multiplayer-only space combat shooter developed and published by Armature Studio, released on 5 April 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and on Steam for PC.[1] The 10-versus-10 game combined arcade-style shooting with MOBA-style strategy and was one of the PlayStation Plus free titles in its launch month.[1] On 18 October 2016, Armature announced that online functionality for the game would cease on 1 November 2016.[2]
Background
[edit | edit source]The game's content was primarily online-only multiplayer.[1]
Server shutdown
[edit | edit source]The servers were taken offline on 1 November 2016, about seven months after launch. As the game's content is primarily online-only, the only accessible content after the shutdown is the game's tutorial.[3] In the game's remaining days, players received boosted Fame rewards in all matches.[1]
Armature Studio's response
[edit | edit source]Armature Studio stated the shutdown was due to operating costs: "We are shutting down the game because, bluntly, the costs of operating the game now exceed its income," Director of operations Jack Mathews told Kotaku at the time.[1] The game was removed from the PlayStation Network and Steam storefronts ahead of the shutdown.[4]
Consumer response
[edit | edit source]Because the shutdown rendered the purchased product unusable beyond its tutorial, the game is tracked by the Stop Killing Games project, which campaigns against the destruction of video games after their commercial support ends.[5]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Matulef, Jeffrey (2016-10-19). "Armature's space MOBA/shooter Dead Star is being shuttered seven months after release". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2026-10-22. Retrieved 2026-10-30.
- ↑ "important notice". Dead Star Game. 2016-10-18. Archived from the original on 2016-10-21. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ↑ "Dead Star (2016)". MobyGames. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2026-10-30.
- ↑ McAloon, Alissa (2016-10-17). "Dead Star removed from PSN and Steam pending online server shutdown". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 2026-10-22. Retrieved 2026-10-30.
- ↑ "Dead game list". Stop Killing Games Wiki. Archived from the original on 2026-08-30. Retrieved 2026-10-30.