Space Junkies was released just under six months ago, but the game is already losing the interest of many. Ubisoft, the developers of the game, have decided that they will no longer be developing the game in post-launch phases. Although many believed this game would stick around for a while, Ubisoft thought it was time to pull the plug and move on to bigger and better projects.
The development team has also stopped the production of the flatscreen version of the game. This was a game that was being looked forward to by console and PC gamers alike. Ubisoft says that they will be keeping the game available for PC VR users and PSVR users, and a final update for the game will be released soon. You can check out their official statement out below.
“Hello Spacers,
We will be bringing the Space Junkies non-VR open beta to a close on Wednesday August 28th at 9am UTC.
While this is the end of our journey in terms of development of the game, the team is proud to have achieved what we set out to do: create a fun and fast-paced competitive FPS in VR.
The game servers will remain open and accessible to players who purchased the VR version of Space Junkies so that Spacers can continue to take on each other in the many community tournaments we’ve seen since launch.
The current plan, however, is to not release the non-VR version of the game.
Be sure to join our official Discord to keep in touch with other Spacers.”
When the game was released back in March of 2019, many were impressed, but VR enthusiast knew this game was far from finished. Ubisoft would need to add more to the game than nice visuals and a tournament to the game to keep the real gamers happy. Although this method worked for Fortnite, competing companies need to realize that Epic is a powerhouse that is hard to keep up with.
After the launch of the game, the gaming studio organized several community events to bring a real support system to the game, but it ultimately failed. There was even prizes of $25,000 to the winner, but that wasn’t enough to bring the game to new heights. Space Junkies also received multiple updates in the last half year, but sadly none of them were big enough to capture the eyes of enough people. This game is something that will go down as something that could’ve been, but wasn’t.
Although many that play this game are sad to see it die out so early into its life, it is actually surprising to see this game make it this far. As for Ubisoft VR games, they often die out in the first couple months. This is the furthest any game from has made it, and it was no accident. It seemed like Space Junkies received more developer attention than any of the previous games combined. Eagle Flight, Werewolves Within, Transference, and even Trackmania all died out within weeks of launch. The only game that is still kicking is Star Trek: Bridge Crew, and that is because of the wonderful paid DLC that makes appearances very often.
It seems as though Ubisoft is simply using VR as a playground right now. They have been experimenting with what sells in this industry since 2016, when VR became more mainstream. The company may be taking a different approach to the gaming than other companies, but Ubisoft is still working on large projects at the time. Ubisoft is planning on assemble team of 50 developers to work on their unannounced AAA VR title, and have another project in the works are well. Could we see Splinter Cell in VR in 2020? We will have to wait and see. For more VR gaming news and updates, make sure to check back at VRGear.com.
