Mountaintop Studios, the developer behind the tactical FPS game Spectre Divide, has announced the closure of both the game and the studio itself due to insufficient player engagement and revenue. Read on for detailed insights into the reasons behind this decision and statements from the company's leadership.
Spectre Divide Will Go Offline in 30 Days
Season 1 and Console Launch Did Not Meet Expectations
Tactical FPS Spectre Divide is set to shut down just six months after its launch, following disappointing results from its Season 1: Flashpoint and the console release. The official announcement was made by Spectre Divide’s Twitter (X) account on March 13, addressing the game's current status and the challenges faced by Mountaintop Studios.
Mountaintop Studios' CEO, Nate Mitchell, shared his thoughts, stating, "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."
The studio initially saw promising numbers with over 400,000 players and a peak concurrent player count of around 10,000 across all platforms within the first week. However, the sustained player base and revenue did not meet the thresholds required to maintain operations.
A December 2024 report from The Verge highlighted Mountaintop Studios' financial struggles, noting that the console launch and Season 1 were critical to the game's survival. Spectre Divide Game Director Lee Horn pointed out that despite marketing efforts, server issues at launch hindered the game's momentum. Mitchell further explained, "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."
Spectre Divide is scheduled to go offline within 30 days, with the studio planning to disable new purchases and issue refunds for money spent since the Season 1 relaunch. More detailed information on this process will be announced soon.
Spectre Divide Shutting Down Despite Raising $30 Million Last Year
The closure of Mountaintop Studios comes as a surprise, especially after the company successfully raised $30 million in funding last year. This funding was backed by industry giants such as Anthos Capital, RX3 Growth Partners, A16Z GAMES, and various angel investors, as announced on their LinkedIn in 2024.
Despite this financial boost, Mitchell admitted, "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 reflected on their mission, saying, "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 struggled to maintain viability, including Multiversus, Babylon’s Fall, Concord, and canceled projects like The Last of Us Online and a reported God of War live service game.
Mountaintop Studios Closing Within The Week
In a final announcement, Mitchell revealed that Mountaintop Studios will cease operations by the end of the week. The studio exhausted its remaining funds post-PC launch but could not secure additional support.
Mitchell concluded, "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."
