Star Wars: Hunters, a free-to-play squad shooter, is being shut down less than a year after it first launched.
Originally announced back in 2021 before it was eventually released last June, Star Wars: Hunters saw teams of four players battle it out in a number of familiar locations, including the ice planet of Hoth, the forest moon of Endor, the Death Star and the sandy world of Tatooine.
Players could also pick from a range of specially-created characters including a Wookie with a “penchant for disarming droids and his opponents”, a righteous Mandalorian, a “dark side warrior”, a gun-wielding Stormtrooper and a droid that has been programmed to believe it is a Jedi.
After launching for Nintendo Switch and Mobile, a PC launch was set to take place earlier this year but after a playtest on Steam in December, that was pushed back. Developer Zynga has now confirmed the PC launch has been scrapped altogether, and the Star Wars: Hunters will be shut down entirely later this year.
“After careful consideration, we want to let you know that the final content update for Star Wars: Hunters on all platforms will be on April 15th,” Zynga said in a statement. “The game will remain playable until October 1, 2025, when the game’s online servers will be shut down.”
“We understand this news may be disappointing and want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly. Your passion and dedication to the game and its community have meant the world to us, and we are committed to providing visibility and updates throughout the transition process.”
Reacting to the shut down on Reddit, one fan wrote: “I am legitimately bummed. I seriously played this game nearly every day and spent money every season.”
“Hunters really had so much potential. Not saying it would’ve been the Star Wars answer to Marvel Rivals but it had a genuinely fun and mostly well-balanced gameplay loop, creative maps and characters, and as far as F2P mobile games go, the microtransactions weren’t nearly as overtly predatory as 95 per cent of the market,” said another fan.
According to a FAQ section of the Star Wars: Hunters website, players will not be refunded for unused crystals (the game’s paid currency) or the season five arena pass. However some fans have been able to get their money back after complaining to Apple about the shut down.
In other news, Xbox has revealed a new, AI-powered assistant to help you get better at gaming but it’s getting mixed reviews.