In a turn of events that has left many in the gaming community disheartened, the anticipated free-to-play hero shooter, Star Wars: Hunters, will not be making its way to PC as initially hoped. Following a wish voiced by PC Gamer’s Fraser Brown in June 2024 for the game to launch on Steam, it was confirmed in November that a release was scheduled for January 2025. However, recent announcements have dashed those expectations.
Closure Announcement
On April 15th, the final content update for Star Wars: Hunters will be released across all platforms, marking a significant milestone for the game. A shutdown message from the developers states, “The game will remain playable until October 1st, 2025, when the game’s online servers will be shut down.” This closure comes with a 30-day notice regarding the end of in-app purchases, allowing players time to utilize any remaining in-game currency.
Interestingly, the announcement does not explicitly address the delayed Steam release, which was initially set for January. The latest update on the Steam store page, shared on January 9, hinted at a postponement to incorporate player feedback from a December playtest. As the clock ticks down to the game’s closure, the likelihood of a Steam launch seems increasingly remote, leaving fans with mixed signals from the store page.
Even if Star Wars: Hunters had launched on Steam, the impending closure would likely have dampened enthusiasm. Players are generally hesitant to invest time and resources into a game that is already on a countdown to termination. A representative from Zynga has not confirmed the fate of the Steam release, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the title.
This situation reflects a broader trend within the gaming industry, where live service games often face abrupt endings, even when backed by well-known franchises. Star Wars: Hunters, which debuted in June 2024 after several delays from its original 2021 target, has struggled to gain traction, evidenced by its lukewarm reception on the Nintendo Switch, where it holds a mere 57 aggregate score on Metacritic.
