In a recent announcement, the community manager for the multiplayer extraction survival horror game, Level Zero: Extraction, conveyed disappointing news regarding the game’s future. Just two weeks following its launch on Steam, the title has been deemed unsustainable due to underperformance relative to expectations. The message from Antishyr indicated that the financial viability of continuing development is no longer feasible for the small team behind the project.
Game Overview and Transition
Level Zero, originally an asymmetric survival game, tasked players with the challenge of repairing a facility while evading a menacing alien creature. After a period of silence, the game was reintroduced as Level Zero: Extraction, shifting its focus to a more conventional extraction shooter format. This change aimed to attract players by casting them as mercenaries rather than scientists, a move that art director Alex Golenishchev described as an “organic evolution” of the game’s concept. He believed that blending genres could create a unique experience in a crowded market.
Despite these aspirations, the game’s reception fell short. Following its early access debut in August 2024, Level Zero: Extraction peaked at just over 2,600 concurrent players, a number that swiftly dwindled to below 100 by mid-October. The official 1.0 release in January 2025 failed to rejuvenate interest, with a peak of only 98 players shortly after launch. Currently, the player count has dwindled to a mere 20.
Future of the Game
While the servers for Level Zero: Extraction will remain operational, the development team has confirmed that no new content will be added. Monthly wipes will continue on the first Thursday of each month, but players should not expect any new maps, weapons, cosmetics, or game modes. The final patch for the game was released on January 30, 2025, marking what is likely to be its last significant update.
Looking ahead, DogHowl, the developer behind Level Zero: Extraction, is pivoting towards a new multiplayer project, this time focusing on a co-op experience. The studio expressed hope that the lessons learned from this venture will inform their future endeavors, aiming to leverage the invaluable experience gained during the development of Level Zero: Extraction.