Battleborn Devs Pull Plug On Future Updates After Free-to-Play Shift
The developers at Gearbox have one final update in store for Battleborn, and then no more. Randy Varnell, creative director of Battleborn at Gearbox and self-proclaimed senior nerd, made the announcement in a blog post while simultaneously apologizing to fans for the delay in pushing out what will be the last update.
"As of this week, there will be no more Battleplans and there is currently no planned content after the Fall Update. Details of any future changes or news will be made on our forums or through social media, so keep your radars on," Varnell said.
The announcement comes just a little over three months since Battleborn's multiplayer went to free-to-play, and around 15 months since the game launched in early March of last year. Unfortunately for Gearbox, the buzz surrounding Battleborn was somewhat short lived, as Overwatch released to the public just three weeks later. This prompted Gearbox to slash the price of Battleborn in half.
Evan though Battleborn is down to just one last update, Varnell insists that the game is not going anywhere, and that the servers will remain "up and active for the foreseeable future." Time will tell if that is truly the case.
Had Battleborn been able to capture the same kind of fan base as Overwatch, it probably would continue seeing ongoing development—it peaked at 12,000 users on Steam, versus 31,000 Overwatch streams on Twitch. However, it seems that Varnell is now ready to move on.
"I’ve been working on Battleborn nearly exclusively since 2012, and in some ways, that work stretches back to 2009 for me... Also, I want to personally thank you for giving Battleborn a chance, and dipping down into a new universe with us. We make games for you. And many of you have shared with us how much Battleborn has meant to you personally," Varnell added.
While Varnell did not say what new project he is working on, it is widely assumed that he and his team are focused on Borderlands 3.
"As of this week, there will be no more Battleplans and there is currently no planned content after the Fall Update. Details of any future changes or news will be made on our forums or through social media, so keep your radars on," Varnell said.
The announcement comes just a little over three months since Battleborn's multiplayer went to free-to-play, and around 15 months since the game launched in early March of last year. Unfortunately for Gearbox, the buzz surrounding Battleborn was somewhat short lived, as Overwatch released to the public just three weeks later. This prompted Gearbox to slash the price of Battleborn in half.
Evan though Battleborn is down to just one last update, Varnell insists that the game is not going anywhere, and that the servers will remain "up and active for the foreseeable future." Time will tell if that is truly the case.
Had Battleborn been able to capture the same kind of fan base as Overwatch, it probably would continue seeing ongoing development—it peaked at 12,000 users on Steam, versus 31,000 Overwatch streams on Twitch. However, it seems that Varnell is now ready to move on.
"I’ve been working on Battleborn nearly exclusively since 2012, and in some ways, that work stretches back to 2009 for me... Also, I want to personally thank you for giving Battleborn a chance, and dipping down into a new universe with us. We make games for you. And many of you have shared with us how much Battleborn has meant to you personally," Varnell added.
While Varnell did not say what new project he is working on, it is widely assumed that he and his team are focused on Borderlands 3.
