A free-to-play multiplayer shooter on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox will be shutting down, as Bandai Namco has confirmed it’s bringingGundam Evolutionto the end of its lifespan. Bandai Namco says thatGundam Evolutionwill be shut down in November, just over one year after the game’s launch. The developers ofGundam Evolutionthank all the game’s players for their support but say that future development can’t be sustained in a way that will keep players happy.Gundam Evolutionis a free-to-play team-based shooter with six players facing off against six opponents in objective-focused match types. It is, in many ways, anOverwatch-inspiredGundamgamewhere the characters are replaced with mobile suits. Each mobile suit is drawn from popularGundamanime, manga, and video games, and wields weapons and powers taken directly from its source material.Gundam Evolutionalso featured an in-game battle pass for monetization, as well as loot boxes for unlocking content of different rarities.RELATED:Bandai Announces New Gunpla, Merchandise For The Witch From MercuryThe development team at Bandai Namco Online announced Thursday morning thatGundam Evolution’s online servicewill officially end on November 29. The game will remain live and available to play across all platforms, which include PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, until that date. In explanation for the decision, Bandai Namco says that it is “no longer possible for us to provide a service that satisfies our players.”
Updates forGundam Evolutionwill continue to be issued in Season 6, which starts on August 23, and in the game’s final season, starting October 25. Anew playableGundammobile suitwill be added with both updates, and two and one new maps, respectively. Bandai Namco says that it wants to ensure thatGundam Evolutionplayers can enjoy the game to its fullest “till the very end.” A final Mission Briefing livestream will be held on July 21 at 11:00 PM PT to discuss all remaining plans forGundam Evolution.
An apology is also written into the announcement, from the development team at Bandai Namco Online. While the apology doesn’t go into the team’s feelings, or explore what may have gone wrong or what could have been different, the team does express gratitude to all ofGundam Evolution’s players. It can’t be easy for developers to shut down a game that hasn’t even been live for a year.
The writing has unfortunately been on the wall forGundam Evolutionfor some time. At least on Steam, concurrent players ofGundam Evolutionwent from a healthy 56,000 down to less than 2,000 within two months.Gundam Evolutionreceived mixed reviews, with criticism focused on matchmaking, balance, slow updates, and uncharitable monetization. Unlocking new mobile suits, often thestrongestGundamunits in the game, was especially time-consuming and difficult without paying real money. Unfortunately, the time forGundam Evolutionto receive improvements has passed.
Gundam Evolutionis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
