Pour one out for Stormdivers, readers. Developers Housemarque right this moment revealed that the long-suffering battle royale contender is being shelved indefinitely, together with all different tasks on the studio – save one. See, if there’s any regret within the Finnish agency’s announcement, it doesn’t present. On Housemarque’s 25th anniversary, the builders are gearing as much as announce their most bold game but – and in the event that they’re gonna make their subsequent massive hit, they’ll’t be dragging their heels on a struggling shooter.
In a weblog put up celebrating the studio’s silver anniversary, CEO Ilari Kuittinen introduced that Housemarque have gathered the entire band collectively for the studio’s “most ambitious and biggest game to date”. This means urgent pause on every thing else, together with ill-timed battle royale Stormdivers.
Kuittinen isn’t prepared to share rather more about this thriller venture in the interim. Expect to listen to an announcement within the “coming months”. As a lot as I’d like them to drag a 180 on the entire “arcade is dead” angle, this secret venture’s been within the works for about three years, with 80 individuals now hooked up to the game. Rather overkill, I’d reckon, in the event that they had been simply making one other Resogun.
As for Stormdivers? While solely “on hold” in the interim, it’s arduous to image Housemarque bringing it again. Despite bringing in nifty devices, superpowered jetbikes and a player-swallowing twister, Stormdivers has at all times felt behind the curve – lacking each the preliminary battle royale bubble and a deliberate 2019 launch date.
Kuittinen himself appeared pessimistic about Stormdiver’s possibilities final April, telling VG247 that success was “unlikely because of the tough competition.” I can’t say I blame him. For all of the swish sci-fi novelty on show, Stormdivers appeared resoundingly advantageous. Nothing spectacular, and little or no Apex Legends‘ cast of superpowered jackasses haven’t exceeded.
It’s by no means enjoyable to kill your darlings. But in Stormdiver’s case, it appears like Housemarque could have been prepared to maneuver on for a while.
