Mountaintop Studios, the developer behind the online shooter Spectre Divide, has announced its closure and the imminent shutdown of the game's servers. This news comes just six months after the US-based indie studio launched Spectre Divide in September 2024 as its debut title.

Formed in 2020 by veterans from renowned studios like Naughty Dog, Respawn, and Epic Games, Mountaintop Studios embarked on its journey with high hopes for Spectre Divide.  The free-to-play shooter, available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, initially showed promise, attracting a considerable player base. However, the game received mixed reviews upon release. Just weeks later, the studio laid off 13 employees in an attempt to secure the game's long-term future.  Unfortunately, these efforts proved insufficient.

CEO Nate Mitchell announced the studio's closure, stating it would occur by the end of the week (March 15, 2025).  Spectre Divide's servers are expected to follow suit within 30 days. Mitchell cited the underwhelming performance of the game's first season, Flashpoint, launched on February 25, as the primary reason for the shutdown.

He explained that despite an initially optimistic first week, Flashpoint failed to attract the necessary player numbers and revenue to cover the ongoing costs of both the game and the studio. This closure comes a mere 16 days after the game's console launch, which coincided with the start of Season 1.  Mountaintop Studios now joins the growing list of studio closures in 2025, which unfortunately includes offices of AAA developers like Ubisoft.

Mitchell also confirmed that in-game purchases will be disabled, and players will receive refunds for all transactions made since the launch of Season 1.  While Spectre Divide's shutdown is a loss for fans of the online shooter genre, other titles are emerging to fill the void.  FragPunk, another online shooter, has recently gained significant traction.  However, its long-term success and ability to retain players remain to be seen.