Mountaintop Studios, the developer behind the tactical FPS game Spectre Divide, has announced the closure of both the game and the studio due to unmet expectations and insufficient revenue. Here’s a detailed look at the reasons behind this decision.
Spectre Divide Will Go Offline in 30 Days
Season 1 and Console Launch Did Not Meet Expectations
Tactical FPS Spectre Divide is set to shut down just six months after its release, as its Season 1 and console launch failed to meet the company's expectations. On March 13, the official Twitter (X) account of Spectre Divide shared a message with fans about the game's and the company's current situation.
Mountaintop Studios CEO Nate Mitchell expressed gratitude for the support received but acknowledged the disappointing performance of Season 1: Flashpoint. "It’s been two weeks since we launched Spectre Divide Season 1: Flashpoint," Mitchell stated. "We’re incredibly grateful for the positivity and support that you’ve shown over that short time. Unfortunately, the Season 1 launch hasn’t achieved the level of success we needed to sustain the game and keep Mountaintop afloat."
Despite an optimistic start with over 400,000 players and a peak concurrent player count of around 10,000 across all platforms, the game struggled to maintain active players and generate sufficient income to support ongoing operations.
The Verge reported in December 2024 that Mountaintop Studios was facing financial difficulties, with the console launch and Season 1 being their last-ditch effort to save the game. Game Director Lee Horn noted that marketing efforts were hampered by server issues at launch, which severely impacted the game's momentum. Mitchell added, "If they aren’t into season one, the way we hope they are, we’ll have to take a hard look at if we should keep going on as we are, or if players are telling us this isn’t what we want."
Spectre Divide is scheduled to go offline within 30 days. The company plans to disable new purchases and refund money spent since the Season 1 relaunch, with further details to be announced soon.
Spectre Divide Shutting Down Despite Raising $30 Million Last Year
The closure of Mountaintop Studios comes as a surprise to many, especially after the company successfully raised $30 million in funding last year. This funding came from top investors such as Anthos Capital, RX3 Growth Partners, A16Z GAMES, and other angel investors, as announced on their LinkedIn account in 2024.
Despite this substantial investment, Mitchell explained that it was not enough to sustain the game and the company. "We pursued every avenue to keep going, including finding a publisher, additional investment, and / or an acquisition. In the end, we weren’t able to make it work. The industry is in a tough spot right now," he said.
Mitchell reflected on their ambitions, stating, "We wanted to deliver something innovative and original in a crowded genre that would bring friends together around unforgettable moments. We shook up the format, created a fresh art style and universe, and partnered with some of our heroes. All of us knew from the beginning that the odds were against us, but that’s what we signed up for. It was never a surefire bet. We did it anyway."
Spectre Divide joins the growing list of live-service games that have failed to thrive, including Multiversus, Babylon’s Fall, Concord, and cancelled projects like The Last of Us Online and the reported God of War live service game.
Mountaintop Studios Closing Within The Week
In a final announcement, Mitchell revealed that Mountaintop Studios will close its doors by the end of the week due to exhausted funding. "Since the PC launch, we stretched our remaining capital as far as we could, but at this point, we’re out of funding to support the game. This means Mountaintop will be closing its doors at the end of this week," he concluded.
