Wildgate Ends Development After One Year
After a year of struggling to attract a consistent player base, the PvPvE spaceship shooter Wildgate is officially ending its development cycle. In a recent Steam update, game director Dustin Browder confirmed that despite the efforts of developer Moonshot Games, the game has not found a large enough audience to sustain ongoing development. However, Browder emphasized that Wildgate will not be disappearing entirely.
"Wildgate is not going away," Browder wrote in the update. "It will continue to receive occasional updates, such as bug fixes, balance updates, and small events, activations, or rewards that generally repurpose existing content. New players will still be able to buy the game on all platforms, including Steam, EGS, Xbox, and PS."
The update also hinted at a potential return to the game, stating that the new patch coming in July will be the "last big patch for a while." This patch includes several quality-of-life improvements, such as additional information on game modes, player-controlled options for custom modes, new sprays and items in the in-game store, and a range of balance changes and bug fixes.
Moonshot Games' Future Uncertain
It remains unclear how the end of Wildgate's development will affect Moonshot Games. According to Browder, a small core team will continue to monitor the servers, but community management and player support will be reduced. The Wildgate Discord will be handed over to the community, a move that signals a shift in the game's long-term support.
Despite these changes, a spokesperson for Moonshot Games told PC Gamer that no layoffs are planned. The spokesperson added that members of the team are transitioning from Wildgate to work on new projects, although details about these upcoming ventures are not yet available.
"All of us at Moonshot put a lot of love into Wildgate as well as the community that has formed around it," the spokesperson said. "The core Wildgate team will continue to spend some time reviewing issues and supporting the game long-term."
A Creative Concept That Struggled to Find Its Audience
Wildgate was praised for its creative take on the spaceship shooter genre, with some calling it one of the most inventive titles in recent memory. However, it faced challenges in retaining players, with some critics noting that the game's execution did not always match its ambitious concept.
"In its best moments, Wildgate can create an entire story arc as your team rises in power, overcomes unforeseen obstacles, and eventually beats the odds," wrote Tyler Colp in his 60% review. "At its worst, it gives you 30-minute slogs where nobody is quite sure what to do until another more coordinated team dismantles your ship before you can even react."
While the game received a "mostly positive" rating on Steam, its audience quickly dwindled after launch. Despite multiple updates, including PvE-focused modes and the introduction of a free trial version, Wildgate never regained its initial momentum.
As Wildgate moves toward its final chapter, the hope is that Moonshot Games will find greater success with its next project.
