The original Firewall Zero Hour for PSVR was very popular and one of the best reasons to own a PlayStation Aim Controller. Developed by First Contact Entertainment, the studio released its sequel Firewall Ultra earlier this year. However, the game was beset by problems and didn’t become the expected PSVR 2 summer highlight. This has led the Firewall Ultra developer to announce that it is shutting down.
VR is a difficult business at the best of times but the troubled launch of Firewall Ultra put players off from the start. The studio blames a “lack of support for VR within the industry”. And that “As a AAA VR game developer, we are just not able to justify the expense needed.” The series operated using a live-service model, but that hasn’t been as fortuitous for the sequel.
First Contact Entertainment Shuttering
The First Contact Statement in full:
“After almost 8 years of working with the most amazing team I’ve ever have the pleasure of being part of, I’m sad to announce that we will be closing our company First Contact Entertainment by the end of the year. The lack of support for VR within the industry has eventually taken its toll. As a AAA VR game developer, we are just not able to justify the expense needed going forward. We are a team of fearless innovators willing to push new technologies to its limits. I am extremely proud of the team and grateful to our investors, our partners and of course our community of dedicated and passionate players. It’s been a wild ride, Thankyou!”
It makes the end of a very turbulent year for the videogame industry as a whole, with numerous layoffs and studios closing.
The studio released its Operation Bloodline season earlier this month, the first and very likely the last season players will get. As an online multiplayer, it’s now unclear how long the servers will remain active and playable.
Are you a Firewall Ultra fan? What do you think the studio could have done better with the game? Let us know in the comments below.
