It’s tough to make a successful multiplayer videogame for VR. And even when things do go well that doesn’t guarantee its longevity. That’s been proven not once but twice this month. The first was Echo VR and now Secret Location has announced it’ll shut down NERF Ultimate Championship during the summer.
However, the circumstances are very different. NERF Ultimate Championship only arrived for Meta Quest 2 on 25th August 2022. So in less than six months, the axe has already fallen. However, as the Secret Location statement explains isn’t due to a lack of player support, rather the studio itself is closing.
NERF is getting NERFed
Here’s the statement in full:
Hello Champions
Today we have some important, but hard, news to announce to the community on the future of NERF Ultimate Championship. With a heavy heart, the decision has been made to wind down support for the game and any future content. The choice to do so does not come lightly, but with recent changes at our parent company, Secret Location will be shutting down as a studio and we will no longer have the resources to continue supporting the game.
Concretely, this means that players will no longer be able to launch the game after August 31st 2023, The game will also be “de-listed” on the Meta Quest Store as of March 1st so that no additional purchases of the game can be made. From March 1st to August 31st, existing players that own the game will still be able to fully enjoy the game, unlocking skins through the Season Pass, and playing all the maps currently available. After August 31st, the servers will be shut down and the game will no longer be accessible. We know the passion and enthusiasm you have all had for our game is still there, and we hope you enjoy it with your friends until the end date.
Thank you all for playing our game and for the energy you brought to the Arena. While support for the game between now and August 31st will be minimal, we hope you can all enjoy one last hurrah over the next six months.
There’s little point in buying the game now. But for those who’ve enjoyed it over the past few months, there’s still time for a few more matches.
Are you sad to see the end of NERF Ultimate Championship? Let us know in the comments below.