After a promising launch, interest in Shroud’s competitive shooter, Spectre Divide, has dramatically declined on Steam, resulting in thousands of negative reviews.
Released on September 3 with minimal marketing support, Spectre Divide features distinctive cel-shaded graphics and strives to introduce unique mechanics that differentiate it from established titles like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant.
At its peak, the game boasted over 30,000 concurrent players; however, it quickly faced criticism for what many perceived as excessive pricing. The shooter’s inaugural store bundle was priced at $90, but this was soon reduced by 17% to 25% across the board.
While it’s difficult to determine if the monetization debate impacted Spectre Divide‘s decline, as of now, the game has dropped to just over 4,000 concurrent players, with a 24-hour peak of fewer than 10,000 according to SteamDB.
Player count for Spectre Divide plummeted from 30k to 4k in under a month.
Declines in active players are typical in live service games. Initial excitement often leads to a steep drop-off as players seek out the next trending game. However, the longevity of competitive games largely hinges on sustained audience engagement.
Sadly for Spectre Divide, its visibility on streaming platforms has not shown significant improvement either. Between September 22-23, Twitch viewership hit a peak of just over 2,000, a stark contrast to an impressive all-time high of over 80,000.
Steam reviews reflect a mixed sentiment, with negative comments citing performance problems, lack of enjoyment, and issues related to monetization. Although positive reviews still outweigh the negatives, they are insufficient to elevate the game’s overall rating above “Mixed.”
As for Shroud, during a stream on September 10, the popular content creator rage-quit a session of Spectre Divide, opting instead to play Deadlock. “This game, Deadlock, has transformed how I view myself and my peers. It has completely twisted my brain,” he remarked at the time.
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