Typically, when a live-service game is shut down by its publisher, the assumption is the game failed to perform in some way–usually financially–and that its underwhelming performance resulted in its discontinuation. Star Wars Hunters–Zynga’s multiplayer shooter set in the Star Wars universe–is being shut down in October, but despite a lower-than-anticipated attach rate, Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau says it was “no failure” at all.
Speaking with The Game Business, Gibeau said that the team at Zynga built a “great tech base” and a “fun game” with Hunters, but the game did not emerge as a “viable business.” Specifically, Gibeau cites a lack of “organic installs from the license” as a contributing factor in its imminent discontinuation.
“We had some issues with how we could explore the intellectual property–could you play Darth Vader or could you not? That sort of thing,” Gibeau said. “We ended up with a cross-platform game on Switch and mobile that ran perfectly. It was fun. But it didn’t engage over the long term. And it wasn’t a viable business.”
