‘Shroud’s game’ Spectre Divide—and its developer—are shutting down just 6 months after its release

Just six months after its launch, Spectre Divide—which had FPS streaming god shroud as an advisor—is shutting down, along with its creator Mountaintop Studios. The news came in the form of a heartfelt letter posted on March 12, where the team announced that the game will go offline within the next 30 days.

For those who followed Spectre Divide’s journey, the announcement was a gut punch. Mountaintop has poured years into the competitive FPS, working to shake up the genre with the fresh two-body mechanic and an emphasis on teamwork. Even after a rocky launch, the developers made massive improvements with Season 1: Flashpoint, bringing the game to consoles and refining virtually every aspect based on player feedback. But in the end, it wasn’t enough to keep things afloat.

“We had a few tough stumbles out of the gate when we launched in September,” the letter reads. “But this team rallied and poured everything into tackling your critical feedback for Season 1… Even though it wasn’t enough to achieve financial success, this team fought tooth and nail and went down swinging.”

The letter from Mountaintop Studios CEO Nate Mitchell struck a bittersweet tone, reflecting on the passion behind Spectre Divide while acknowledging the harsh reality of the industry. Despite 400,000 players trying the game, the current peak concurrent player count is just 10,000, not enough to keep the game going. Revenue fell short of covering operational costs, and after exhausting every possible avenue—seeking publishers, investors, and even an acquisition—Mountaintop has had no choice but to call it quits.

The team also confirmed that refunds will be issued for all purchases made since Season 1 launched on Feb. 25. Players will be able to enjoy the game for a little longer, but Spectre Divide will disappear entirely when its servers shut down in about a month.

Reactions across social media and Reddit have been a mix of sadness, frustration, and the ever-present “I saw this coming.” One player summed up the general sentiment, saying, “Between the amount of PC haters in this Reddit alone and shroud not playing it, I was worried this was going to happen. I just thought we had more time for it to turn around. RIP, this was a really good game. Pray the devs land on their feet after this.”

If you’ve spent any time in discussions about Spectre Divide, you’ve probably seen people call it “shroud’s game.” While the popular streamer was involved as the lead gameplay advisor, Spectre Divide was entirely developed and owned by Mountaintop. CEO Nate Mitchell even addressed this confusion in the past, confirming that Mountaintop had been working on the game for years before shroud ever came on board.

Of course, with the recent launch of FragPunk on March 6, some players couldn’t resist making comparisons. One Redditor quipped, “Now we will see how long FragPunk lasts. I say longer than Spectre, as I think it’s actually better.” Given FragPunk’s recent AI art accusations, that remains to be seen.

Spectre Divide’s closure is yet another reminder of how brutal the gaming industry can be, even for promising indie studios. Mountaintop set out to create something unique in the competitive FPS space, and despite their efforts, they couldn’t keep the lights on. It’s a story we’ve seen far too often in the past year, as layoffs and closures continue to ripple across the industry.

For now, fans of Spectre Divide have one last chance to jump in before the servers go dark for good. Whether the game will be remembered as an underrated gem or just another casualty of a tough market, one thing is certain—Mountaintop fought until the very end.