Breakdown
- After a rough launch and radio silence, Wayfinder’s developer has turned off new sales of the MMO
- The game has had plenty of troubles, including server issues, content shortages, and the publisher abruptly shutting down
- However, developer Airship Syndicate promises that Wayfinder isn’t going anywhere, with changes being announced soon
You'd be forgiven if you had forgot about Wayfinder, the Airship Syndicate-developed MMO that was, originally, published by Digital Extremes, the company known for Warframe. Releasing in early access on Steam and PS5, it's had a rough few months, and now, you can't even purchase the game anymore.
While many are moving onto the next big MMO, waiting for the Dune Awakening release date or the new MMO from Runescape's co-founder, there's still a few people excited by the whimsical charm and Warframe-style hero MMO, Wayfinder. The launch of the game was very rocky, with server issues for the first week, followed by a lack of content and Digital Extremes closing its publishing arm.
After months of radio silence, the Wayfinder Twitter account has announced that it has pulled the game from storefronts, meaning you can't purchase it right now. That includes all of the Founder's Packs of the game, from the basic to the Exalted pack.
In the statement, developer Airship Syndicate claims that "We know Wayfinder had a rocky launch, but we still believe in the game and the world we created", adding that the team has "spent the last several months working behind the scenes, challenging some of the core ideas in Wayfinder and creating an experience that remains consistent with our standards and beliefs".
Airship Syndicate is planning to share news on the changes in the coming months, but for now, it has "turned off new sales of the game for the time being", confirming that players who have purchased the game already can still play the MMO.
Currently, Wayfinder is stuck in the first season of content, with The Venomess being the latest hero added to the game. After Digital Extremes' abrupt closure of the publishing arm made Airship's updating schedule difficult, occasionally locking PS5 players out of the game for extended periods of time, it makes sense that the team want to halt sales in an attempt to limit issues.
While there's a sense of anxiety around the pause of sales, the team is keen to ensure players that Wayfinder isn't closing down. In a reply to a concerned player, Airship states that "WAYFINDER ISN'T GOING ANYWHERE", in an attempt to ease concerns.
I purchased the Exalted Pack back in August, when the game released, and while I haven't played it in a while, I enjoyed the core of Wayfinder. There's certainly been some rocky moments, and I'm worried that Wayfinder might not make a great second impression, but I'm hopeful that Airship's independence may make the MMO a more player-friendly experience in the future.
For the time being, if you're looking for an exciting MMO, our Dune Awakening preview of a recent press livestream praised the adaptation of the world of Arrakis, stating that it could be leading the way for the next generation of MMORPGs.