Chinese Megacorp Tencent To Shut Down Synced, Ending Another Live Service Game's Run

Tencent Holdings ADR TCEHY has announced plans to terminate Synced, its free-to-play co-op shooter, just a year after its launch.

Developed by NExT Studios and published by Tencent’s global games brand, Level Infinite, Synced hit the market in September 2023, IGN reported.

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Although the game had an initial peak of 10,272 concurrent players on Steam, its player base quickly dwindled. By October, it struggled to maintain even 1,000 concurrent players, with current numbers barely reaching 23. Reviews on Steam have also plummeted from ‘mixed’ to ‘mostly negative’.

In a statement, Tencent confirmed that Synced will be retired on September 9, 2024. Until then, the game will remain playable. “

We are grateful for all the love and support we received for Synced and we hope you will enjoy our other new and existing titles,” Tencent stated.

They also addressed the retention of player data, mentioning, “The reason we may store your information after terminating Synced is to be able to meet our obligations to you and to other parties.”

Synced's closure is the latest in a series of live service game shutdowns, highlighting the fierce competition within the genre.

Despite significant investments, even high-profile games like Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League have struggled to capture a sustained audience.

Nonetheless, new entries continue to flood the market. Korean company Nexon Company ADR NEXOY recently launched The First Descendant, which amassed 10 million players in its first week, and NetEase Inc‘s NTES survival game Once Human has also made a strong debut on Steam.

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