Splash Damage confirms that its multiplayer game Outcasters will be shutting down alongside Google Stadia. The announcement that Google would be shutting down its Stadia cloud gaming service came as a surprise to many, given Google's previous pledges to maintain the service. Stadia developers were perhaps the most surprised, given many of them rely on the platform. Splash Damage and Outcasters is perhaps the most poignant example of this.Outcasters originally launched on December 3, 2020. It's a free-to-play multiplayer arena combat game allowing for up the 8 players in a single match. Outcasters is also, most importantly, exclusive to the Stadia platform. Prior to Outcasters' launch, Google announced that it had formed a partnership with Splash Damage. Splash Damage CEO Richard Jolly even said at the time that the team's game designs and features would "take full advantage of everything Stadia has to offer." Unfortunately, that effort is what will cost Outcasters its entire availability.In a statement issued through the official Outcasters Twitter account, Splash Damage confirmed that the development team does not have plans to "bring Outcasters to other platforms." Since Stadia is the only platform Outcasters is available on, that means Outcasters will effectively be shut down. The reason for Splash Damage not porting Outcasters is the fact it was developed specifically for Stadia's unique systems, making the game too complex to alter for other platforms.
The statement closes with a thank you to all Stadia users that played Outcasters. Further, Splash Damage explains that it still supports cloud gaming, even if Stadia did not work out like many hoped. It says Splash Damage believes cloud gaming can make access to games easier than ever before, and that it remains "encouraged" that other cloud platforms continue to deliver on that promise.
While the confirmation that Outcasters will be shut down is disheartening, Splash Damage is a resourceful veteran team and likely has other projects that will carry it into the future. Between 2015 and 2020, Splash Damage worked heavily on the Gears of War franchise, including making Gears Tactics. Announced in 2021, a new Splash Damage sci-fi game was also confirmed, one of several projects being worked at in the studio.
As for when Outcasters will shut down, Splash Damage doesn't explicitly say. Google has confirmed that Stadia itself will be turned off on January 18, 2023, so Outcasters could persist until then. If Splash Damage doesn't see the value in lingering on the platform, Outcasters could be shut down before then. Outcasters isn't the only Stadia-exclusive game, with others including Gylt and Pixeljunk Raiders, but hopefully it's the only one unable to find a new home.
Outcasters is available now on Stadia.