Fans of Titanfall 2 are rallying players to come back to the game next month. On May 1, Titanfall 2 players are expected to log into the game en masse as a show of care and support for the currently shelved series.
Respawn Entertainment's 2016 sophomore entry of its Titanfall IP was lauded by fans and critics alike upon its initial release. However, due to being launched in a crowded release window amongst heavy-hitters like Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the title underperformed commercially, causing the Titanfall series to go on somewhat of a hiatus. It's been recently reported that developer Respawn is working on a new game, but it's a brand new IP rather than a Titanfall 3.
Posted to the Xbox One, PlayStation, and Titanfall subreddits, fans of the sci-fi shooter have put out a clarion call (claiming to be BT-7274) for players to "Follow Protocol 4" and return to the game. Gamers seem to be keen on the idea, with the call-to-action image of BT's Vanguard-class Titan and accompanying Pilot Jack Cooper amassing a few thousand upvotes.
While a show of solidarity for the Titanfall 2 title, many gamers believe the effort is a continued push for a third game. The franchise began trending on Twitter in early April as fans started pleading for a Titanfall 3, with the plan to play the latest entry in large numbers likely to show Respawn that the demand for the IP is still there.
New Titanfall content is being released, just not as its own game. The spike in interest in the franchise comes as a result of the Apex Legends Valkyrie announcement. Valkyrie, AKA Kairi Imahara, is the daughter of the Titanfall 2 character Viper. Players will recall Viper as a Northstar Titan pilot and member of Kuben Blisk's Apex Predators.
Valkyrie's armaments and flight suit are built from salvaged parts of her father's Titan, directly tying her to the events of Titanfall 2. While it's been confirmed the upcoming Apex Legends season's content will be Titanfall-heavy, game director Chad Grenier has shot down rumors of Titans themselves showing up, tweeting "We don't have any plans to put Titans in Apex, at least in our current roadmap."
Gamers coming together to support a game is always admirable, especially for one that was released five years ago. The title remains a fan-favorite, with the series offering intense, fast-paced gameplay with unique mechanics and physics, implementing a multitude of mobility abilities like double-jumping, wall-running, and the notorious Grappling Hook. While the image was only posted a couple of days before the proposed date, it should be interesting to see how much momentum the plan gets.
While many fans may be quick to blame divisive publisher EA for the lack of new franchise entries, EA has clarified that making Titanfall 3 is up to Respawn. Hopefully, this player surge and themed Apex content will be enough to convince the developers that a next-gen Titanfall game is worth making.
Titanfall 2 is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Reddit