{"id":1573191,"date":"2026-05-07T16:36:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rEyTJ43dJkhGbbDBAU9QRj"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:36:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:36:32","slug":"indie-shooter-devs-pull-a-reverse-concord-no-one-played-their-game-but-they-make-it-free-to-play-and-keep-the-servers-online-indefinitely-anyway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/indie-shooter-devs-pull-a-reverse-concord-no-one-played-their-game-but-they-make-it-free-to-play-and-keep-the-servers-online-indefinitely-anyway\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie shooter devs pull a reverse-Concord: No one played their game, but they ‘make it free to play and keep the servers online indefinitely’ anyway"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After around a year and a half in early access, Blindfire\u2014a multiplayer FPS whose main thing<\/em> is that its arenas are all incredibly dark, forcing you to rely on your other senses (and tech, naturally) to catch enemies\u2014got its full release.<\/p>\n

Which was something of a bittersweet event for its devs at Double Eleven, who wrote in a message to players that “We failed on our terms, and we’re proud of that.”<\/p>\n

Blindfire had, quite simply, failed to set the world on fire. Despite mostly positive reviews, it never caught on, meaning its release was more of a Viking funeral than anything else. But\u2014in a time where online games suddenly becoming unplayable<\/a> is more of a hot-button issue than ever\u2014the devs said that they were going to make the game free rather than shutter it, and committed to keeping the servers up for years to come.<\/p>\n

“Blindfire didn’t blow up. It didn’t top charts. But it meant everything to the team who made it,” wrote the devs. “Instead of shutting it down, we’ve made Blindfire free for everyone. Not as a marketing stunt. Not as a desperate last push. But because we believe creative work matters, even when it doesn’t go viral.”<\/p>\n

Not only is the game now free\u2014you can add it to your Steam library<\/a> right now, should the mood strike you\u2014but Double Eleven is seemingly committed to keeping it going for a good long while yet: “We’re keeping the servers up. We’re preserving what we built. No tricks. No shutdown countdown. Just the game, as it is, ready for anyone who wants to jump in\u2014now or years from now.”<\/p>\n

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