Star Wars: Hunters shutdown announced just 9 months after launch
Players will not be getting refunds for any season passes or microtransactions, Zynga says
Zynga has announced that it will be shutting down Star Wars: Hunters, despite the game only having come out last summer.
The free-to-play PvP arena combat game was released on June 4, 2024 on Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android, and was set between the events of Star Wars Episode 6 and 7.
The game was released to mixed feedback from critics, however, with the Switch version receiving a Metacritic score of 57.
It would appear that the game didn’t take off as expected, which is why Zynga has now announced that the game’s final content update will be released on April 15, followed by a complete shutdown of its servers on October 1.
“Thank you for your incredible support and for being part of the world of Vespaara,” Zynga’ s statement reads. “After careful consideration, we want to let you know that the final content update for Star Wars: Hunters on all platforms will be on April 15. The game will remain playable until October 1, 2025, when the game’s online servers will be shut down.
“We understand this news may be disappointing and want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly. Your passion and dedication to the game and its community have meant the world to us, and we are committed to providing visibility and updates throughout the transition process.”
Zynga says it will turn off all in-app purchases on April 15, and is citing this as the reason it won’t be refunding any season passes or paid currency players have bought.
In an FAQ asking whether players will receive a refund for buying an Arena Pass for Season 5, the publisher says: “The intention of the 30-day notice we are giving between March 17th and turning off in-app purchases on April 15th is to give players enough time to max out the Arena Pass before the end of the Season.”
As for any Crystals, the game’s premium currency which is bought with real money, Zynga says: “Crystal purchases will not be refunded. The intention of the 30-day notice we are giving between March 17th and turning off in-app purchases on April 15th is to give players ample time to prepare and spend the in-game currency they have purchased.”
Star Wars: Hunters soft-launched on Android in India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia back in 2021, but numerous delays meant it didn’t fully launch until the summer of 2024.
