Nexon has decided to terminate its free-to-play PvP medieval fantasy game, Warhaven, just four months after its early access launch. Originally intending to release the game in full later this year, Nexon has revised its plans, and instead of a 2024 launch, the game is scheduled to shut down on April 5, 2024.
In an announcement posted on Steam earlier this week, the Warhaven team expressed their regret, stating, “Today, we are here to announce with a heavy heart that we will be concluding the live services of Warhaven.” They acknowledged the support received from players since the first alpha test in 2021 and the global early access in 2023, expressing gratitude for the love and care shown towards Warhaven.
Despite significant efforts invested in creating a game meant to be cherished and enjoyed over an extended period, the team apologized for the closure and the inability to deliver better news. Nexon confirmed the suspension of “WP charge” immediately after the announcement, with more specific details about the closure promised closer to the shutdown date.
The decision to end Warhaven’s run comes as the F2P action game faced challenges in gaining traction, receiving a “mixed” score from over 6500 players who left reviews on Steam.
Recent reviews highlighted frustrations with the game’s mechanics and balance, as well as dissatisfaction with the reduction of Warhaven’s “big team PVP” from 16v16 to 12v12 and eventually to 6v6. Complaints about server issues and lag also contributed to the game’s struggles.
Reflecting on the game’s journey, one player, following the closure announcement, shared, “If you ask anyone who has played every single public version of the game from 2021 to 2023, you will always get the same response: the first playtest was the best incarnation of the game.” Despite its imperfections, the initial playtest set the foundation for what could have been a promising future for Warhaven.
