Babylon's Fall second season extended as future of game re-evaluated
Hanging by a thread.
The second season of Babylon's Fall content - due next week - will now run for much longer, putting the future of the game into question.
Publisher Square Enix had originally planned each season to last three months, but now that's been doubled. "Based on the feedback we have received from our players, we feel that we need a period to re-evaluate the game's future operating roadmap", according to a blog post from last Friday.
"Season 2 will include the Ver. 1.2.1 small-scale update, but after that we will be using the extra three months of the season extension for development on the next update, and so will not be making any further updates or adding new content during that time.
"The game will not see any content updates over the 3-month extension, but you will still be able to play as usual, so there is no need to worry."
Season 2 content - named The Light of Aaru - starts on 31st May and will include a new story chapter, a new faction, a new pistol weapon type, and the sun element. A limited time Sun Festival will take place in July.
"We are incredibly sorry to have to keep everyone waiting in this manner, but we hope you keep playing and enjoying Babylon's Fall," reads the post.
That last bit seems ironic when Steam numbers have fallen massively.
Last week, an interview with game directors Kenji Saito and Takahisa Sugiyama established continued support for the game.
"It is our first time developing and amending content after release as part of a live service, so we need to prioritise player feedback above all else. In that sense, it really brings home the realisation that this game is very much a service as well as a standalone product," said Saito.
There's potential, then, for an overhaul with November's Season 3 - but will this be too late?