Wayfinder is a name you probably haven’t heard of in a while. Airship Syndicate, a shooter, action, and RPG hybrid, has underperformed since its release last year, but the developer hopes to write a new chapter for the troubled MMO.
This week, the studio announced a massive overhaul to the game, albeit not in the way you might have imagined. Wayfinder is revolutionizing the business model and Airship Syndicate is committed to making it sustainable into the future.
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Wayfinder was originally released by Warframe creators Digital Extremes. It launched in Steam Early Access, and although it was limited to Founders Edition purchases at the time, the game was always envisioned as a free-to-play, always-online project.
However, this transformation never happened. Instead, Digital Extremes and Airship Syndicate suddenly parted ways, with the studio deciding to stop selling the game in April while transferring the rights and promising to return with some big news about the game’s future.
Well, that day has arrived. In a blog post on Steam, Airship Syndicate laid out the full plans. The Echoes update will be released for Founders later this month and will remove all online requirements. Wayfinder will be playable offline, with no player accounts or server checks required. Cooperation is still possible relying on classic peer-to-peer systems. Unfortunately, this also means that any progress made so far will not carry over to newer versions.
“We realize this is a big shift, but it’s a necessary one to ensure the game lives on forever,” the developers wrote.
As part of this transition, all microtransactions will also be removed from the game, and Wayfinder will have a fixed price – $25 – which will unlock access to all content during Early Access. If you already own the Founders Pack, you will continue to have access to all exclusive items (as well as the game itself), but the packs will not be re-released. Those who spend money on premium rune silver currency will have their purchases converted into new in-game currency that can be used to unlock cosmetics.
It all starts with the release of the update on May 31st. Founder’s Pack owners on PC will have early access to the game during this soft launch. Wayfinder will then be re-released as a Steam Early Access game on June 11th.
Players on PS5, on the other hand, will have to wait until the summer to get the Echoes update. However, Airship Syndicate will end support for the PS4 version – although owners will receive a free upgrade to the PS5 version. Wayfinder will exit Early Access later this year, and the developer is also working on an Xbox Series X/S version that will be released before the end of Early Access.
“We know the road to getting here wasn’t easy, and the game has had a rocky past,” the post reads.
“We also knew this was not the original game we envisioned, nor what our fans would buy into. When faced with the reality of where we were, we saw our option was to completely shut down the game as other online games had done before , or make this switch and release an Echo update. In the process, we quickly realized that we were making a quality game for current and future players.
“We would love to support Wayfinder for many years to come. We have ideas for additional characters and new content, and we have the intention to do so if players demand it and Wayfinder finds a new audience.”
