It’s the end of the line for Star Wars: Hunters. Zynga has announced that the game’s servers will officially be turned off in one month, marking the conclusion of the short-lived but ambitious competitive arena brawler. A Galaxy of Missed Potential Star Wars: Hunters launched with big ambitions: fast-paced, hero-based combat in an arena setting where players could take control of unique characters—bounty hunters, droids, stormtroopers, and even a Jedi or two. The concept blended elements of esports-style hero shooters with the iconic Star Wars flair, promising a new multiplayer experience that could stand alongside big titles like Overwatch or Apex Legends. Despite this, the game never quite found its footing. Technical hiccups, balancing issues, and limited post-launch content made it hard to build the strong community needed to sustain a live-service title. One Last Run in The Arena For those who did dive deep into Hunters, there’s still time…
Zynga
Star Wars: Hunters Was Not a Failure, Zynga’s CEO Says
In a candid interview with The Game Business, Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau strongly defended Star Wars: Hunters, insisting the game wasn’t a failure, despite being shuttered earlier this year. His perspective offers valuable lessons on what success really means in the mobile gaming battlefield. 🎙️ “Star Wars: Hunters Was No Failure” Gibeau acknowledged Hunters didn’t meet commercial expectations, but praised its strengths. He said: “We built a great tech base and a fun game… but it wasn’t a viable business. We weren’t able to generate the organic installs from the license… It didn’t engage over the long term.” He added: “We don’t really consider them failures at the company… For every game that doesn’t reach its full potential, we go back, postmortem it, figure out what went right… and share that learning across the company.” So, Gibeau is clear: failing to go viral doesn’t equal failure—especially if you’ve built something…