Latest news with #freeToPlay
Forbes
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Mecha Break' Has Lost 60% Of Its Players In A Week, User Scores Sink
Mecha Break Mecha Break Despite initial positive impressions from early tests, the launch of Mecha Break itself does not seem to be going terribly well just a short while after launch. The initial numbers for Mecha Break were very good, with a peak of 132,000 players at release on Wednesday, July 2 on Steam. But just nine days later, the game has lost 60% of its players. That's occurred with a drop every single day, even over the course of last weekend, where you would expect increases. Mecha Break , as a free-to-play multiplayer game, is not meant to be a one-and-done title, so the trend is concerning. The overall playercount is still good, as the Steam numbers don't count Xbox (where it's currently in 27th place) or its own launcher, but there's no reason to think those declines are not similar on other platforms, and it's the same trendline. Mecha Break Steamdb The decline in players has also come with a drop in user scores on Steam for Mecha Break , where it's down to 60% positive reviews, or 'Mixed.' Not what a game wants to see. What's going on? Well, some of it may just be players bouncing off, as it wasn't quite as fun as they hoped. But there are a few controversies circulating, namely the monetization of the free-to-play game. One aspect is the very, very pricey cosmetic microtransactions that can end up being $47 for some bundles in a game where its attractive character aesthetic is one of its core appeals. Even among similar games, that is very, very high. There's also an auction house in the game that can be used to buy and sell things, with some complaining about very high prices there. There are also some accusations that the game is pay-to-win in some regards, but many players dispute that. Auction House Mecha Break It doesn't sound like anything all that different from other free-to-play games, but all of this has combined for a significant player drop-off very quickly. If that trend is not reversed, this may not have the long-term appeal to succeed. I'm curious where it will be even after just a month, given this pace of rapid decline. It's just a hugely competitive market in the PvP space at the moment, with a new game, even a free one, has to try to break past giants that players have committed to for years. And then immediately hitting them with loads of microtransactions and a full auction house isn't the best first impression. We'll see if developer Amazing Seasun Games has any ideas to rapidly turn this around. Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , Bluesky and Instagram . Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy
The Verge
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
revival launches in early access at the end of the summer, developers Full Circle
Skate to wind down the summer. EA's free-to-play Skate announced on Tuesday. If you want to try it sooner, sign up for the Skate insider program before June 27th. I've spoken with the development team twice to discuss things like why the game is free to play and about the enduring cool of skateboarding games.
Digital Trends
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
New free-to-play Steam games: Here's how to play them
If you do a quick search for free-to-play games on Steam, you get over 6,700 matches — but that's not enough free games for Valve. The company adds more and more free titles all the time, and this month we've got yet another fresh batch. Covering genres such as multiplayer, horror, first-person combat, open-world adventure, and 3D platformers, Steam has added well over 20 games since the start of May. Here are some of the best-looking ones: Hamster Hustle: a multiplayer tag game where you play as ridiculously colored hamsters running around an elaborate cage. The hamsters also dance. Tankazooka: a 2D platformer about a broken tank that has to use its barrel gun to propel itself up and forward over obstacles. FALARMA – Open World: a pixel art open-world exploration game with missions, side quests, and regular content updates. Triage: a point-and-click adventure/narrative game where you play as a doctor in a small town suffering from a strange outbreak of illness. Sirocco: an early access MOBA that focuses on battleship warfare with 5v5 gameplay. Banshee: a first-person horror game about escaping from a house where all the doors are locked and a murderous banshee is chasing after you. Nanika Game Online: an item-matching, tetris-style game with online multiplayer gameplay. It has a simple style, cute pixel art, and a Japanese name that sort of translates to 'Something Game Online.' If you want to try out any of these games, simply head to the links or throw the name into Steam's search bar. Not every free game is available across all platforms, so make sure to check the icons above the 'Play Game' button. Many titles are Windows-only, but some will also play on macOS and/or SteamOS and Linux. Recommended Videos You can also check the system requirements toward the bottom of the page, though you should be able to play these simple games on just about any setup. If none of these titles interest you, use the filters and top-seller/top-rated tabs available on Steam's search page to check out thousands of other free-to-play games. There's also an 'Under $5' section where you can view the games with the tiniest price tags.
