Free-to-play MMORPG Wayfinder is switching to a paid, co-op RPG style, says developer Airship Syndicate. Read on to learn more about the changes happening to Wayfinder in its next patch.
Wayfinder Ditches Online Gaming
Wayfinder To Undergo Drastic Changes
In a bid to keep Wayfinder "alive forever in a sustainable way," developer Airship Syndicate introduces the removal of online requirements and erases all in-game monetization. Their free-to-play action-style MMORPG game is being effectively transformed into an offline single-player RPG with an optional three-player co-op. The Echoes Update is set to soft-launch with these upcoming changes on May 31st, followed by a full release on June 11th.
The game is currently unavailable on Steam and will be available for purchase again for $24.99 USD (Early Access price) when the update goes live in June. PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 players will continue to enjoy the "old" Wayfinder a little while longer as the developers focus on the Steam port, citing that "relaunching in Early Access on a single platform also allows us to be agile and make changes at a faster pace than before."
A whole revamp is in the works, with game systems being added and replaced. The developers teased better weapons and armor, thousands of cosmetic and housing items, easier requirements to awaken characters, four difficulty levels, and traditional RPG talents for progression and a real RPG feel. After all that, there will be new Hunts and a whole new Overlands zone that will be "three times bigger than the last."
For Steam players, these major changes will be implemented effective May 31st, including the removal of all online requirements and player data. After that, Wayfinder will once again be accessible to those who already own the game. PS5 players will receive these changes sometime in summer, while PS4 players may need to upgrade as previous-gen support has been discontinued. Airship Syndicate has also announced an Xbox Series X|S release is in development, set to come in the fall.
Divisive Community Reaction
While some fans offer a more optimistic outlook on the change in dynamic, touting it as a refreshing take and being excited to play it, others are outraged by the news and feel scammed by the sudden changes, stating that this is not the game they paid for. Displeased fans have even taken to the game’s Steam page to massively downvote it, with recent reviews being Mostly Negative as of writing.
With modding being possible as confirmed in their Discord, some of those who bought the $19.99 to $149.99 USD Founder Packs on Steam have attempted to ask for refunds in fear of their exclusive items being directly modded into the game, only for their requests to be denied. While the developer stated in an interview with MMO streamer Asmongold on Twitch that they cannot refund what they didn’t collect, a number of players in the Wayfinder subreddit have reported success in getting manual refunds from Steam support agents.
Some current players are just happy that the new model is here to stay, while others may need some time to accept the game or just drop it entirely. Nonetheless, Airship Syndicate seems to look brightly at the future with Wayfinder and is full steam ahead for their vision of the game’s future.
"We know that the path to get here hasn’t been easy, and the game has had a rocky past. We also know that this wasn’t the original game that we envisioned or that our fans bought into. When faced with the reality of where we are, we saw our options as shuttering the game fully as other online games have done before or making this pivot and releasing the Echoes Update. During this process, we quickly came to the realization that we’re making a superior game for both current and future players. We’d love to support Wayfinder for years."
Airship Syndicate’s commitment to Wayfinder definitely shines through their statements, and hopefully this may just be that nudge for current and future players to give the game a go.
Source:
Wayfinder Steam
Wayfinder Twitter
PlayWayfinder Reddit
Interview with Wayfinder Developer from Asmongold
