Supercell have announced that their Clash of Clans spinoff Everdale will be shutting down on October 31st of this year after “Failing to meet expectations.” A calmer take on the CoC universe, Everdale is a city-builder that offers players a less combat-oriented building experience. It joins Clash Quest, an action puzzle game also set in the CoC universe that was delisted late this September.
Soft launch is not like the early access that you might see on PC. Rather than simply a way to let an audience in early, it’s more a chance to test the waters and see whether a project is worth pursuing. It’s unfortunate for players that enjoyed Everdale and Clash Quest that Supercell is choosing to take them down, but for many the reasons are understandable.
Nothing lasts forever-dale
However, this shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted as any sort of decline on the part of Supercell. Space Ape Games’ recent Boom Beach spinoff, Boom Beach: Frontlines saw an excellent soft launch with 1.3m downloads in only 10 days. Supercell also remains a major financial success regardless of these cancelled games. Whether the numbers for Everdale and Clash Quest simply weren’t there, or if the departure from Clash of Clans’ usual gameplay simply didn’t appeal to the developers or players, Boom Beach may prove to be a more lucrative source of spinoffs if the metrics continue on.
It’s also possible that Supercell is being more cautious with its games, even those currently in soft launch, due to the ongoing economic situation worldwide. More isn’t necessarily better, and having a powerhouse game like Clash of Clans, the time may not be right for expansion beyond those games that show clear promise.
With live service games, the cost is not simply monetary, but also in the continuous development of a title over the years. If Supercell didn’t see either a clear path forward, returns on their investment or other factors arising, it’s hard to blame them for being ruthless. Especially given that, much like with Clash Quest, any in-game transactions can be transferred to other games in their library via the game’s support service.
Supercell appears on our list of the Top 50 Mobile Makers in 2022. At number 4 their status in the industry is nothing to be sniffed at, and watching what happens in the coming months will be a sign of which way the wind is blowing for the mobile industry.
