Babylon’s Fall has fallen and it can’t get up. Now we’ve got that out of the way, we can tell you that this live-service action-RPG will be terminated as of next February.
Maybe we should adopt a more sympathetic stance and we do hope that anyone who worked on Babylon’s Fall, or who is currently employed maintaining the game, either at PlatinumGames or publisher Square Enix, lands on their feet. But getting the normally excellent PlatinumGames to put out a microtransaction-laden live-service game (given their previous titles were in-game purchase free) was a questionable move.
And now, it’s been confirmed that the game will be terminated on February 28th 2023. However, it’s not as simple as PlatinumGames just pulling the plug. The snag is that Babylon’s Fall isn’t a free-to-play game even though, as The Sixth Axis has worked out, you can spend over £100 to max out your battle pass.
It is with deep regret that we are terminating the game's service on February 28, 2023.
Please read our full Notice for further information.https://t.co/mvaFYmOkYB
Thank you so much for your support and playing BABYLON'S FALL.— BABYLON'S FALL (@BabylonsFall_EN) September 13, 2022
Available on the PS5, PS4 and PC, it launched priced at £59.99/$59.99, both physically and digitally, which is pretty pricey for a game with in-game purchases. And while Sony and Steam have stopped people purchasing the game, all the online retailers we looked at are still selling the game.
Maybe it’s a case of them catching up and, over the next few days, they’ll pull the game entirely. The Babylon’s Fall team states that, “Following the publication of this announcement, sales of the digital version, as well as the physical version on retailer sites, will draw to a close.”
But right now, you can purchase Babylon’s Fall on disc and end up with a coaster come February. And what about the people who’ve already paid full price for the game? The official statement makes no mention of refunds.
Some of the planned Babylon’s Fall events will be going ahead (you can find out which here) but all major updates have been cancelled and the in-game currency, which could cost as much as £79.99 for 10,000 Garaz, is no longer available for sale.
We weren’t particularly taken with the game when we reviewed it back in March, giving it a mediocre 5 out of 10 and calling it “…a package that feels rough around the edges and not up to the usual standard that you’d expect from PlatinumGames.” The company has been responsible for such gems as Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Nier: Automata, and we’re hoping their next title, Bayonetta 3 is a return to form.
So, as Babylon’s Fall, er, falls, we at least hope it’s onwards and upwards for PlatinumGames.
