It was never intended to be called a “game as a service.”

When I was younger, ongoing support for games was an uncommon luxury. In contrast, today, ongoing support is a standard expectation, requiring developers not only to fix bugs but also to continually add fresh content if they want to maintain positive reviews on platforms like Steam.

The designers at Roboquest express that this continual demand can be quite taxing. Roboquest, a vibrant rogue-lite first-person shooter centered on battling robots in randomly generated settings, was released in early access on Steam in 2020, with its full launch occurring in 2023. The developer, RyseUp Studio, has diligently supported the game throughout its existence. However, after nearly ten years of development, they have announced that this support will be winding down.

2025 marks the end of Roboquest. The developers stated in a Steam blog post, “We understand that many fans would love to see continued updates and content for Roboquest, but unfortunately, this is no longer feasible.”

In retrospect, RyseUp conveys that Roboquest was not designed to necessitate such extensive post-launch support. “Initially, we aimed for the game to offer 25 to 50 hours of gameplay. Thus, it is impossible for us to continue providing content for those who have spent over 1,000 hours playing. We attempted an Endless Update which, while promising, faced significant challenges. Consequently, we realized it was time to close this chapter.”

As Roboquest comes to a close, RyseUp Studio’s journey continues with plans for a new project. “With the lessons learned and the experiences we’ve gained, we intend to adopt a more streamlined development approach moving forward.”

Despite wrapping up Roboquest, it’s worth noting that it has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from players, featuring an overall rating surpassing 16,000 reviews on Steam.