MOBA in Development for 15 Years Shuts Down Before Full Release
▼ Summary
– Sirocco, a 5v5 naval MOBA that launched in early access in May 2025, has been shut down after failing to maintain a viable player base.
– The game, which began as a Warcraft 3 mod over a decade ago, only ever peaked at 882 concurrent players and recently struggled to reach 30.
– The developer, Lunchbox Entertainment, officially shut down the game’s servers on August 20, 2025, making it unplayable.
– In a Discord message, a developer expressed pride in the game and a hope to revive Sirocco in the future when the team has more resources.
– All Patreon supporters who had subscribed in the 90 days prior to the shutdown have been refunded.
The gaming world has witnessed the quiet closure of Sirocco, a unique naval MOBA that spent a remarkable fifteen years in development. After launching into early access in May 2025 to a “mostly positive” reception on Steam, the servers are now being permanently shut down. Developer Lunchbox Entertainment confirmed the decision, stating that despite their best efforts, continuing the project was no longer viable.
Many players may be unfamiliar with Sirocco, a 5v5 naval brawler where players command customizable warships in tactical sea battles. Its origins trace back over a decade to a popular Warcraft 3 modification. The developers eventually expanded the concept, a multiplayer online battle arena reminiscent of Battleships, into a standalone title. However, the game struggled to find a large audience. According to SteamDB, its peak concurrent player count reached just 882 roughly four months ago. Since its official early-access debut, active players rarely exceeded thirty at any given time, a figure that ultimately sealed its fate.
An official announcement was posted to the game’s Steam page, notifying the community of the impending shutdown. “We are shutting down our servers indefinitely on August 20, 2025 at 3PM ET,” the statement read. “After that time, the game will be unplayable. We are sorry for the inconvenience and grateful for your support.” Players with questions were directed to the game’s Discord server for assistance.
Further context was provided by developer Jack of Boxes in the official Sirocco Discord server on August 18. The message struck an emotional tone, expressing both pride in the completed work and regret over the outcome. “Hi everyone, getting emotional just writing this,” the post began. “Today is the day we pull the plug on our servers. Despite our best efforts, we can’t keep Sirocco going.” The developer confirmed that all Patreon supporters who had contributed within the last 90 days had received refunds. While acknowledging the disappointment, the team emphasized their pride in Sirocco and their commitment to future game development, holding out hope that the title might one day be revived with greater resources. The message concluded with heartfelt thanks to the game’s dedicated community for their unwavering support.
(Source: Gamespot)
