Ephemeral Games
Multiplayer games tend to have a predictable lifespan: the game is released, attracts a base of players, peaks in terms of popularity, and inevitably loses players until it finally shuts down. Typically studios or companies will end these titles long before there’s no one left playing. The moment it stops making money, its future is in jeopardy.
There are exceptions, of course. Final Fantasy XI is, as of this writing, still going strong. The website MMO Populations estimates that January 2026 saw over 300,000 players log in. Pretty impressive for a game released in 2002!
My only experience with a modern, major online game is Fortnite. I enjoyed playing it from about 2017 to around 2021. It was an easy way to spend time with friends during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. I never got particularly good at it, of course. I don’t know if I have the dexterity and reflexes required to crank 90s (that is, build a tower rapidly) using a gamepad. With all that said, I have fond memories of the game as it was back then. There was a variety of player skill, and it felt good to get the occasional victory royale. I’ve occasionally tried to play again – most recently in 2024 – but have discovered that the remaining player base is far better than I am.
By the time I stopped playing Fortnite regularly, the game was extremely different. Changing game seasons meant new weapons, new vehicles, and all sorts of other changes, both major and minor. The developers routinely make these changes to keep the game fresh and to keep players coming back. That also means that the game as it was in the past is gone, never to be played again. In these multiplayer games, there’s no way to opt out of an update. Trying to hang back on a previous version is impossible.
Of course, modern single player games get updates, especially in their first few years of existence. This ephemeral nature of game versions isn’t unique to to multiplayer games. With that said, it can be easier to hunt down a copy of an unpatched version of a single player game.
Foxhole is a multiplayer war game. Players pick a side, then take on whatever role they wish to assist that side in waging the war. Each war can take several weeks to complete. Once a player commits to a side, they can’t change until the current war concludes. Players are responsible for building nearly all of the buildings, planning logistics, and fighting on the front lines. (I learned these basic concepts about the game from its Steam page and Freerk Holtes’ very thorough beginner’s guide – I haven’t decided whether to try the game yet.) I’m not familiar with other games that are like this one. Its mechanics are intriguing.
As interesting as Foxhole looks, I can’t help but feel unwilling to invest the time to learn such a complex game knowing in advance that it won’t be something I can enjoy whenever I want. Will the game still be around in ten years? If it is, will it still be mostly the same?
When a multiplayer game inevitably ends, it makes me wonder what people move onto in the aftermath. How does a player fill the void left by something that may have become an important part of their daily routine? I don’t mean to sound overly melodramatic about it. These are pastimes, after all. Most things in life are ephemeral as well. Nevertheless, it makes me curious how fans of these multiplayer titles handle the end of their favourite game. Is it a simple matter of finding something new to play?