Airship Syndicate's Wayfinder shifting from free-to-play online to premium single-player game
Changes coming with upcoming Echoes update following the title being dropped by publisher Digital Extremes
Wayfinder is transforming from a free-to-play online-only multiplayer game into a premium single-player offering after the game lost its publisher last year.
Developer Airship Syndicate announced that the upcoming Echoes update to the game will remove all online requirements, leaving Wayfinder as a single-player affair with optional three-player co-op.
In doing so, the studio will also remove all microtransactions and in-game purchases, selling the game for a one-time payment of $24.99 during Early Access. This price will increase upon full release.
"We realize this is a big shift, but a necessary one to guarantee that the game is around forever," the team wrote in its announcement post on Steam.
Wayfinder was originally published by Warframe developer Digital Extremes, but was dropped when that company closed its publishing division in November 2023.
The impact on Airship Syndicate led to 12 people being laid off and pay cuts for the studio leadership, but the developer has pressed on with Wayfinder's development.
The Echoes update bringing these changes will be released for current players on May 31st, with Wayfinder being made available for purchase on Steam via Early Access again on June 11th. Airship Syndicate hopes to fully launch the game by the end of the year.
The studio warned that player data and progress will not be carried over after the online requirements have been removed.
Airship Syndicate also said these changes will be introduced to the PlayStation 5 version later this year. The PlayStation 4 version will be discontinued, with all players offered a free upgrade to the PS5 edition.
The developer announced it will also be bringing to Xbox Series X|S in Early Access at some point, with more details later this year.
"We know that the path to get here hasn’t been easy, and the game has had a rocky past," the team wrote. "We also know that this wasn’t the original game that we envisioned or that our fans bought into. When faced with the reality of where we are, we saw our options as shuttering the game fully as other online games have done before or making this pivot and releasing the Echoes Update.
"During this process, we quickly came to the realization that we’re making a superior game for both current and future players. We’d love to support Wayfinder for years. We have ideas for additional characters and new content, and we have the intent to do so if the players demand it and Wayfinder finds a new audience."