Nate Mitchell and Matt Hansen on the Death of Spectre Divide & Mountaintop Studios

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Spectre Divide vanished.

After five years of development, 65 million dollars in investment, and an early wave of strong support from pro players and the press. The tactical shooter meant to disrupt the Counter-Strike space collapsed in on itself, taking its promising studio with it.

How a game that attracted roughly 400,000 players in its first week, was fronted by a famous streamer, and was once called a “breath of fresh air for tactical shooters” so quickly shuttered still haunts the studio founders, Nate Mitchell and Matt Hansen.

What contributed to the game’s failure, though, has become increasingly clear to Hansen as he settles into the reality of the more-than-100-person studio’s shutdown in March.

“In a market filled with outstanding games, especially from established franchises that have consistently delivered new player value each month, launching a live service title with a new IP is extremely challenging,” Hansen said. “Success requires getting every detail right, not just to draw in new players, but to keep them engaged and coming back daily.”

To continue reading this story head over to 80LV where this ran on August 19, 2025.