Battle royale gameThe Cullingis making a return, but its new business model has been heavily criticized. Developer Xaviant GamesreleasedThe Culling 2in 2018but its launch was so rocky that the company had to close down.
Xaviant Games has announced thatThe Culling, the game itfirst released in 2016, will relaunch on Xbox One on June 21, 2025, before later releasing on PC. The 16-player battle royale gameplay seems to be staying the same, it’s only the game’s business model that is changing.
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The developer says thatThe Cullingwill cost money to buy, unless the player purchased it before or played it when it went free to play. Players can then play one free online match a day, but will have to get tokens after that. Players can get another token by winning an online match, or can buy three tokens for $0.99, 10 tokens for $2.99, or 20 tokens for $4.99. Online passes that provide unlimited online matches can also be purchased for $1.99 for seven days or $5.99 for 30 days.
The game’s business model has been widely criticized online. Many have suggested that this will not be successful, as other games likeFortnite, which has made more than $1 billion, are free to play. These free to play battle royale games, which are typically monetized by selling premium cosmetics, have found success, as players are able to try and enjoy them without having to spend any money. Players may also be more likely to spend more money on these cosmetics because they are able to spend hours in matches, and not just getting one free match a day.
Many also have concerns that, with or without this business model,The Cullingwould not be able to find enough players to keep it going. Xaviant Games launchedThe Culling 2after it saw thatThe Cullingcould not be sustained. Aftershutting downThe Culling 2, it then brought the first game back as a free to play title only to shut down its servers in 2019.
If the first three versions ofThe Cullingwere not successfulthen it’s unclear how this relaunch will also be a hit with players, players who are now asking why Xaviant Games doesn’t just try making another idea.The Cullingis being relaunched at a time when there are a huge number of other successful battle royale games likeApex LegendsandPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsand with this business model, it doesn’t seem like it will be able to beat them.
The Cullingwill be available on July 30, 2025 on Xbox One. A PC release is also being planned.
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