Steel Hunters is no longer playable online: Wargaming shut down the game’s servers on October 8, 2025. The company announced the sunset on July 8, about three months after the game entered Early Access, saying that continuing development was not sustainable. The “three months” refers to Early Access—not the game’s full development history.
When did Steel Hunters shut down?
Wargaming announced the sunset on July 8, 2025, and initially said the servers would remain online for 90 days, with closure expected around October 8. A later shutdown notice set the scheduled time as October 8, 2025, at 12:00 UTC. That exact time was reported in a Games Lantern archive of the notice, which links to the original Steam post. On October 8, a farewell message confirmed the servers had shut down for the final time.
The dates explain the “just three months” description: Early Access began April 2, 2025, and Wargaming announced the sunset 97 days later. The game had been announced in December 2024, and Wargaming described it as the product of years of development, so it had not existed for only three months.
Why did Wargaming close Steel Hunters?
Wargaming’s stated reason was that “continuing development is not sustainable.” The company did not publish a financial breakdown or identify a specific player-count threshold as the cause. Claims that a particular number of players, production costs, or another business factor drove the decision are not established by its announcement.
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Read Wargaming’s July 8, 2025 sunset announcement for the company’s explanation and its original plans for the final months.
What was Steel Hunters?
Wargaming described Steel Hunters as a free-to-play PC mech hero shooter that combined Battle Royale and Extraction mechanics. At its April 2 Early Access launch, it featured duo PvPvE battles across three maps, with objectives, progression, gear, and a roster of seven Hunters: Razorside, Heartbreaker, Fenris, Ursus, Trenchwalker, Prophet, and Weaver. The launch announcement also described Last Stand mode and a free Battle Pass running through April 29, 2025. Those details describe the Early Access launch, not necessarily the game’s final state.
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At launch, Wargaming Product Director Mike McDonald said the first Early Access season would begin “without monetization” so players could focus on the core gameplay experience. That statement applied to the first season; it does not establish whether monetization was introduced later or whether players made purchases during the game’s lifetime. Wargaming’s Early Access announcement has the launch details.
Could players still play during the shutdown period?
Yes. Wargaming said the servers would stay live during the roughly 90-day wind-down. Its July announcement said it planned to add custom-game support, unlock every Hunter, and hold a farewell tournament. By the September shutdown notice, all Hunters were unlocked and custom lobbies were available until closure. The available notices establish that a tournament was planned, but not whether it ultimately took place.
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After the servers closed, the online game could no longer be played. The October 8 farewell confirmed the final shutdown; it did not announce an offline mode or a way to keep playing. The September 26 shutdown notice is archived by Games Lantern and links to the original Steam notice.
Were Steel Hunters players offered refunds?
The available announcements do not establish a refund policy. Wargaming’s statement that the first Early Access season began without monetization is not evidence that no purchases were possible later, nor does it answer whether refunds were offered. Do not assume a blanket refund or no-refund policy from the sunset announcement alone.
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What can Steel Hunters players try next?
In its farewell, Wargaming pointed players toward World of Tanks and World of Warships. They are options for players interested in other Wargaming games, but the farewell does not present them as direct replacements for Steel Hunters’ mech-shooter format. The October 8 farewell names those games.
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