| Crucible | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Relentless Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Amazon Game Studios |
| Director(s) | Colin Johanson, Jason Stansell, James Ackley, DJ Stiner, Eric Flannum, Brady Houck [1] |
| Producer(s) | Tre Fitzgerald, Jessica Antico Brasz, Andy Abramovici [1] |
| Engine | Amazon Lumberyard |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | May 20, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Crucible was a free-to-play multiplayer third-person shooter developed and published by Relentless Studios, a subsidiary of Amazon Game Studios.[2] It is Amazon's first major original title published by their gaming division, which had previously focused on tablet games. It became available for download on May 20, 2020, for Windows, after having been in development since 2014. The game returned to a closed beta status on June 30, 2020.[3] On October 9, 2020, Relentless Studios announced that development would be discontinued within one month.
Gameplay
Crucible was a hero shooter,[4] similar to Overwatch or Team Fortress 2. Different playable characters, referred to as "hunters", impact which abilities players have. Matches were played in teams, meaning that players had to coordinate in order to ensure that their hunters' weaknesses are shored up by the others' strengths. The first team to complete the game mode's objective would win.[citation needed]
Release
Because of COVID-19 the game experienced a remote launch without any in-person events.[clarification needed][5] At launch, the game was in "pre-season" to allow developers to finetune the gaming experience.[citation needed]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 56/100[6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Game Informer | 6.75/10[7] |
| GameSpot | 5/10[8] |
| IGN | 4/10[9] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 48/100[10] |
Crucible received mixed reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[6]
Cancellation
On October 9, 2020, Relentless Studios announced the cancellation of Crucible, citing the inability to see a sustained future as the reason for cancellation.[11] The studio offered full refunds for any purchases made and was subsequently shifted to aid development of Amazon's other upcoming title, New World. Matchmaking would be discontinued in late October, and custom game servers would be shut down on November 9 at noon PST.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Crucible Credits". Crucible. Amazon Game Studios. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ Statt, Nick (May 5, 2020). "Amazon's Crucible is a free-to-play multiplayer game launching May 20th". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Crucible is going back to the drawing board with a closed beta". Polygon. June 30, 2020. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ Pocket-lint (May 20, 2020). "What is Crucible? Amazon's free-to-play hero shooter explored". Pocket-lint. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
- ^ Johanson, Colin. "Welcome to Crucible". Crucible. Amazon Game Studios. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ a b "Crucible for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Tack, Daniel (May 29, 2020). "Crucible Review – A Slow Struggle". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Barbosa, Alessandro (May 29, 2020). "Crucible Review - A Prime Disappointment". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Campbell, Kyle (May 27, 2020). "Crucible Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Park, Morgan (May 27, 2020). "Crucible review". PC Gamer. Future US. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ "Final Crucible Developer Update". Crucible. October 9, 2020. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ "Amazon is Officially Canceling 'Crucible' This November".