The Live Service Bubble is Finally Popping

Head to https://raycon.yt.link/fOE18YH to get 15% off. Thank you to Raycon for sponsoring this video! For years, gaming executives chased the dream of finding the next Fortnite, Roblox, or League of Legends. The result was a flood of live service games, battle passes, cosmetic stores, extraction shooters, and always-online experiences designed around engagement metrics instead of fun. Now the strategy is falling apart, with Horizon: Hunters Gathering to be the next victim. In 2026 alone we've seen Marathon struggle, Highguard collapse, New World head toward shutdown, Sony cancel most of its live service plans, and Sega pivot back toward traditional single-player games. But this isn't just a story about failed games. It's a story about opportunity cost. Every failed live service project consumed resources that could have gone toward new ideas, sequels, remakes, and the games players actually wanted. Let's talk about why the live service bubble is finally popping—and why that's good news for gamers. 0:00 Proud Hater Introduction 0:54 The Real Cost Of Live Service Games 1:58 Marathon's Player Collapse 3:00 Highguard And The Graveyard Of Failed Live Services 8:05 Why Player Counts Matter 12:05 Bungie's Bigger Problems 15:08 SEGA and Sony are Already Pulling Out 15:52 Horizon Hunters Gathering & Fairgame$ 21:40 Why Players Are Walking Away 24:34 Why Studios Keep Chasing Live Service 29:17 The Real Reason This Is Good News 34:00 The Games We Lost Instead 33:10 The Industry Is Finally Learning ======Channel Membership====== You can support the channel by becoming a Gregular, or be a Share Owener to get access to a monthly private stream where YOU get to give input on a video we make together. Sign up here: @gregowen2022 Do you need an editor, or do you just want to tell my editor how amazing his work is? Let him know at [email protected]