Is this game still alive?

[VxlidWISP]

Should I get back into it used to play it a lot on the ps3 and ps4 days where there were tons of people now every once in a while I log in I'd probably see max 10 - 15 in the watchtower even If I start this game again I would need to start from scrap but their aren't many players around to help grind skill points & do alerts / raids with so i'm kinda skeptic of playing again I know the dlc's are now FTP or somewhat But I don't wanna be left in the dust while everyone's cr whatever the max is now day or be sitting waiting on queue times for an hour.

Let me know guys and girls

[MysteryGrayLeaf]

The game is dying, but isn't dead. The general case to find if a game is dead is its marketing strategy.

https://www.youtube.com/@dcuniverseonline/videos
Active youtube presence.

Where you can see a dead game:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChampionsOnlineGame/videos
Inactive marketing presence for 12 years/since: Aug 31, 2012.

The main thing is that there is no real competition in the Superhero MMORPG space.

[victorzvyagin]

first of all- the new "Watchtower/hall of doom" is now called House of legends- where both heroes AND villains can join forces/ collaborate together. It is even accessible from the top of WARP menu in your map-try looking for players there.
Secndly, the best bet to find players for instances is actually the cross- game /LFG chat, while trading is done either a) via broker or b) in /TRADE chat, which does not need the watchtower, at all. ( the /TRADE chat is acessible game- wide, Broker is now in the above- mentioned house of legends).
As for the population- it's actually quite stable, but expect to see some people from Playstation platform too, since the servers are now merged via crossplay with the PC ^_^
Have fun and enjoy DCUO!

[VxlidWISP]

Valid answer thank you

[zero.calvin]

as everyone already said, DCUO aren't as popular as before but it is still active, it just difficult to get people to run older content as everyone focus on the newest DLC, farming for new end game gear and content.

DCUO just got an update a few months ago. DCUO isn't dead as everyone claim.

[MysteryGrayLeaf]

Originally posted by zero.calvin:

DCUO just got an update a few months ago. DCUO isn't dead as everyone claim.

Exact quote from EG7's Year-end Report Q4 2024; "It was a transition year for DC Universe Online with a new leadership team taking the reins with updated direction for the title as communicated early 2025. Under the new leadership, the annual content release schedule will expand from two to three chapters. Additionally, significant gameplay changes and monetization efforts are planned for 2025."

~~~
Where DC Universe Online faltered is 2016-2022 timeframe, and re-gathering of employees.

Jack Emmert's Marvel Universe Online adventure:
2005 - Marvel/Microsoft Game Studios, Marvel Universe Online
2006 - Fight Club begins, eventually becomes Champions Online
~~~~ timepasses ~~~~
2016 - https://www.dcuniverseonline.com/news/jack-emmert-ceo-austin-daybreak-studio-blog-2016
2017-2018 -- First Marvel Universe Online project, didn't get fully through to full funding phase.
~~~ timepasses ~~~
2020 - https://www.dimensionalink.com/news/daybreak-games-introduces-three-new-franchise-studios-january-2020
--- The studio will continue to support DCUO while developing its next high-profile action MMO project starting in 2020.
--- "The company had planned to invest more than SEK 500 million [that’s about $50 million US dollars] in the Marvel project over the next three years."

March 2022, Jack Emmert leaves to make Jackalope Games (later renamed Jackalyptic Games). Which he took most of the Dimensional Ink senior staff with him. Which by May 2022 EG7 since they lost the staff basically nuked the project.

DIG -- Senior Writer (2017-2020): Primary writer for DC Universe Online and an unannounced video game. // where the unannounced game was likely to be the 1st Marvel MMO.
DIG -- Lead Game Designer - Narrative (2020-2022): Primary writer and Narrative team lead for an unannounced Marvel video game. Also writing for DC Universe Online.
JKG -- Narrative Director (2022-present): Manage and lead all aspects of Narrative design for a Warhammer MMO game.

Where the people coming from Cryptic Games basically have to fill the void. Caused by the split from the above. Which is likely still in re-adjustment phase. Since, they are going from Star Trek/Neverwinter-focused narratives to DC-centric narratives.

2014 = range of ~2000 to ~3000 steam MAU
2016-2022 = shrink of ~1600 to ~1000 steam MAU, peak-COVID ~650,000 monthly active users across all platforms
2023-present = shrink to ~800 to ~600 steam MAU, post-COVID -- 250,000~350,000 monthly active users across all platforms.

Where the new staff to be considered successful in recovery. Will need a CAGR(Compound annual growth rate) that leads to >1 million MAU.

[Venom]

just play the game.

[VxlidWISP]

Originally posted by Venom:

just play the game.

Real

[Riddick]

and the award for the most used comment about an MMO game goes to........

[VxlidWISP]

Originally posted by Riddick:

and the award for the most used comment about an MMO game goes to........

Real

[victorzvyagin]

Unreal

[MysteryGrayLeaf]

Originally posted by Venom:

just play the game.

This is safe for non-live service F2P games. While DC Universe Online is part of the more predatory live service theater. Where there is dark patterning and such to get players to become payers.

Where we need to look for the return of value. Where the return of value is easily seen by marketing.

DCUO: Light & Rain: 1st Chapter (Day of Reckoning) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsRMPS26cjY Perfect World 2/International -- The Call of Hailstorm (Battle of the Gods) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHI1PHcevKo Sword of Justice -- Mermaid story arc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTRDYk0Ss8s Where it is more will DC Universe Online survive a modern competitor. Which I'll say at the current quality, it won't.

The closest genre that has the same performance as Superhero is Wuxia/Xianxia (Shenmo/Xuanhuan integrated). While China has more people playing Wuxia/Xianxia. When it goes West it always flops harder than Superhero games. Which is why I use Wuxia/Xianxia as examples. Where there will probably be a push to have Urban Xianxia/Wuxia, integrated into their vision of the Superhero genre.
Post-rise of the Urban Fantasy genre; ZZZ/NTE/Ananta/To Be Hero X(Superhero animation)/Wangyue/Honkai ABC(Society+Hero Shooter)/Tianzi 76/etc. While some of these games have Superhero characters. They have not shown Superhero arcs yet. As they are still at the G.I. Joe/Action Force versus Cobra phase. Where we will have to wait for the big baddie to appear and lead to Superheroes to pop-up. Once one of them does it, the rest will try and follow them. À la the clone/iteration pipeline they have going on.

Other avenue of the marketing return of value; Marvel Rivals for example is technically already dying. As Season 1 Part 1 and Season 1 Part 2 didn't have a big cinematic. Example #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I76wvt0aEE4 Then, most of the characters didn't get a PV either: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmU2F1lnwOQ Marketing is probably the only thing keeping the MOBAs alive. As well as a Tencent-funded Superhero MMO would probably be curtains for all existing Superhero MMOs.

Where marketing is the taste test, if they actually want new players. If you are forced to go into a gambling/p2w habit. It should at least have the best gosh darn marketing available.

[Dslim]

According to steam charts it only has an average of 350-400 players with the peak time around 600-700. But people can also log in from the website too. But still, that is really low numbers for steam.

[Gameking82]

Originally posted by Dslim:

According to steam charts it only has an average of 350-400 players with the peak time around 600-700. But people can also log in from the website too. But still, that is really low numbers for steam.

Most phases are pretty populated daily. Yeah it's low compared to say ESO or WOW but it's far from dead. Plus PC and PS share servers.