Wayfinder Is Removing Microtransactions And Always-Online Requirement: Here's Why

Recently, Airship Syndicate announced it would be delisting its online action-RPG Wayfinder--which it had just received the full rights to from publisher Digital Extremes--in order to make "major changes" to the game. Today, the team announced those changes are coming as the Echoes update, which will relaunch Wayfinder on June 11 as a "co-op, pay-once premium title," meaning no microtransactions and no online requirement.

The new Wayfinder will offer "offline solo or three-player co-op play" at launch, which according to Airship Syndicate is meant to "remov[e] the need for online accounts, log-ins, or in-game purchases." It will launch with all existing and future Early Access content for $25, with the price increasing after the game leaves Early Access.

All items that were previously only offered via microtransactions--which includes characters, weapons, and armor sets--will be earnable within the game. Airship Syndicate does clarify that all progress players have made so far will be reset, as "saves will now be local." However, those who purchased Founders Packs previously will still be able to access the game, and their accounts will still hold the items earned by being Founders.

Airship Syndicate has also confirmed multiple changes to Wayfinder's core gameplay. Those changes include the following:

• Four separate difficulty levels
• Randomized weapon drops
• Collectible armor set with unique stats
• Expanded limit for housing items
• A streamlined character-acquisition system
• "Traditional" talent systems
• A new UI

The move after a precipitous drop in online users since Wayfinder's launch in Early Access this past August. After peaking at just over 24,000 players during its first days, active users fell to as little as 21 active users per tracking website SteamDB.

Wayfinder's current form will be accessible until May 31, which is when online-requirement removal and player-data reset are scheduled to take place. It will then be returned to the Steam store for purchase beginning June 11. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users, meanwhile, will have access to the current version until the Echoes update is released. At that time, according to Airship Syndicate, only the PlayStation 5 version will be supported.

An Xbox Series X|S version is slated for the "end of 2024" according to the official announcement. The Xbox version will also mark the end of Wayfinder's Early Access period, and it will officially launch version 1.0.