The Demise of APB Reloaded on Consoles: A Look Back and What's Next

The Rise and Fall of APB Reloaded

The console versions of APB Reloaded are being shut down. When APB was first revealed, it was positioned as a potential competitor to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series, translating that franchise's open world mayhem to an online multiplayer space. Unfortunately, APB didn't meet expectations, earning mostly negative reviews at the time of its initial launch and failing to attract much of an audience. The original APB was eventually shut down, but it was then brought back as APB Reloaded, embracing a free-to-play model and launching on Xbox One and PS4 consoles. APB Reloaded didn't fare much better than the original game did, and unfortunately, it seems anyone interested in playing the game on consoles is running out of time to do so.

The demise of APB Reloaded on consoles is something that a lot of players of the game on PS4 and Xbox One probably saw coming. After all, APB Reloaded has failed to maintain its relevancy in the face of juggernaut free-to-play games like Fortnite, Rocket League, etc., and was completely outclassed in the 'online multiplayer GTA' department by Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto Online, which remains immensely popular to this day.

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Reasons for the Shutdown

As announced by Little Orbit and PLAION, APB Reloaded is being shut down on consoles due to 'a combination of technical challenges, resource constraints, and the evolving landscape of gaming.' The Xbox One version of APB Reloaded was already experiencing serious issues that made the developers take it offline, and it seems that the game will not be coming back online. PS4 players have a little bit more advanced notice when it comes to the game. APB Reloaded purchases on PS4 will end on February 1, with the game then being shut down on August 2. 'This wasn't an easy decision, and we understand the impact it has on our gaming community, but it was unavoidable,' the developer said.

The demise of APB Reloaded on consoles is something that a lot of players of the game on PS4 and Xbox One probably saw coming. After all, APB Reloaded has failed to maintain its relevancy in the face of juggernaut free-to-play games like Fortnite, Rocket League, etc., and was completely outclassed in the 'online multiplayer GTA' department by Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto Online, which remains immensely popular to this day.

The Future of APB Reloaded on PC

While it will soon become impossible to play APB Reloaded on consoles, the good news is that any fans of the game on console have the chance to continue playing on PC. The PC version of APB Reloaded will remain online for the time being, with Xbox gamers able to migrate their characters now. PS4 players will be able to migrate their characters from console to PC beginning February 1.

Regardless, the PC version of APB Reloaded will remain active, so the game will at least remain playable on one platform.