Fall Guys' Biggest Gamble Could Be About To Pay Off

Fall Guys is back, and it looks to be teaching a lesson to server-heavy games that have dropped out in the past.

Though calls of "dead game" beckon every time the game is brought into a conversation, it seems like Mediatonic and the Epic Games castle built around them isn't willing to give up yet. The Takeshi's Castle-alike indie title saw nigh-on immeasurable success during the pandemic, becoming a must-have on PlayStation and carrying beans through times that seemed dire. It was a fun and silly way to kill some time, but it simply dropped off over time.

Competing with Among Us, and the persistent popularity of the likes of Fortnite and Minecraft didn't do Mediatonic a favour, and it has seen a considerable downtick ever since. But the team at the game have done something drastic to bring it back from the brink. And it's either going to pay off incredibly, or fall clean off the deep end.

Fall Guys Is Rolling The Dice

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As revealed in their own showcase, Fall Guys revealed that it was finally stretching its legs and joining Xbox and Nintendo Switch alongside its pre-established homes on PlayStation and the Epic Games Store - but also that the game would be going completely free-to-play on all platforms, with cross-play and cross-progression, all within the month.

It's a very intense load of information to process, especially for a game that has always been paid-for, but it's one that has been prophesied for months. The game's dramatic drop-off was a big deal, and it drew the shutters down for the game that had the potential to carry itself forever like its Epic Games older brother Fortnite. But, as the change has launched, it has been proven that Epic Games have made the right call.

Players are flocking to the game in their droves, not only to try out the new battle pass and play in much more heavily populated lobbies, but also to try the game out for the first time. The influx of players has been huge, with Twitch streamers and players alike rushing back to the game like a lite version of the game's initial launch, and it seems that everything is going to plan. Well, except for one thing.

Fall Guys Needs To Fix Its Server Issues To Keep Up Momentum

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Players are trying to cram themselves through the slim door frame of Fall Guys' online capabilities, and so far since the move to free-to-play, the lines are well and truly clogged.

It seems as though every day so far there has been an issue that Mediatonic have needed to address on Twitter in their own Microsoft Paint-aided way directly, and it's beginning to rub players the wrong way. Typically, when it comes to free-to-play games, the patience of players tends to be lower than if they'd shelled out for it - and every single moment of downtime is turning potential fans away. Of course, there are still a lot of players willing to endure a few hours of downtime, but eventually, that well will dry.

It's a lot to deal with behind the scenes, especially when so many players are trying to squeeze into games, but something has to be done soon - because the reputation and consistency of Fall Guys could depend on it.

Fall Guys Could Be Back To Stay

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If we're lucky, Fall Guys could stick around for the foreseeable, occupying a league of its own when it comes to free-to-play games - but it really has to level out its servers first.

We know the power that the game had when it first launched, and though a monumental success to rival that may not be on the cards, it can still become a crucial member of the Epic Games family and serve as a headliner for the free-to-play market that doesn't opt for the battle royal model. The beans could be back for good - and we're hoping that they'll stick around.