Sirocco, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game with an extraordinary 15-year development history, has officially ceased operations. The naval brawler, which entered Steam Early Access in May 2025 and initially garnered “mostly positive” reviews, never advanced beyond this stage of development. Developer Lunchbox Entertainment announced the indefinite shutdown of servers, effective August 20, 2025, at 3 PM ET, attributing the closure to an inability to sustain operations despite their best efforts.
The unique 5v5 title, where players command customizable boats in sea battles, originated over a decade ago as a Warcraft 3 mod before being expanded into a full commercial game. Despite its prolonged gestation period, Sirocco struggled to attract and retain a significant player base. According to SteamDB data, the game’s peak concurrent player count reached only 882, approximately four months prior to the shutdown announcement. More recently, player numbers consistently hovered below 30 concurrent users since its early access launch.
In a heartfelt message posted on the official Sirocco Discord server, developer “Jack of Boxes” expressed profound sadness over the closure but also pride in the team`s accomplishments. He confirmed that all Patreon subscribers from the last 90 days have received refunds. The developer also conveyed aspirations to potentially revive Sirocco in the future, should more substantial resources become available. The message concluded with deep gratitude to the community for their exceptional support and dedication throughout the game`s existence.