Frost Giant’s RTS loses online play—devs admit they’re in the dark
A severed thick network cable dangling from a frost-covered server rack in a dark studio office, ice crystals creeping along the metal chassis, one📷 Photo by Tech&Space
- ★Online multiplayer vanished after server partner’s AI acquisition
- ★Frost Giant ‘hopes’ to restore features—no timeline given
- ★Community splits between patience and ‘Warcraft III PT 2’ fears
For a game built by ex-StarCraft and Warcraft veterans, losing online play isn’t just a technical hiccup—it’s a gut punch to the genre’s core. Frost Giant’s unannounced RTS (still in closed testing) relied on Improbable’s SpatialOS for its netcode, but the latter’s acquisition by AI firm Inworld left the studio scrambling. ‘We hope to restore online play in a future patch,’ the team told GamesRadar+, which translates to: ‘We’re figuring this out as we go.’
The timing stings extra hard because this isn’t just any RTS—it’s from the team behind Warcraft III’s golden era, a game whose disastrous modern relaunch still haunts Blizzard. Players were already nervous about Frost Giant’s ability to deliver a true successor to StarCraft II’s competitive scene. Now, the Steam forums are split between ‘wait and see’ optimism and ‘here we go again’ cynicism, with one top comment summing it up: ‘So it’s Warcraft III PT 2: Electric Boogaloo?’
PATCH TRANSLATOR: Right now, this means no ranked ladders, no co-op vs. AI, and no custom games—the lifeblood of RTS longevity. Single-player and LAN might still work, but for a genre that thrives on 1v1 tension and esports dreams, that’s like selling a racecar without wheels.
The patch that turns a promising RTS into a solo experience—temporarily?📷 Photo by Tech&Space
The patch that turns a promising RTS into a solo experience—temporarily?
COMMUNITY PULSE: The loudest voices aren’t the angriest—they’re the ones laughing through the pain. Reddit’s r/Starcraft is flooding with memes comparing this to Diablo Immortal’s ‘Don’t you guys have phones?’ moment, but the deeper concern is whether Frost Giant can avoid Blizzard’s infamous ‘we’ll fix it later’ cycle. Some testers report the single-player campaign feels polished, but without multiplayer, that’s like praising a MMORPG for its character creator.
The real friction point isn’t the delay—it’s the radio silence on how. Frost Giant’s latest update avoids specifics: no backup server plans, no ETA, just ‘hope.’ That’s a risky play when your audience includes StarCraft pros who’ve spent decades dissecting patch notes for hidden meanings. If this drags on, the game risks launching as a ‘play it later’ promise, and RTS fans know how that story ends: see: Command & Conquer: Rivals.
BACKLASH RADAR: The danger isn’t backlash—it’s apathy. RTS players are used to abandoned projects and half-baked revivals. If Frost Giant can’t restore online play before open beta, the community’s patience will evaporate faster than a Zerg rush.