Exoprimal is the latest live-service game headed for extinction as player count dwindles

Capcom’s futuristic dinosaur hunter Exoprimal looks headed for extinction as the player count on Steam has plummeted significantly.

Released on July 14th, Exoprimal‘s lure of fighting prehistoric foes with a variety of mechs initially proved to be a hit on the platform, achieving a high of over 4,500 concurrent players.

However, the player count has dropped significantly since then with a 24-hour peak of 960—leaving Exoprimal in a dangerous state that could see it fade towards extinction.

The drop in player count comes despite Exoprimal sitting pretty with mostly positive reviews on Steam. It’s been received well, with a decent concept and approach, though it falls short in a number of crucial areas.

A lack of full crossplay functionality, repetitive gameplay, and slow story progression are likely to be at the core of the reasons for the player drop, though the vast competition in the live-service FPS genre makes it a difficult area to stay afloat.

Capcom has long-term ambitions for Exoprimal, however, with a content roadmap running into 2024 that will see new game modes, new exosuits, and crossovers with Street Fighter and Monster Hunter.

Whether that leads to a revival for the game remains to be seen, and luring players back in will be a tough ask without significant expansion to what is currently provided.

The saving grace for Exoprimal may be its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass, providing access for players without the $60 price tag, but a surge up the Steam charts is unlikely to occur again any time soon.