Two days ago I was explaining to my gen alpha children the origins of Trove’s Heckbugs event and how the whole game was a happy accident that came out of the RIFT and Defiance quagmire. Unfortunately, I also had to tell them that Defiance was long gone and sunsetted, so they could never see the OG “transmedia synergy” MMO.
But as it happens, that was a lie and I didn’t know it because Defiance is actually coming back.
The news comes via Fawkes Games, and if that name is ringing any bells in your brain right now, that’s because it’s one of the studios to which Gamigo, which bought Defiance from Trion in 2018 and closed it in 2021, has been offloading small MMOs for years; Shaiya, Last Chaos, Desert Operations, and Wargame 1942 all moved from Gamigo to Fawkes in the last couple of years. Apparently, Defiance, which launched in 2013 alongside its three-season sci-fi TV show, is also being revived under the Fawkes banner.
The new official site has a download button and a countdown timer that puts the relaunch on April 18th.
“After many heartfelt discussions on forums like r/Defiance and watching enthusiastic video reviews as this one on YouTube together with the comments, we realized that the spirit of Defiance still burns bright. Originally developed by Trion Worlds and later acquired by Gamigo, Defiance was born as an innovative sci‑fi MMO shooter; a title intricately linked to Syfy’s Defiance TV series. Even though the TV series was discontinued in 2015 and Gamigo eventually closed the game in 2021, the memories of epic Arkfalls and immersive, post‑apocalyptic battles live on in your hearts. We’re excited to announce that we have acquired the publishing rights for both Defiance 2013 and Defiance 2050 in all platforms. Our first step is a relaunch of the original 2013 version on PC, set for release in April 2025. This is your chance to dive back into a world where every battle, every Arkfall, and every moment shared with fellow players is a testament to the game’s enduring legacy.”
Fawkes says its goal with the relaunch is to be a “homecoming” for the Defiance community, starting with the original PC version in April, then possibly the console version and the 2050 reboot version if PC does well.
Check out the old-school trailer!
