Following Tuesday's announcement that Crytek will end Warface on Xbox 360 after less than a year, we reached out to the developer for more information. In response, a company representative told us that the decision to cease work on the game came from Microsoft.

“With Microsoft acting as publisher for Warface on Xbox 360, we are bound by their decision to phase out the game on their console,” a Crytek representative told us. “We appreciate their efforts in supporting Warface up to this point, but, like the many players we're hearing from, are sad to see the game leave from Xbox 360.” We were also directed to a post on the Xbox Forums reiterating this point.

In a question-and-answer section of the Warface cancelation announcement, a community moderator shares the reasoning for the termination. “We’re always evaluating our portfolio to ensure that the experiences available on Xbox suit the needs of our community,” he writes. “Player demand and creative direction sometimes mandate that we shift our focus onto other games and opportunities.

When reached for comment, Microsoft representatives confirmed the statement on the Xbox Forums. Warface continues to operate on PC, with Crytek at the helm exclusively. The developer is encouraging Xbox 360 players to make their way to that platform.

“Although we're not in a position to continue Warface service on Xbox 360 for now, we are thinking of incentives we can offer to loyal players if they'd like to join the vibrant Warface community – subscription free – on PC,” Crytek says. “We remain very excited about the future of Warface and its continued growth on other platforms.”

Our Take

With a move toward self-publishing on the Xbox One, chances of this happening moving forward are less likely. Provided developers handle publication on their own, they’ll be in control of their games fates. As for Warface, Crytek’s financial arrangement came at the cost of ceded power to make this decision.