When I first played Defiance, it was love at first sight. The blend of a sprawling MMO with the backdrop of a hit sci-fi TV show was a dream come true. I started on PC, even though my machine could barely handle it. It chugged, stuttered, and coughed through gunfights and Arkfall battles, but I stuck with it far longer than I probably should have—because I genuinely loved the game. The world felt alive, the lore was deep, and the tie-ins with the show made it feel like I was part of something bigger.
Eventually, I found it on a super sale for PS3 and thought, "This is it—my second chance." I hoped the console would give me a smoother ride. If memory serves, it was locked at 30 FPS, which was pretty standard back then. It was heartbreakingly hilarious though. Not long after I picked it up for PS3, the game shut down. Just like that. My money went up in digital flames and disappeared into the void—no refunds, no do-overs. Just disappointment.
Years passed, and then, out of nowhere, Defiance made a return. The nostalgia hit me hard. I was excited to dive back into that world, hoping to recapture the spark I’d felt all those years ago. But history repeated itself—if not quite identically, then painfully similarly. The game was short-lived again, shut down not long after its revival. Once more, what had been a beloved memory became another footnote in the long list of games that couldn’t stick the landing.
Now, it seems Defiance is getting one more shot—this time under the banner of Fawkes Games. There's a part of me that wants to believe in third chances, to believe that a community once burned can rise from the ashes and find its way back to something special. I don’t know if the game can compete in today’s MMO landscape, where player expectations are sky-high, and quality-of-life features are mandatory. But I do know what the game once meant to me, and I know I want to give it one more try.
So here's to hoping—hoping that Fawkes Games and whatever form Defiance takes next can find its footing. Games don’t always fail because they’re bad; sometimes it’s timing, tech, or just plain bad luck. I’m rooting for this one to finally get the redemption arc it deserves. I’ll be making a video about it soon on my YouTube, and I hope to see some familiar faces out there in the New Frontier. Maybe this time, it’ll stick.