Ah yes, Zero-K, the game where I was once told—loudly, and with much condescension—that I was wrong. That the game was fine. That the community was "thriving." That I was the problem. Fast forward six years, and what do we have? A vibrant, competitive scene? Massive influx of new players? No? Oh.
Instead, here we are, with a player count that makes a ghost town look lively. No big tournaments, no fresh blood, just the same few names desperately pretending everything is fine. Meanwhile, Beyond All Reason (BAR) is out here doing what Zero-K never could—actually growing, actually fun, and actually having a community that doesn't treat newcomers like trash. Imagine that.
But hey, let’s take a moment to reflect on some old classics. Anyone remember Drone? That shining beacon of the Zero-K community, who thought being a condescending ass to new players was some kind of noble duty? Good times. The guy practically foamed at the mouth whenever someone dared to suggest the game had issues. "Skill issue," "get good," "you're just bad"—all the usual insecure nonsense. Where’s he now? Still queueing for 30 minutes just to get stomped by the same two players? Or has he finally realized that his beloved game is circling the drain?
I’d love to say "I told you so," but at this point, that’s like dunking on an open hoop. Everyone sees it. The game's dead. What’s left of it is just a bunch of old names stubbornly refusing to admit they backed the wrong horse. Meanwhile, BAR is flourishing, bringing in new players, growing its community, and actually being enjoyable to play. Shocking concept, I know.
Zero-K had potential, but potential means nothing when your community actively drives people away and your developers think "it’s fine" to ignore obvious problems. But hey, don’t take my word for it—just check the player count.
RIP Zero-K. You had a good run.
Respect,
The Rocking chair Rabbit
