There’s One Hero Shooter I Wish Everyone Could Play Again

With popular hero shooters like Marvel Rivals taking center stage over the past year, it’s easy to forget about other titles in the genre that didn’t find as big of an audience. Since landmark titles like Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch, many hero shooters trying to capture their magic have come and gone, with some even utilizing well-known IPs in the process. However, one game that innovated hero shooters deserved a much better chance, instead of having its servers shut down far too soon.

With new hero shooters like Highguard launching early in 2026, the saturation of live service titles that fit the genre has grown much larger after the disappointments surrounding Overwatch 2. Many hero shooters have been somewhat lackluster over time, such as Battleborn or Paladins, who never really managed to get strong player bases. Oftentimes, this is due to a variety of factors, including the shooter’s roster not being as interesting or other features dragging down genuinely interesting gameplay.

Gundam Evolution Was One Of The Best Hero Shooters I’ve Ever Played

Few hero shooters captured my attention more than Gundam Evolution, a game released by Bandai Namco back in 2022. This title featured the iconic mobile suits of multiple Gundam anime series, ranging from the classic Mobile Suit Gundam mechs to others from beloved stories like Iron-Blooded Orphans. Each suit was its own “hero,” having unique abilities, weapons, and skills that matched their appearances in the series they came from. Twelve starting units made for a humble roster at first, but this later doubled to 24.

Gundam Evolution featured 6v6 matches between two teams of mobile suits, with each trying to complete certain objectives based on the match type. Domination matches had teams trying to simultaneously keep control of three different points on a map, constantly splitting attention between locations to gain a lead. Meanwhile, Destruction matches saw one team trying to plant a weapon deep into the heart of an enemy’s team territory, with the other trying to prevent them from doing so. Each mode had multiple stages, creating a dynamic sense of progression that made each match interesting.

The mechanics of Gundam Evolution made it stand out from other hero shooters, emphasizing much more team cooperation than most titles in the genre. For example, when your mobile suit reaches zero health, it becomes disabled rather than you getting eliminated. Your teammates have a small window to repair your unit, allowing you to return to the action. Furthermore, no mobile suit had a defined “role” on a team, giving players far more freedom in what units to pick for the best synergy with others.

Unique Mobile Suits Consistently Created Fun Dynamics Between Rival Teams

To this day, there are few hero shooters I’ve played with as many distinct “characters” as Gundam Evolution. Much like games like Marvel Rivals or Overwatch, Gundam Evolution‘s appeal came from its mobile suits, which all were vastly different from one another. Some could transform into a flying form, others had auto-aim attacks, while each had different levels of mobility that also helped them stand out. Overall, Gundam Evolution felt like a breath of fresh air after many failed attempts to emulate the success of Overwatch at its height.

Melee mobile suits like the GN-001 Gundam Exia had complex systems that allowed players to reset cooldowns on certain abilities. Each mobile suit had individual depth, with enough variation between each one released to make playing one feel like a completely new experience compared to another. Although it took some time to unlock new suits, ones outside the core roster felt worth the grind once obtained due to their unique traits.

Disconnected Servers Prevent Players From Ever Experiencing Gundam Evolution Properly Again

Unfortunately, the servers for Gundam Evolution were shut down only after a year, on November 29, 2023. This came about for multiple reasons, from the game’s poor monetization practices and lack of substantial balance changes over different seasons. At the same time, just not enough people were playing after the initial honeymoon phase, causing the player base to dwindle over time.

Despite being a far cry from Concord‘s disastrously quick shutdown, Gundam Evolution was still taken down far too soon compared to other live service games. By comparison, other far worse games like BioWare’s Anthem had their servers run from 2019 until 2026, giving players many more opportunities to try the title than Gundam Evolution was ever allowed. Considering how Gundam Evolution‘s gameplay was celebrated by a number of hero shooter fans, many believe that Bandai Namco pulled the plug without giving the game a proper chance.

Anyone who has played Gundam Evolution will know the game had faults, but these were easily fixable, as they mainly pertained to the payment model for new mobile suits and other in-game items. With a free-to-play system and an IP as strong as Gundam to keep introducing new units as fresh content, Gundam Evolution could have easily been a staple hero shooter like Marvel Rivals became later, if only it was given more support.

Do you think the servers for Gundam Evolution should get a second chance? Leave a comment below or join the conversation below in the ComicBook Forum!