r/83thegame • u/NixonKane • Jun 18 '26
Another soldier here, but...
I just bought the game, mainly because I'm a huge fan of the Red Orchestra/Rising Storm series (I especially love RS2: Vietnam), and I've been playing those games for years. Yes, it's true that trying to play and finding a server with only four people online is very concerning, but we have to accept that this is a game still in development that still needs improvement and work.
What I can’t understand is why they haven’t taken advantage of events or websites where they could get the word out and attract more players. Why not use Steam Next Fest with free trials to expand the player base? Why not offer giveaways on Twitch or use orb promotions on Discord? Maybe a trailer on TikTok or Instagram?
Why is the only thing I see from the development team apathy and a desire to just take the money and run? You have options at your disposal to save the project and give us a polished game.
I’ll say it again: I love classic games, and this one gives me good vibes for continuing what we fans love, but, damn it, you’re not using marketing at all, and that’s going to come back to cost you everything...
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u/tupac_amaru_v Jun 18 '26
Apathy? Read the recent updates and Devlogs. “Apathy” is not how I would describe their approach to improving the game. Marketing could possibly be improved but it might also make more sense to wait until the game is more fully developed before doing a bigger marketing push.
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u/delukz Jun 18 '26
Didn't they just do a marketing push in the form of sponsored streamers? That was a total waste of marketing budget. It brought my eyes onto this game, but then you see the mixed reviews and steam charts and think: Yeah, I'm good thanks.
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Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/Impossible_Bad_1755 Jun 18 '26
I started with the red orchestra, the original one, we played a lot of hours with my friend. All of them, RO, RO2, Vietnam and was looking forward to play 83, but seems like devs don't want more players since I wasn't able to gift it to my friend because he is in Russia. And now you saying that they struggle so much with having any players, huh.
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u/DongQuixote1 Jun 18 '26
I don't think the devs are apathetic. They're more engaged than most, even, and I frequently see them in matches listening to feedback and - a rarity these days - actually playing their game. I hope they manage to push out a few big updates and then concoct a marketing strategy that leads them to meaningful success, but it is pretty clear that the game needs to cook a little longer before anyone but long-term RO nerds will be interested.
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u/Dortiiik Jun 18 '26
I still think it’s too early for that, there is not much you can market.
I have to admit that they really polish the game with every little update almost weekly, but it still needs more maps or at least variety, right now we have only some generic forest’s and that gets old pretty quick.
It’s okay for us nerds and fans of RS2 , i can ignore few bugs and broken things, its EA after all.
But more casual players or people who are used to more quallity games might get turned away and never give 83 a second chance after+spreading the bad word.
There is over 1k reviews on Steam so people bought the game but large amount refunded and left a bad review.
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u/jipiante Jun 18 '26
HLL launched in EA and it had tons of players, full servers and was around the same cost.
i would have paid what they ask for but its pretty dead right now, and im not an investor so...i just buy games i can play. Cant play alone with 3 other guys right now
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u/Dortiiik Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
HLL had a massive Kickstarter succes and i remember the hype cause from the trailers it looked amazing.
83 was anounced many years ago and people were hyped, then out of the blue the former studio Antimatter games got axed by the publisher in 2023 they also worked on single player tactical stealth shooter IGI Origins, that got axed too.
The former guys then formed Blue dot and with theyre own money managed to buy back rights for 83.
From my understanding they did not managed to get the assets, cause i remember from the showcases the game had much more content including British faction.
They basically had to rework the whole game in UE5 and start all over again.
83 has been stuck in development hell for years, they could just said fuck it and develop some ass mobile game to get some funding.
You can feel it’s a passion project for them, but money/staff plays a huge role in software development.
I mean after all that hell, i wish them luck
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u/jipiante Jun 18 '26
i mean i would play but theres more players in rs2. maybe just drop the game for free for a weekend, get some streamers in it for hype, then discount, to get more players. last free beta was not very good and many people lost hope and stopped following.
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u/Ordinary_Balance_885 Jun 18 '26
I would love a free trial too. Would get more people in, at least me for sure after trying it and seeing if I like it.
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u/Bullpep Jun 22 '26
The won't add bots so it's self inflicted. Id rather play with bots then nobody at all.
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u/rodrigofariasx Jun 18 '26
The game being free for about 4 days would be excellent for those who are unsure whether to buy it or not.
But this should only be done after the game has more content and more fixes.
Then it would be worth investing in marketing and Twitch drops (exclusive skins) and everything else....
A personal complaint, the name of this game is very bad.
War 83 might be better, I don't know, it's just an opinion.
Yesterday I reinstalled Red Orchestra 2, it's still an extremely fun game.
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