It Went Wrong Again! ‘Operation Apocalypse,’ Hyper Front’s Redesign, Will End in December.

History repeats itself. Once again, NetEase is shutting down all activities related to Operation Apocalypse. The game, which was essentially a “rework” of another already canceled flop, Hyper Front, will cease its operations in China.

NetEase and its obsession with “Valorant clones”

NetEase, known as the “Gameloft of the present day,” makes no secret of its desire to copy any successful game. But the level of audacity is impressive. Whenever an online game becomes a hit, there is NetEase launching an “inspired” version. This has happened with PUBG, Fortnite, numerous MMOs and, of course, Valorant.

But…

For those unaware, Operation Apocalypse was a game heavily “inspired” by Valorant. Before it, NetEase was already sued by Riot Games for Hyper Front, the precursor to this failure. In 2023, NetEase tried to launch its Valorant clone before Riot, but didn’t anticipate the cunning of Valorant’s creators, who filed a lawsuit to prevent the plagiarism. Now, it seems like the hammer has also fallen on Operation Apocalypse, another disguised clone, focused on the Chinese market. And the result? Another game that will vanish even before it has had the chance to leave China.

End of operations

Players who are still active on the game will be able to play it until December 12th, but the title has already been removed from download platforms, and new sign-ups and virtual currency purchases have been suspended. After this date, the official site and all services associated with the game will be deactivated.

Compensation plan for players

In an attempt to soften the blow, NetEase has announced a compensation plan for players. Android users will be able to transfer benefits to other games by the company, such as Knives Out and Firefly Assault. Meanwhile, iOS players will have the opportunity to explore new titles from NetEase with some special advantages.

Players who still have the game’s virtual currency, known as “Star Stones”, will be able to use it until operations cease. For those who purchased with real money, the coins will be converted into equivalent points that can be used in other titles by the company. At least there’s that, right?

In the end, it seems that NetEase’s desire to have a “Valorant of its own” continues to be hindered by court realities and lack of originality.