Syfy cancels Defiance TV show, but the game will live on

Defiance was an attempt to merge the worlds of TV and video games, but only the game remains.

TV network Syfy has decided to cancel the Defiance science-fiction show after three seasons. It follows a drop in ratings for the show that Syfy called “a truly groundbreaking series, delivering an immersive cross-platform experience.” The Defiance massively multiplayer online shooter — originally launched as a paid-for title on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, before going free-to-play in July 2014 — will keep going, though.

Defiance (the game) launched to mixed reviews in 2013, but it offered an interesting new way to tell a story across multiple platforms. Developer Trion Worlds previously said that the game would continue if the show ever finished, and it’s staying true to that position.

Scott Hartsman, the chief executive officer at Trion Worlds, told Polygon that the game “will continue exactly as before,” adding, “The show has always been a fantastic and interesting partner, but the two were always meant to be able to stand on their own, which is why the show was primarily set in St. Louis and the game in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

“Like many of you, we’ve all enjoyed the stories they told week in and week out,” Hartsman said. “Let’s treat this as a fond farewell, in celebration of a successful three-year run of a show that broke a lot of new ground and brought an incredible quality experience to its viewers.”