The 2000s-era mod scene prepared Killing Floor dev for living games

Games are transitioning to ongoing platforms and away from packaged product releases. This is the live-services trend, and it’s something that every blockbuster publisher is talking about as the future of making games. For developer Tripwire Interactive, the studio responsible for cooperative shooter Killing Floor, this isn’t some new moneymaking fad. The company has always worked that way due to its origins as a team of modders.

In 2005, Killing Floor debuted as a mod for Unreal Tournament 2004. It’s a horde-style shooter when players take on waves of undead creatures. After working on the mod for years, Tripwire eventually used Epic’s Unreal Engine to build a standalone version of Killing Floor that launched on Steam in 2009. Since then, Killing Floor has continued to sell as Tripwire has found ways to keep it fresh through regular updates. The studio has also found ways to generate revenue through downloadable content that it sells through Steam.