Population Zero

Population Zero colonized StreamerHouse in 2020, peaking at 547 viewers for Enplex Games' survival MMO that went from free-to-play to paid to dead within months. The Moscow-based studio launched Steam Early Access May 5th at $29.99, pivoting from the original F2P model to "eradicate pay-to-win" concerns. StreamerHouse sessions showcased the 168-hour (one week) survival loop—colonists stranded on planet Kepler had seven real-time days to repair hibernation pods or turn into feral mutants. The game blended PvE crafting, building, exploration, and two-faction PvP in an ecosystem that "catered to players who appreciate robust action." Critics noted the alien world design and Enplex's ambition, but population couldn't sustain the $30 price point in the crowded survival genre. Within months, Enplex quietly pulled the plug—servers went offline without warning and never returned, leaving Early Access buyers stranded worse than Kepler colonists. No official shutdown announcement ever came; the game simply vanished from existence. For StreamerHouse, Population Zero exemplified Early Access's brutal reality: ambitious survival MMOs need massive communities to survive, and converting to paid distribution during pandemic competition proved fatal for the mutant-transformation mechanic that never got to mature.