Videogames might have been one of the big sectors to enjoy a massive boost this year as a result of people staying at home more than ever and investing in their own entertainment while they're there, but cautionary tales still abound.

Disintegration was a new title of some promise given its association with one of the founders of the entire Halo franchise, but struggled pretty quickly upon impact back in June.

Now, chronic underpopulation in its multiplayer game modes has led developers V1 and publisher Public Division to go nuclear - all the game's multiplayer modes will cease to be accessible on any platform from 17 November this year.

That's a pretty big step, but the total lack of players for the game means that trying to find a match at the moment is an exercise in frustration, and it would seem that Public Division has decided it'd be better to simply shut the modes off than give people a sub-standard experience. 

Still, though, it's a pretty big step to just turn them off, after what will have been just five months of operation. Whether that'll leave anyone who bought the game fuming is something that will come out in time. 

However, it's also fair to say that our review of Disintegration found the singleplayer a far more engaging prospect than the multiplayer, which was already looking deserted even at launch. 

Private Division's statement on the change has a note of defiance in it that we appreciate, too, as it stresses the importance of innovation and brave new ideas in mainstream videogames.