In one of Mark Twain's essays, "The Decay of the Art of Lying," there's a line:
Tragedy is when life's treasures get wrecked right in front of you.
When BT's frame shattered in that planet-busting blast, players lost it on the spot!
Streamers broke down, tears flowing, full meltdown!
Just ten minutes ago!
They'd been side-by-side with BT, blasting through war zones, storming enemies, dueling the Viper, taking down Sloan, chasing off that old dog Sam Harper.
But in a flash!
After syncing hearts and hitting 100% combat effectiveness, BT was gone forever on that rock.
Countless streamers bailed from the IndieVibe X2 cabin, bolting from their streams in tears.
Even a tough-talking streamer like ShuBro couldn't hold back, showing her real side!
Plenty more couldn't even finish their voice logs to BT—choking up mid-sentence!
And the viewers? They exploded!
Streams filled with rage-fueled rants!
'You jerk, Gus!'
'Monster! Nah, need somethin' worse than monster!'
"What? You a psycho or somethin'? Total freak!"
"I'm bawlin' in the dead of night."
'Eyes leakin' over here'
"No wonder it's Titanfall—turns out the end is a literal fall! Damn!"
"I straight-up broke when 'trust me' hit."
"Who knows Gus's address? Sendin' him some 'local specialties'!"
@GusHarper, sleep with one eye open, dude. Not kiddin'.
"Spill your address, Gus! Come on, spill it!"
"Yo, anyone got a rideshare in Seattle? Sellin' my house for one!"
"One? If the stream sees this, they'll think we're cheap! Grab ten! Ten steel bats a day!"
"Can't take it, folks. Just can't…"
'…'
And that's just the local scene!
Remember!
IndieVibe X2 hit overseas markets too.
This heartbreak wave wasn't just stateside—foreign players got hit hard!
Folks abroad? Emotions run hotter, words sharper!
One streamer kicked open the cabin, squatted, and sobbed:
"Damn! D-damn Gus! Keep your rotten carrots!!!"
Another raged out, smashing the external screen:
"Why me?! Why?! Just playin' a game, why this?!"
One even accused Gus of straight-up murder, crying:
"Killer! Killer! Gus Harper's a murderer! He offed my buddy with his own hands!"
Worldwide Titanfall players united, hurling "praise" at Gus's ending in every language—
"! You me! Jerk, you deserve it! ! ! "
Players were fired up!
ShuBro sobbed in her cabin, worse than a rainy Seattle night:
"Oh man, I'm done… Games are s'posed to be fun, right?… Why this?"
"Who's this ending makin' happy?… Oh crap, I get it…"
"Gus, dunno 'bout others, but this freak's gotta be grinnin'…"
With that!
ShuBro let out a skyward yell!
Dude!
Why's murder illegal!!!
Mid-thought, she skipped the credits and thanks.
Couldn't handle that tragic score—needed to splash water, chill out.
But!
Right after skipping, the screen froze on the rebels cruising the stars home!
Then!
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A achievement list popped bottom-right!
Unlocked "IndieVibe X2: BT Voice Pack"
Unlocked "IndieVibe X2: Cause and Effect Level Background"
Unlocked "IndieVibe X2: Titanfall Theme"
Unlocked "Pacific Rim" movie discount card
Unlocked "APEX Peak Tournament Invite (Coming Soon)"
ShuBro's jaw dropped at the rewards!
Clearing unlocks a ton!
Makes sense.
As IndieVibe X2's flagship trio, they'd hook Titanfall with custom goodies.
BT voice! Time-frozen backdrop! Titanfall cabin skin!
Swap 'em in, and the cabin's a "Titanfall exclusive"!
With that!
ShuBro claimed all IndieVibe X2 rewards!
Then, tentative, whispered, "BT?"
Next beat!
That familiar voice replied, gentle yet firm!
This is BT-7274, Vanguard-Class Titan. Call me BT. How can I assist?
"HELL YEAH—!!!"
ShuBro squealed!
Sure, game-end BT was gone forever.
But IRL? She could chat with BT.
Like training level, bantering with Lastimosa's ghost!
Maybe Gus left a shred of heart.
ShuBro grinned.
Chat lit up—
'Whoa! BT voice is killer!'
'I'm buyin', order placed.'
"Gus kept some humanity after all."
'Some, not much'
"Yeah, gotta watch BT die to unlock."
"Damn!!!! Gus ain't human! Revokin' his human card!"
"Sweet dates after slaps. Emotion whiplash king."
"Bet it's on purpose, torturin' for kicks."
'Gotta agree…'
'…'
Amid chat buzz, ShuBro tested backgrounds and themes.
IndieVibe nailed 'em—gorgeous, top-notch fit.
Pacific Rim discount? Snagged it.
Trial by Fire level rocked; collab hinted at movie gold.
Gus's twisted, but his taste? Spot-on.
Linked movie's gotta be solid.
And last!
"APEX Peak Tournament Invite"!
"This a… keepsake, folks?"
ShuBro puzzled.
If memory served, Sam's merc crew was APEX.
What's this invite mean?
Just a "you beat it" badge?
But!
Pulling the card, HUD info popped—
Name: APEX Invite
Details:
In the vast stars, an ancient blood sport endures.
Some fight for cash, others for truth.
In Gus Harper's grand tourney, standouts become top hunters.
Snag riches untold, or life's answers.
Cardholders get Gus's call to the firelands—glory, rebirth from ashes…
APEX Legends - Coming Soon!
Code: 2938-4432-2913-XXXX (hide/show)
ShuBro froze five seconds!
"Huh???"
Numb!
Shock beyond words!
Not just a "beat it" nod!
Ticket to the next thrill ride!
That moment!
ShuBro's scalp tingled, scream echoing the cabin—
"What the—?!"
"Folks!"
"This is nuts, damn!"
"This… Titanfall multiplayer key!!!"
Next, crowd stunned!
"WTF…WTF!!!"
"What the… huh?"
"Love what WindyPeak fans say—huh?"
"Whoa! Titanfall's got multiplayer?!"
"Technically spin-off. Battlefield's Outlands, APEX merc tryouts."
"Man, goosebumps everywhere!"
"Card from Gus? Straight ticket to sequel!"
'Easter egg's massive!'
'Multiplayer tourney?'
"Looks like, Viper's crew picks."
"Huh??? I'm the bad guy???"
'Haha, wild!'
"Can't beat 'em, join. Can't kill Gus, sign up."
'…'
All shocked, saying Gus gets a breather—till spin-off drops, then offline rumble?
Peers? Floored, waving off the flair.
WindyPeak's tricks endless, creativity off charts.
Sudden twist twisted waists.
And so!
Titanfall, 8 days post-launch, all content out!
But!
Lake-ripple influence spreads fast!
Media reports flood, another 10/10 wave!
Some outlets gave 11/10!
Beyond ceiling!
Peers dissect: levels, design, logic, script!
Sure, Titanfall legend's one-off.
So, eyes on single levels!
Some yank time-travel, make puzzle game.
Others grab Pilot moves—wall-running in multiplayer for mobility.
Some eye mech duels, R&D pure mech mode.
Titanfall hot for media, peers.
Market buzz: Media? Slap "Titanfall" on articles for clicks.
Devs? Claim "inspired by Titanfall" for profits!
Hot market!
Sales skyrocket!
350k copies!
450k!
550k!
US, Japan, Germany, San Fran…
Local, Asia, global…
From Seattle, WindyPeak breeze hits gaming world, first steps global with IndieVibe X2!
Maybe media guessed Titanfall's back half dips, no front-half magic.
But full drop? Chatter gone.
Replaced by sales boom!
Even!
Day 12 sales? Absurd twist!
Know!
7-day upper/lower unlock was temp.
Once first wave clears, full timeline opens.
Meaning, lower launch unlocks whole story at once.
So—
"Per PacificTech stats—"
"As of 11:59 PM last night,"
"Titanfall sales topped 650k, 657,773 worldwide,"
"And global IndieVibe X2 sales to 11:59 PM—"
"634,589 units…"
Yeah!
Historic nonsense: Exclusive game outsells its platform!
20k+ free-riders buy IndieVibe X2 post-full unlock, play, refund.
Bike-to-bar vibe: Save smart, splurge right.
News hits.
Victor Lang's eyes roll, near puking blood!
103% attachment rate!
Insane stat—who'd believe without living it?
Victor sobs in rage, life's most speechless moment.
But!
Damage done, nothing to fix.
Can't nix 7-day returns—big trouble.
Lucky, free-riders few; IndieVibe X2 sales crush targets, no biggie.
Just dumb data makes him media fodder awhile.
Huge sales!
Fame spike!
Blink!
Half-month hot streak!
That day!
15 days post-launch!
Late night, Seattle Cedar Heights Apartments, dim lights in a studio.
Girl's wild laugh-cry echoes, midnight creepy…
"Boo hoo…sniff…sniff…"
"Hahaha… boo hoo…"
"Who's losing money in this biz…?"
"Huh?"