In addition to the previously announced workforce reductions within its gaming division, Microsoft has confirmed the cancellation of Blizzard’s unannounced survival game. This is a huge hit to the company, as the project represented a departure from what the studio is known for.
News of the cancellation, given to The Verge, emerged alongside confirmation of the layoffs and the departure of the Blizzard President. Microsoft gaming chief Matt Booty stated that the company would be “shifting some of the people working on it to one of several promising new projects Blizzard has in the early stages of development.” This suggests that while the specific survival game is no more, the talent and ideas behind it will not be entirely lost.
The untitled survival game was first announced in January 2022, with Blizzard describing it as a journey “to a whole new universe, home to a brand-new survival game for PC and console.” The project sparked excitement among fans, as it promised a fresh direction for the studio, which is known for established franchises like Diablo, World of Warcraft, and StarCraft.
Concept art accompanying the initial announcement hinted at a world blending elements of classic fantasy and contemporary settings. The artwork depicted characters gazing out from a natural archway towards a towering castle, with a bicycle and a modern city skyline visible in the distance. This fueled speculation about the game’s unique setting and potential narrative themes.
While details about the game’s development remained scarce, Blizzard’s call for talent in key positions like senior character artist, level designer, and lead software engineer suggested a project progressing beyond the early conceptual stage. However, the recent changes at Blizzard, including the Microsoft acquisition and subsequent layoffs, ultimately led to the project’s cancellation.
The cancellation of Blizzard’s survival game represents a missed opportunity for the company to explore a new genre and potentially attract a wider audience. It also means that the layoffs may have impacted those working on this game. Microsoft’s commitment to “several promising new projects” offers at least some hope for how things will go, but today has been a hard hit for Blizzard and Microsoft.
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