Two years ago today, on January 25, 2022, Blizzard Entertainment proudly announced it was developing an all-new game in the survival sub-genre. Today, that game has been officially canceled as part of Microsoft's layoffs of 1,900 team members from its gaming division, which now includes Blizzard due to the company's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in October 2023.
According to The Verge, Matt Booty, Microsoft's game content and studios president, confirmed the cancelation of the game in an internal memo. There's no indication why the game was canceled, but Booty did state that some of the Blizzard team members who were working on the title will be moved over to "several promising new projects Blizzard has in the early stages of development.”
When it officially announced the game two years ago, Blizzard was actively hiring for the project. Here's how it described the game:
We are going on a journey to a whole new universe, home to a brand-new survival game for PC and console. A place full of heroes we have yet to meet, stories yet to be told, and adventures yet to be lived. A vast realm of possibility, waiting to be explored.
The announcement was accompanied by a couple of pieces of concept artwork, including one where it appears a couple of modern-day people, complete with a bicycle, enter into some woods that seemingly lead into a fantasy-style land.
I want to thank everyone who is impacted today for their meaningful contributions to their teams, to Blizzard, and to players’ lives. It’s an incredibly hard day and my energy and support will be focused on all those amazing individuals impacted – this is in no way a reflection…
— Mike Ybarra 🎄 (@Qwik) January 25, 2024
Blizzard's president Mike Ybarra will also depart as part of this restructuring and Microsoft will name a new president of Blizzard next week. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ybarra stated:
Leading Blizzard through an incredible time and being part of the team, shaping it for the future ahead, was an absolute honor. Having already spent 20+ years at Microsoft and with the acquisition of Activision Blizzard behind us, it’s time for me to (once again) become Blizzard’s biggest fan from the outside.
One of Blizzard's co-founders, Allen Adham, who was serving as its chief design officer, will also be leaving the studio.
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