Blizzard dev tributes pour in for the “sick” canceled survival game we’ll never play and the “fantastic” team behind it
Tributes from developers have been flooding in for Blizzard’s unannounced survival game following its cancellation.
Yesterday brought the news that Blizzard’s survival game set in “a whole new universe” is no more. This comes as part of changes within Microsoft’s gaming unit that have also resulted in job losses for over 1,900 staff members across Activision Blizzard, Zenimax, and Xbox.
In the wake of the announcement, many, including those who worked on the ill-fated title, have taken to Twitter to express their regret that it will never see the light of day and show their appreciation and support for the talented team behind it.
I’ll do a more formal oneI’ve been laid off from Blizzard, and I’m pretty fucking crushed that the survival game won’t see the light of day. We were working on a cool thing with the coolest people and I’ll be mourning that a bit.January 25, 2024
Aw man everyone thank you for all the kind comments ;_; I think what bums me the most is the disbanding of the dream team. And the beautiful and fun game we were making that will never see the light of day 💔January 25, 2024
“I was making incredible creatures and enemies with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met,” Bob Mowzie, who worked as an encounter designer on the project, says on Twitter. “I’m heartbroken, and I’m so sorry I won’t get to deliver this amazing game to you all…”
Former Blizzard developer Johnny Cash writes: “The Blizz survival game was fantastic, the team behind it even more fantastic, and it is our collective loss to never be able to experience it as a finished piece..”
For Riot software engineer Anna Rosenberg, this was the first AAA game they worked on: “I’m devastated no one else will get to experience it,” they write.
The sentiment is shared by many others, including gameplay programmer Michael Dale, who describes the game as “sick,” and lighting artist Carmen Lights, who says, “My heart is breaking. I loved this project, and I loved this team”.
The existence of this ambitious survival game came to light in early 2022 with a post on Blizzard’s website seeking individuals to fill several key development roles. According to details that have come to light following the cancelation, the project had been in development for six years, and Synapse, its game engine, played a role in its demise.
See what’s coming to Microsoft’s latest console in the year ahead with our guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.