Earlier this week, reports detailed significant layoffs at Eidos Montréal (developers of Deus Ex and Tomb Raider), impacting approximately one hundred employees. At the time, the company’s official statements were typical, emphasizing appreciation for staff and a focus on operational efficiency.
However, further information has since emerged, suggesting these layoffs are directly related to the dramatic cancellation of a massive project. It is understood that the team had been developing a AAA title codenamed ‘Wildlands’ since 2019. This project reportedly faced a turbulent development, including switching between four different game engines and experiencing creative differences among developers regarding its direction.
Despite these initial challenges, development had reportedly advanced significantly in recent years, with ‘Wildlands’ said to be ‘nearly complete’ and having a ‘tentative release date scheduled for later this year.’ The publisher, reportedly, seems to have reversed its decision, leading to the abandonment of a project that had cost ‘well beyond nine figures’ – effectively hundreds of millions of dollars.
While these details should be approached with caution, if the reports are accurate, it’s possible that some game content may eventually leak online, providing a glimpse into this abandoned mega-project that players will never get to experience in its finished state. This situation is undoubtedly sad and further reinforces concerns for those who believe the so-called AAA industry is currently not in a healthy state.