Introduction
Sometimes games are announced and you get really excited about ’em and then nothing. They just drop off the face of the Earth and you’re like, “What? I thought you were making a game, man.” Hi folks, it’s Falcon and today on Gameranx, 10 games that seem to have vanished.
10. Assassin’s Creed: Codename Hexe
Officially announced at the Ubisoft Forward in 2022. The next mainline “Assassin’s Creed” game following “Shadows,” simply known as “Codename Hexe,” and from all early speculation and leaks, it seems like it’ll be set in the 16th century in the Holy Roman Empire during the height of the witch trials in Europe. Honestly, what a fantastic idea for an “Assassin’s Creed” game. The trailer revealed next to nothing though, showed us no actual gameplay. The game’s producer did say “Hexe” was aiming at being a very different type of “Assassin’s Creed” game.
I don’t know what the hell that means, but since that teaser trailer, it has just been straight up radio silent, you’d think they’d have something to share after “Shadows.” But we’ve gotten nothing so far from Ubisoft. It’s been about three years now, and all we have is a working title and some vague clues about the game’s direction, and that’s literally it. I do expect some kind of update coming soon though, along with more information about “Codename Jade,” which is a China-set “Assassin’s Creed” game for mobile devices. That’s also been pretty silent recently. Another thing I expect, more of you to press subscribe.
9. Star Wars Eclipse
The Quantic Dream “Star Wars” game. In 2021, we got a cinematic trailer for this thing and then we got nothing. Now, I know “Star Wars” as a brand isn’t as exciting as it was even in 2021, but this game looked pretty intriguing. It set in a different era than your usual “Star Wars” stuff. It was reportedly set in the High Republic era and that was introduced to most people through “The Acolyte,” which (vocalizing) that got canceled before they were even able to finish the story. Maybe not the best first impression, but it was also a major part of “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” So there’s potential in the setting and the game is being made by Quantic Dream. The “Detroit: Become Human” and “Heavy Rain” guys. And apparently, it’s supposed to have the same kind of branching narrative with multiple characters, mechanics that the studio’s known for, but combine with more traditional action-adventure gameplay.
So it’s apparently gonna be an action game that has that kind of branching story, which sounds super intriguing and also really ambitious for a studio that’s never made an action game before. I wouldn’t be shocked if that’s why this one is taking so long and why they haven’t really revealed anything beyond the initial trailer. Also, they probably don’t want to be associated with “The Acolyte” in any way, shape or form. There was some cool lightsaber stuff in it, but that was it. Oh my God, “Acolyte” sucked. At least we know it’s probably still coming. From a post on LinkedIn from the Quantic Dream CEO, they said they’re still working on their current projects at full pace. It’s barely been anything, but at least there’s some kind of proof of life on this thing. The trailer is pretty cool actually, and suggests we might see some fairly different things in a “Star Wars” game for once. So hopefully we will be seeing some substantial update on “Eclipse” eventually.
8. Project: MARA
Anybody remember this one? Alongside “Hellblade II,” Ninja Theory was working on a smaller scale psychological horror game called “Project: MARA,” which got revealed back in 2020. A 2021 Dev diary revealed more information about what the game was going to be, a game set in one location with one character that was meant to be a real world and grounded representation of mental terror. Their goal with the game was to present mental issues as viscerally and realistically as possible using real research and interviews with mental health practitioners and people suffering from mental health problems. It’s sky-high ambitions for this thing, saying it would be a showcase of what could become a new storytelling medium. It also sounded like, at least initially, they wanted to get this thing out fast. Seems like the idea behind this project was to make it with a small team, which would minimize the expense and the risk of making the game.
They seemed pretty confident about the game back in 2021, but like pretty much everything else on this list, we just got nothing for years. It wasn’t until 2024 that Ninja Theory Studio had woke up from it’s four-year slumber to tell everybody that they were still working on “Project: MARA,” along with another unannounced game that had been recently greenlit. With all the layoffs going on at Microsoft earlier in the year in 2024, there was concern Ninja Theory might be on the chopping block, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. So it’s possible “Project: MARA” is still happening. Firstly, I’m skeptical the game will ever surface. It’s one of those things where it sounds both incredibly simple and incredibly complex and ambitious at the same time, which makes me a little, “Oh, you guys think this is gonna be easy, but it’s not gonna be easy.” And that a lot of the time that those are the types of projects that get canceled. But I’m all for getting proven wrong here.
7. Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate
Originally announced during the “Dragon Quest” 35th anniversary event. The next main line entry in the long running franchise has been suspiciously silent ever since. The executive producer of the entire “Dragon Quest” series took over mobile development at Square Enix, the series’ famous, or should I say infamous composer, passed away in 2021. And Akira Toriyama, the acclaimed creator of “Dragon Ball” and the series’ character designer also passed in 2024. So a lot of the individuals responsible for the iconic look and sound of the series are gone.
All these setbacks combined with a lack of any news from the development team has caused a lot of fans to speculate the project has been mothballed or canceled entirely. Obviously the “Dragon Quest” series isn’t over yet. It’s a money maker. But it’s possible the original direction for the game it’s done, might still be the case too. But at least according to at least one source, progress is still being made on the game. From what little has been revealed about this thing, it was meant to be “Dragon Quest” for adults, so it would have a slightly more mature tone and was also gonna have a new battle system. That’s all they’ve divulged about it. It’s apparently a long way off, but I guess it’s being worked on in some capacity.
6. TMNT: The Last Ronin
It’s been so quiet, I almost forgot this thing existed. In 2023, PlayStation revealed that THQ Nordic and Black Forest Games were making a single-player, action game based on the critically acclaimed “Last Ronin” comic, which was set in a dark future in the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” universe. Basically “Old Man Logan,” but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which I know some people might be like (vocalizing), roll their eyes at that, but “Old Man Logan” and the movie it inspired, “Logan,” is, in my opinion, possibly the best Wolverine oriented media, and I don’t see how that could be not true of this. I mean, the comic is quite good. I don’t read a lot of comics, but “The Last Ronin” comic is actually quite good. The trailer was thin on details, but apparently the game was inspired by stuff like the “God of War” reboot, which works I think for the idea quite well.
The problem is Black Forest Games was hit by layoffs and restructuring, which leads fans to assume the game was quietly canceled. But apparently it’s still being worked on. It’s just the work is being done by some other developer. Who really knows though, it could just be done at this point. You can never really tell if something is actually going to come out from THQ Nordic because sometimes things happen and sometimes they just don’t. Most of the time this stuff gets canned or games with no real value or built-in fan base. And this is “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and a grownup one. So it’s especially unique and a lot of people actually want this one. I’m not sure if this is gonna ever resurface, but if it does come out, it’s gonna be a nice surprise. I don’t have my hopes up, but I kind of internally really have my hopes up.
5. OD
An all-star collaboration between Hideo Kojima and Jordan Peele. It was revealed back in 2023 at the Game Awards, and then, you guessed it, nothing. Details about what the game even is have been quite scarce. We know they’ve got a pretty noteworthy cast of actors on board and the game uses Xbox’s cloud technology to create a unique immersive experience. At the crossroads of virtual reality and cloud processing, a new synergy is found that puts us at a nexus between the crossroads of the (vocalizing). Yeah, I don’t really trust corporate speak, but Kojima at least says the game is something no one has seen before. And he calls it a new form of media that’s both a video game and a movie or something like that, which I’m sorry, but
…a strand game is just an action-exploration game. It’s incredible and it’s weird, and it’s unique, yes, but a strand game is not its own genre, sir. He also stressed this one’s gonna be love it or hate it. So he’s really doubling down after “Death Stranding” I guess. I wouldn’t be shocked if he tries his damnedest to make it something that more people hate than “Death Stranding 2,” but I don’t know. He’s a weird dude. Whatever it is supposed to be, it does sound at least intriguing. So of course they dropped the trailer two years ago and then said nothing else. With all the chaos going on at Microsoft and Xbox in the last few years, there was concern the project had been canceled, but it sounds like it’s still ongoing. Xbox has been canceling projects left and right. List candidates like the “Perfect Dark” reboot and “Everwild” got canned. But apparently according to an Xbox spokesperson, “OD” is still in production. What the hell it is and what you’ll actually do in it or really anything about it, it’s a complete mystery right now, but it’s still being made.
4. Splinter Cell Remake
Sure, the “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” remake has been a long time coming, but the “Splinter Cell” remake announced back in December, 2021 is even more enigmatic since it was confirmed to actually exist. Oh, we’ve gotten a few pieces of concept art and some talking heads saying how important a franchise “Splinter Cell” is. At the crossroads of the nexus! Ubisoft, they said it was happening and then they’ve said a big load of nothing. We know it’s being rewritten for a modern audience apparently, and also the games director quit Ubisoft. So that’s always a good sign. Everything we’ve heard implies that this is one of those full remakes that builds the game from the ground up rather than just give the old game a new coat of paint like you know, a “Resident Evil” or a “Silent Hill.” So hopefully it does get the level of respect it deserves.
It also means they’re gonna have to bring in somebody to replace Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher, which is gonna make the remake feel off and difficult, but hopefully they get somebody with a little more gravitas to his voice than the guy that they used in “Blacklist.” Unlike a lot of other games on this list, there still hasn’t been proof of life for this one. No director message from LinkedIn or random tweet from someone involved. The only thing we have to go on is that this game has some known leaker saying the game isn’t canceled and it’s looking quite good. That’s all we have to go on though. But the leaker in question is at least generally considered to be trustworthy. So I’m inclined to keep hope up that the “Splinter Cell” remake will eventually come. The quality of it though, I mean we just have no idea at this point.
3. The Wolf Among Us Season 2
Originally announced way back in 2017 back when the original flavor of Telltale was still in business. “The Wolf Among Us 2” has been so long coming for fans of the original season, which by the way still stands out as one of Telltales best. When the Adventure Game Studio shut its doors in 2018, it seemed like that was the end for the game, but Telltale was resurrected, kind of I guess, it’s complicated I don’t want to get into it, but “The Wolf Among Us” was reannounced in 2019. That trailer shows more actual game than anything else on this list. It actually looks like a thing that exists, but once again, it’s a game that got announced and just disappeared. It’s only understandable fans would be concerned. I mean, Telltale disappeared once. They’re only more likely to go away again now that they’re in an even more precarious situation than the original studio.
Rumors and speculation run rampant about the state of the game with a lot of people assuming it’s not happening, but apparently it is still being worked on as of October 22nd, 2024, which is, I mean that’s coming up on a year fairly soon. But they did say that the game has not been canceled and it’s still being worked on. That would be reassuring. But it was done in response to a possible leaker or whistleblower claiming the studio was in turmoil and that the game was on the verge of cancellation. So it’s possible the public statement was just damage control rather than an honest assessment of the state of “Wolf Among Us 2.” But also it has been almost a year since then and they haven’t gone out of business. So hard to say, it’s up in the air. I do hope that it does come out ’cause the original is great, but it’s hard to blame anyone for being skeptical about it.
2. System Shock 3
This one goes way back. In 2015, Night Dive acquired the rights to the “System Shock” franchise. Same year, OtherSide Entertainment revealed they were developing the long requested sequel to “System Shock 2.” In 2019, the game was finally revealed during the Game Developers conference, but after that, things get murky. Fans wanted a proper continuation of the “System Shock” series and at least for a little while, it seemed like they were more likely to get a new “System Shock” sequel than a “BioShock” one. Now, the chances of either seem somewhat unlikely. OtherSide lost their publisher Starbreeze because of Starbreeze’s own financial issues. Then many key developers left the studio in 2019 and 2020. And by late 2020, it was being reported the license had been transferred over to Tencent because OtherSide was incapable of working on the project.
Warren Specter said that OtherSide stopped developing “System Shock 3” as far back as 2019, which seems to suggest the game was dead, but apparently not because in 2025, Night Dive’s director of Business Development said in so many words that the project isn’t entirely dead yet. And they might have news to share potentially within a year or so. At least with the recently released “System Shock 2” remake, there is renewed interest for the series to continue. And the original “System Shock” remake did eventually happen, though that took a very long time to eventually come out. It was great though. So maybe there’s still a chance for this game. At least it’s possible. It’s maybe not super likely, but there’s a flicker of possibility.
1. Project Awakening
One of those games where I couldn’t blame anyone for assuming that it was definitely 100% not happening. But this game, which was revealed as far back as August, 2016 might actually still be happening. If you don’t remember, this is supposed to be an open-world, action game with co-op multiplayer and various RPG elements. The pitch was that it was a cross between “Monster Hunter” and “Dragon’s Dogma” published by Cygames whose bread and butter is mostly anime games. So “Project Awakening” was meant to be the big attempt to break through to the Western market.
It got a trailer in 2018 and like clockwork, it’s been dead air ever since. In August, 2019, a possible demo was registered with the European Ratings Board, but that never went anywhere. In 2021, they showed off some new footage. So the game was still alive up until that point. But then nothing else happened until April of 2024 where publicly available financial documents revealed it was at least considered to be an upcoming game. So it’s still not canceled, at least as of then. That’s really all anybody knows about it right now. It looks like it has potential, but I mean, who knows? The trailers are suitably impressive to be fair. But it could also just be vaporware.
Bonus: Beyond Good and Evil 2
It’s so dead, it’s barely worth mentioning, but at least according to Ubisoft, it hasn’t officially been canceled. I don’t know why they’re trying to string this farce out even longer ’cause the writing’s been on the walls for many years. They seriously might as well just cancel the damn game. But as the late June of 2024, they’re still claiming the game is coming and nothing’s been said since. They even went as far to add new content to the “Beyond Good and Evil” remaster. To add more narrative thread connecting the two games, Michel Ancel, the creator of “Beyond Good and Evil,” left Ubisoft in 2020. And in 2021, the game’s creative director just died at 40, which sucks, rest in peace.
As of 2022, the game still is in pre-production. It’s been in development for over 17 years, longer than “Duke Nukem Forever.” I do not realistically see this game coming out. And if for some miracle reason it does come out, whatever it is, is not going to be worth the wait. Even if it’s great. I’m not even saying that that means it’s gonna be bad if it comes out somehow, miraculously. I guess it’s possible Ubisoft could surprise us and actually release it and win all the Game of the Year awards and we’ll all be groveling at their feet, proclaiming we’ll never doubt them again. But I think you know how likely I think that is, which is not very likely at all.
That’s all I’ve got for you today though. Leave us a comment, let us know what you think. But as usual, thank you guys for reading and we’ll see you next time.
