10 Upcoming Video Games You Didn't Realise Just Got Cancelled
5. Transformers: Heavy Metal
In June 2021, Pokémon Go creators Niantic announced that they were developing Transformers: Heavy Metal - an augmented reality Transformers game in which players would team up with the Autobots to fight the Decepticons.
Heavy Metal even got as far as having a soft launch in Malaysia last May, but the very next month Niantic cancelled further development on the title.
No single reason was given, though developer Very Very Spaceship cited "many challenges" during production, while industry analysts noted that player engagement (and therefore, revenue) during the soft launch was much lower than expected.
This is ultimately just one of many instances where Niantic has struggled to replicate the success of their flagship AR title, Pokémon Go. Most notably, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite failed to generate the expected profits and was shuttered last January, less than three years after its beta launched.
Don't expect Transformers: Heavy Metal to be the last AR flop Niantic pushes out, but considering the obvious potential of a Transformers-themed Pokémon Go-like, it's a shame it failed to make a dent.