10 Video Games That Were Cancelled (But Not Why You Think)
Star Wars Battlefront III's cancellation had nothing to do with the loot box controversy.
Video game development sure is a tough racket - they take more time, effort, people, and money to make than just about any other art form, and at the end of the day, many of them just end up cancelled anyway.
The complex nature of video game production often means that promising-looking new titles are scrapped even after years in development, most commonly when a publisher loses faith in the project or it gets lost in the shuffle due to a business regime change.
But the reasons for any game's cancellation can be varied and complex, and a lot of the time it simply isn't the one you assumed.
These 10 video games were all unceremoniously scrapped mid-development, and while the writing may have been on the wall for many of them, that doesn't mean the most obvious reason for their cancellation was the correct one.
Each of these games ended up on the chopping block for more multi-faceted and unexpected reasons than most fans initially believed, in turn providing a fascinating glimpse into the nebulous inner-workings of the world's most secretive entertainment industry...
10. Mixed Reviews & The Original's Troubled Development - Days Gone 2
Why You Thought It Was Cancelled
It was initially expected that Sony's zombie actioner Days Gone would get a sequel, but earlier this year it was confirmed that Sony had actually rejected the pitch for Days Gone 2.
A few days later, the game's writer and co-director John Garvin appeared on David Jaffe's podcast and said, "If you love a game, buy it at f**king full price," clearly implying that the sequel was shot down because the game didn't sell enough.
Why It Was Actually Cancelled
But as Jason Schreier's initial Bloomberg report confirmed, Sony ultimately rejected the pitch due to both the first game's mixed critical reception - the PS4 version has a mediocre 71 Metascore - and also its protracted, difficult development.
Clearly Sony didn't have much faith in Bend Studio's ability to deliver on a bigger, better sequel, and though the game's recent PC release sold well out of the gate, it seems relatively unlikely to move the needle enough for Sony to change tack.
Given the generally high standard of Sony's first-party titles, you really can't blame them for balking at a sequel to one of their more divisive recent AAA releases that didn't exactly sell incredibly.