Canceled Video Games That Still Hurt The Most

It’s rarely a good thing when a video game gets axed, especially the ones that are almost at the end of their production, but over time, some cancellations have struck more severely than I’d like to admit. This piece, therefore, intends to highlight the most brutal video game cancellations that otherwise could have paved the way to some really top-tier games, including the new Star Wars Battlefront, and others.

Such A Shame These Projects Couldn’t See The Light Of Day

A comment down below would do well if you’ve got other suggestions to make and add to the list.

1. Scalebound

First announced at E3 2014, the audience erupted upon witnessing what seemed to be a marvel at the time—Scalebound. The game introduced a novel mechanic of a hyperdynamic player-dragon interaction, that would continually improve over time as the character would progress further down the storyline road. It looked spectacular, with Gamescom 2015 featuring a gameplay trailer for Scalebound as well, which led to even more fan interest.

The Xbox exclusive, with PlatinumGames leading the development front, got canned in 2017, much to the dismay of everyone once excited with the project. Microsoft told IGN at the time,

After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for Scalebound. We’re working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including Halo Wars 2, Crackdown 3, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves and other great experiences.”

2. Days Gone 2

Did you know that Bend Studio’s Days Gone was supposed to be a trilogy? Well, it’s a blithering tragedy that we’re not even going to get a sequel, and at this point, the developer too is fed up of fans asking for a new Days Gone.

I apologize to our Days Gone community for continuously getting fed false hope and poor information by people looking for likes. It’s not fair to you all. We are currently working on a new IP, and when we have actual news to share it will come from our studio,” said Days Gone’s Community Manager.

Now, what went down back in the day wasn’t any happy story either. Bend Studio wanted to get a sequel out, but PlayStation refused, citing the “long development time” and lukewarm initial reception of the game to be the major reasons why.

It’s honestly one of the biggest shames out there as far as the gaming industry is concerned, because the Days Gone IP has such profound potential for greatness, and so many different things still left unexplored. Heck, once you beat the game, a sequel is teased right there and then. Turns out we won’t be getting what players were promised after all.

3. Star Wars Battlefront 3

One of the finest multiplayer games in recent times, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is an exceptionally well-designed Star Wars game, and there not a lot of these out there. The game was supposed to have a sequel, but publisher Electroic Arts cut all prospects down of the latter.

Battlefront 3 was a pitched title from DICE, but ultimately, the title was shot down by EA due to licensing costs. ‘It got turned down because it takes 20% more sales to make the same money,’ reported Tom Henderson in the words of a former developer working on the IP.

Additionally, another Battlefront 3 was being made by the same talented folks who pushed out TimeSplitters 3, but that too project too couldn’t see the light of day. A former Free Radical Design dev said that Battlefront 3 “got cancelled 2 yards from the finish line.” It’s not compensation, but EA is still keeping ties with the Star Wars IP by pushing a different type of game in that universe—Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor.

4. Rainbow 6: Patriots

Rainbow 6: Patriots looked too good to be true back when Ubisoft made it official in 2011, focusing on a plotline that resonated with so many back in the day. A terrorist group became a victim of the notorious 2008 stock market crash, deciding to go after all the Wall Street sharks who instead heavily profited from the sudden drop in trade statistics. Eventually, that’s where Team Rainbow would step in.

Not anymore though. The title was canceled three years after its initial reveal in favor of the devs working on Rainbow Six Siege instead, which turned out to be fairly successful for Ubisoft.

5. Half-Life 2: Episode 3

One of the biggest robberies in gaming history, the extremely anticipated sequel to Half-Life 2 got canned in 2007 after being officially announced the previous year. The game was supposed to end the Half-Life 2 episodic trilogy but ended up getting scrapped because there was no proper direction to act on.

Valve bailing on the HL and Portal franchises has been the biggest upset of the past 20 years, for real,” says one u/czarchastic on Reddit.