Blizzard’s Cancelled Survival Game: New Details Emerge Amid Layoffs
Insights into Blizzard’s cancelled survival game, codenamed Odyssey, have surfaced. The details come just a day after Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees from their game division which had developers working on ‘Odyssey’.
According to Bloomberg, after six years of development, Blizzard’s ambitious project was inspired by titles like Minecraft and Rust. The game, set in a new universe, was intended to offer vast maps accommodating 100 players before its demise.
However, technical challenges with the game engine initially prototyped on Epic’s Unreal Engine, led to its cancellation. Despite efforts to transition to Synapse, Blizzard’s internal engine, the project faced setbacks, ultimately rendering it unviable.
The cancellation, disclosed to staff during Microsoft’s announcement of 1,900 layoffs across Xbox, Bethesda, and Activision Blizzard, leftover 100 team members without roles.
As Blizzard’s president, Mike Ybarra, and chief design officer, Allen Adham, bid farewell to the studio, the fate of Odyssey underscores broader organizational shifts.
Microsoft’s game content and studios president, Matt Booty, hinted at reallocating resources to promising new projects within Blizzard. Yet, the cancellation marks a setback for Blizzard’s gaming ambitions.
While Odyssey aimed for innovation in the survival genre, its cancellation highlights the challenges of game development and engine compatibility.
As Blizzard navigates this setback, the gaming community awaits updates on future projects and the studio’s strategic direction.