World of Darkness, the horror-themed MMO previously in development by EVE Online developer/publisher CCP Games, has been cancelled.
In a press release issued on their website this afternoon, CEO Veigar Pétursson stated that “The decision to end the World of Darkness MMO project is one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make. I have always loved and valued the idea of a sandbox experience set in that universe, and over the years I’ve watched the team passionately strive to make that possible.
“I would like to give special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the World of Darkness MMO a reality, especially the team members affected by this decision. Their considerable contribution to CCP will not be forgotten, and we wish them well.”
He went on to say: “To our current and former employees and fans of World of Darkness, I am truly sorry that we could not deliver the experience that we aspired to make. We dreamed of a game that would transport you completely into the sweeping fantasy of World of Darkness, but had to admit that our efforts were falling regretfully short. One day I hope we will make it up to you.
Although this was a tough decision that affects our friends and family, uniting the company behind the EVE Universe will put us in a stronger position moving forward, and we are more committed than ever to solidify EVE as the biggest gaming universe in the world.”
56 employees have lost their jobs due to the move, while the remaining members of the development team previously tasked with working on the project will instead focus exclusively on future games set in the EVE universe.
World of Darkness had been in development since 2006 following a merger with White Wolf Games, but very little had been seen of it. The decision to cancel it marks the first time that the developer will have focused on a single franchise in nearly 8 years. Based on the popular pen-and-paper RPG, the game would have seen clans of Vampires, Werewolves and other supernatural creatures battling it out for dominance in the modern world - all while attempting to keep their existence a secret.
The last game to be released set in the universe was Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines on PC, way back in 2004. While it was rough around the edges and famously buggy, it was also rather excellent. A series of fan-made patches have since eliminated many of the bugs, however, so it’s well worth checking out on Steam.
Dale Morgan
@spamdangled
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