Bandai Namco and developer Reflector Leisure introduced it has determined not to greenlight paintings on a “long run challenge.” Within the launched observation, the studio’s CEO and Bandai Namco Leisure Europe CCO Herve Hoerdt showed that is because of the “failure” of Unknown 9 Awakening. This additionally ends up in layoffs for the studio.
Bandai Namco and Unknown 9 Awakening dev Reflector introduced cancelation
Unknown 9 Awakening launched on PS5 again in October 2024. It gained combined opinions at release, garnering a 59 on evaluate mixture website Metacritic.
In a observation, Hoerdt says the challenge was once lately within the conceptualization segment. In addition they state that proceeding the challenge is probably not “sustainable for the way forward for the studio.”
“This determination correlates immediately with the failure of the studio’s bold and brave first challenge, a brand new IP with a wealthy transmedia universe,” says Hoerdt. “The efficiency of the discharge didn’t come close to the corporate expectancies, after a large number of timeline changes and funding, each financially and different, and didn’t warrant any more exploration on this universe.”
“Sadly, this additionally impacts back-office group of workers, bringing the beef up groups consistent with the only challenge method the studio will undertake for the upcoming long run,” Hoerdt continues.
One of the most other people running at the canceled challenge will likely be moved to every other challenge in line with an present Bandai Namco IP. Whilst that challenge was once no longer particularly named, Hoerdt did remark that it’s “shaping up rather well.”
The ones suffering from redundancies will likely be supplied with an “ok” severance bundle, prolonged well being advantages for each group of workers and their circle of relatives, persevered get admission to to counseling products and services, and occupation making plans beef up.
Despite the fact that Unknown 9 Awakening didn’t meet Bandai Namco’s expectancies, the observation concludes via pronouncing they’ll proceed growing Western content material.
Bandai Namco reportedly canceled “a number of” video games again in October 2024, two of that have been in line with the Naruto and One Piece franchises. It was once additionally reported group of workers was once lowered within the procedure.
