Game development is hard, especially in the world of AAA games. Theres are massive undertakings spanning years of work that involve dozens, if not hundreds, of people all working together to produce a piece of art and entertainment, sometimes collaborating across continents.With this in mind, it is no surprise that, over the years, many games have been announced to fanfare, only to disappear from public view, leaving their the future prospects unknown.
Sometimes, this lengthy development cycle full of uncertainty breeds a triumph, like the intricately made Cuphead. Other times a missing game signals pure doom, as in the case of the infamous Daikatana. Here are four major games that have virtually disappeared from the public after being announced.
Dying Light 2
Originally announced in 2018, Dying Light 2 is the troubled sequel to the incredibly well-received 2015 zombie action title. Developer Techland wowed fans and critics with Dying Light to the tune of 17 million players checking out the visually impressive first-person horror action game.
The idea of a sequel seemed a sure thing for many fans of the original Dying Light, a game that Techland continued to support with DLCs and free content drops for years after release. However, after being shown off in 2019, Dying Light 2 missed its original release date and then was delayed to a worrying spring 2020 window. Since then, the game has been delayed indefinitely. The future seems unclear as to when fans will finally get access to this highly anticipated sequel, with Techland only assuring fans that the game is still on the way.
Deep Down
Deep Down is a game that missed an entire console generation. Capcom revealed this action-heavy dungeon crawler all the way back in 2013 at an event celebrating the upcoming release of the PlayStation 4. It was reportedly a multiplayer title with development being led by none other than Yoshinori Ono, famous for his development work on the Street Fighter series. However, it seems things quickly took a turn for the worse, and it seems Deep Down has been buried deep down in a pit of development trouble.
Originally intended to be a showcase for Capcom's impressive Panta Rhei engine, Deep Down missed its planned 2015 beta. Since then, Capcom has abandoned the Panta Rhei engine in favor of the RE Engine, and Ono himself left Capcom in 2020. All of this is a pretty good indication that Deep Down will never see the light of day.
Beyond Good and Evil 2
Fans were shocked during E3 2017 when Ubisoft announced that one of its most beloved cult classics, Beyond Good and Evil, was finally getting a sequel over a decade later. Not only that, but original creator Michel Ansel would return to direct what would be his original vision for the series. Beyond Good and Evil 2 wowed fans with its galaxy jumping scope and debut trailer that was reminiscent of the sci-fi classic The Fifth Element.
However, it wasn't long before it was revealed that Beyond Good and Evil 2 was more of an idea than an in-progress work. Likely a case of announcing a game way too early rather than any sort of development trouble, it seems Beyond Good and Evil 2 is still a long ways away, especially considering the lofty goals the development team has set for itself as far as the game's scope.
Since the announcement, Ubisoft has featured the game at subsequent E3 events, showcasing trailers that mainly focused on concepts rather than clear mechanics. Last September, Ansel himself announced that he would be leaving the gaming industry as a whole to focus on working in a wildlife sanctuary, assuring fans that Beyond Good and Evil 2 was very much still being worked on and in good hands. However long it may take, if Beyond Good and Evil 2 does end up coming out, it will not be for the last generation consoles it was announced for.
Metroid Prime 4
Easily one of the most anticipated titles for the Nintendo Switch following its announcement at E3 2017, Metroid Prime 4 has had some development trouble, to say the least. Originally planned to feature Metroid producer Kensuke Tanabe at the helm, the omission of original Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios had many fans confused from the beginning.
Two years went by after the tease, and despite the then-president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aimé insisting that Metroid Prime 4 was still in development, fans started to worry. These concerned proved correct when, in early 2019, Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 was restarting development from scratch under Retro Studios. The news was a blow to fans, who haven't had a Metroid Prime entry in over a decade. Hopefully, Retro Studios can save the game, finally making Metroid Prime 4 a reality for fans. However, it seems it may take a few more years before anything new is revealed.
Time will tell if any of these games ever sees the light of day, and in what fashion. Each game is being developed by different people with different tools and varying goals for success. For every disastrous launch of a long-developed game like Cyberpunk 2077, there is usually a game cooked to perfection after taking its time like Resident Evil 4. The only thing fans can do now is wait and hope for some good news.