After cancelling multiple titles earlier this year, Ubisoft has reportedly scrapped yet another game. Insider Gaming reported that Ubisoft has elected to can the upcoming Animal Crossing-inspired game Alterra.
The company reportedly informed staff at the developer, Ubisoft Montreal, of the cancellation today. No layoffs were mentioned in the report, which added that staff working on Alterra were shifted to other projects inside Ubisoft. Alterra had been in development for three years, apparently.
The report said Alterra was going to feature a voxel-art presentation with gameplay mechanics "similar to Minecraft" in that players could find resources in the world and build things. The game's NPCs, which were called Matterlings, were said to look similar to Funko Pop characters. Players would have moved through environments of different biomes to encounter creatures and fight, the report said.
A spokesperson for Ubisoft issued a statement on the matter to GameSpot.
"As part of our portfolio management approach and evolving creative house-led model, we continuously assess projects at every stage of development to ensure alignment with our strategic priorities, quality ambitions, and long-term market potential. Projects that no longer meet these expectations may be discontinued," Ubisoft said.
Ubisoft has undergone significant upheaval of late. The company formed a partnership with Tencent for a new business structure, and as part of this, Ubisoft enacted a significant cost-cutting program that led to mass layoffs, studio closures, and the aforementioned game cancellations.
It's not all scaling back for Ubisoft, though. The company has also confirmed that "several" new IPs are coming, along with multiple new Assassin's Creed and Far Cry games.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisof...01-10abi2f