Quantic Dream has recently announced that its most recent game, Spellcasters Chronicles, is officially being canceled alongside expected layoffs. With games like Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain, and Beyond: Two Souls, Spellcasters Chronicles was a big departure from the usual Quantic Dream formula.
Over the years, Quantic Dream has built a reputation as a studio that brings some of the most interesting choice-based games to life. The studio has focused on narrative-driven experiences, so it was surprising when it was revealed last year that the developer’s newest release would be a free-to-play live service game called Spellcaster Chronicles. This team-based strategy title was very different from past Quantic Dream games, and it has struggled to attract a large player base since its early access release back in February. Unfortunately, this has led to the game’s cancellation and layoffs.
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Quantic Dream Cancels Spellcasters Chronicles and Announces Plans for “Internal Reorganization”
Earlier today, Quantic Dream took to its official Twitter account to reveal the company’s plans to stop production on Spellcasters Chronicles, citing the game’s lack of audience as the main reason for this decision. Quantic Dream’s free-to-play multiplayer game launched to mixed reviews and only managed to gain a peak player count of 888. At the time of writing this article, there are only 23 in-game players. The developer admitted that these numbers simply aren’t enough to sustain a long-term live service project and decided that it would be better to refocus attention elsewhere.
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Guess the games from the emojis.
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When it comes to layoffs, Quantic Dream has been more vague about how many jobs will be lost with this game’s cancellation. The official statement mentions “internal reorganization,” which is more often than not a codeword to hint at upcoming layoffs. Quantic Dream insisted that the restructuring would prioritize reassigning employees instead of terminating jobs where it’s possible.
Spellcasters Chronicles will continue to be playable until June 19. Players who have spent money during the game’s early access period will be able to request refunds.
What Does This Mean for Star Wars Eclipse?
Even though it’s unfortunate that Quantic Dream has had to cancel a project and consider layoffs, the company insists that work on Star Wars Eclipse is still happening. Many have been wondering when the Star Wars Eclipse release date will be revealed, but Quantic Dream has been silent when it comes to deeper details. The studio’s ambitious take on the Star Wars franchise was first announced back in 2021, but recent reports have claimed that the game is still potentially years away from being finished.
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With the company leaving Spellcasters Chronicles behind and looking into internal reassignments, it’s likely that most of Quantic Dream’s focus will now be pivoting to Star Wars Eclipse’s production. There are a lot of Star Wars games in development at the moment, and Star Wars Eclipse is one of the more mysterious ones. A Star Wars story that features Quantic Dream’s in-depth choice-based gameplay is something that has intrigued many gamers, but it’s unclear how long it will take for the project to get here.
