Blizzard dev tributes pour in for the "sick" canceled survival game we'll never play and the "fantastic" team behind it

Blizzard survival IP concept art — (Image credit: Blizzard)

Tributes from developers have been flooding in for Blizzard's unannounced survival game following its cancellation.

Yesterday brought the news that Blizzard's survival game set in "a whole new universe" is no more. This comes as part of changes within Microsoft's gaming division that have also resulted in job losses for over 1,900 staff members across Activision Blizzard, Zenimax, and Xbox.

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I'll do a more formal oneI've been laid off from Blizzard, and I'm pretty fucking crushed that the survival game won't see the light of day. We were working on a cool thing with the coolest people and I'll be mourning that a bit.January 25, 2024

Aw man everyone thank you for all the kind comments ;_; I think what bums me the most is the disbanding of the dream team. And the beautiful and fun game we were making that will never see the light of day 💔January 25, 2024

"I was making incredible creatures and enemies with some of the most talented people I've ever met," Bob Mowzie, who worked as an encounter designer on the project, says on Twitter. "I'm heartbroken, and I'm so sorry I won't get to deliver this amazing game to you all…"

Former Blizzard developer Johnny Cash writes: "The Blizz survival game was fantastic, the team behind it even more fantastic, and it is our collective loss to never be able to experience it as a finished piece.."

For Riot software engineer Anna Rosenberg, this was the first AAA game they worked on: "I'm devastated no one else will get to experience it," they write.

The sentiment is shared by many others, including gameplay programmer Michael Dale, who describes the game as "sick," and lighting artist Carmen Lights, who says, "My heart is breaking. I loved this project, and I loved this team".

The existence of this ambitious survival game came to light in early 2022 with a post on Blizzard's website seeking individuals to fill several key development roles. According to details that have emerged following the cancelation, the project had been in development for six years, and Synapse, its game engine, played a role in its demise.

See what's coming to Microsoft's latest console in the year ahead with our guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.