11 Bit Studios Halts New Project, Citing Shift in Gaming Trends
The cancellation has led to an unspecified number of job terminations.
Frostpunk creator 11 Bit Studios has dismissed an undefined number of employees following the cancellation of its console project referred to as Project 8.
Initiated in 2018, by the end of September 2024, at least 37 individuals were engaged in its development. The studio has allocated “over” 48.4m PLN to the game over that period, equivalent to around £9.4m or $11.8m.
However, the studio remarked in a statement that even though it made “significant quality improvements in certain areas”, “numerous essential components of the game and its development process remained challenging despite various iterations”. This resulted in delays, and “with each milestone”, the project’s financial plan expanded.
The decision to terminate the project ultimately followed an evaluation by 11 Bit of Project 8’s development, revealing “unresolved challenges and issues that would necessitate further extensions of the production timeline and corresponding budget increases to resolve. This, along with revised sales projections, largely reflecting the shifting market landscape, raised significant concerns about the project’s overall profitability”.
This suggested a loss of confidence in the endeavor and its “quality level”, culminating in the cancellation.
“Our vision for Project 8, which aimed to be our initial title specifically crafted for console players, was ambitious and thrilling,” stated Przemysław Marszał, chairman of the management board of 11 Bit Studios. “However, it was conceived under vastly different market conditions, when narrative-driven, story-rich games had a stronger appeal.
“With Project 8, we faced both achievements and challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining stability within the development team proved particularly tough, yet progress continued. While we achieved visible quality advancements…