11 Bit Studios Restructures Workforce Following Cancellation of Console-Focused ‘Challenge 8’ Game
Image credited to 11 Bit Studios.
Frostpunk 2 creator 11 Bit Studios is reducing its workforce after halting the development of the unrevealed game, Project 8. The studio decided to “cease its development” after it had begun years ago under “very different market conditions,” stated president Przemysław Marszał.
According to him, Project 8’s development commenced back in 2018, when “narrative-focused, story-rich games were significantly more appealing.” As of this past September, its total production expenses amounted to 48.4 million PLN (or $11.8 million).
While specific team sizes were not disclosed, he mentioned that half of the current Project 8 team would be offered positions in other new 11 Bit groups or “fresh, yet-to-be-announced projects…that will help fill the void left by Project 8.” One of the “promising” teams is currently working on the 2025 survival game The Alters.
Despite putting Project 8 to rest, Marszał suggested that resources from the aborted game are likely to be utilized in other projects.
Why terminate it? He clarified that the project faced “breakthroughs and challenges,” along with increasing delays and several elements of its development that were deemed “problematic.” The breaking point arrived with Project 8’s most recent milestone, whose review revealed “unresolved issues…that would necessitate further extensions of the production timeline and corresponding budget increases to resolve.”
Consequently, management reportedly “lost confidence” and ultimately chose to conclude the project. Had it been released, Project 8 would have been 11 Bit’s first game specifically aimed at the console audience. While the studio has released titles for consoles in the past, those versions typically become available a year or more after their initial launches on PC. Frostpunk 2, for instance, is set to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2025 following its PC release back in September.
This past October, it was revealed that 11 Bit discreetly eliminated eight positions toward the end of 2023. These developers had been involved in an unnamed project that the studio claimed underwent “production adjustments,” leading to personnel being let go or transitioned to different teams, similar to the situation with Project 8’s staff.
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A native of Kansas City, MO, Justin Carter has contributed to various publications including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can also be found on io9 at Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he has consumed, as the answer will likely be more than he is willing to confess.